Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-11-13

minimize the danger and to carry the
surface wafer to it's nearest and best
exit point Ii is not enough to get the
water Off and out from the road. but 1t
must be got away from the road.
When we have done this we can com
mence 10 properly construct the sub
grade, and not before.
As general proposition. in accom-
pIishing a well built sub-grade 1t Is al
ways we'll TO remove all loan, roots
and vegetable matter from the pro
posed travel part of the road; also
everything of springy nature or any
thing found in excavating for said
roadway that will be liable to heave or
settle and fill all such places with
clean sand or gravel.
Where it is necessary to fill to bring
the sub-grade up to the height required
! have found In my practice where the
filing exceeds one foot in depth that
the filing should be deposited In
courses not to exceed twelve inches in
depth. loose measurement, and require
that each course shall be extended
across the entire Gil and completed be-
fore commencing another course, no
matter If the fill be two or twenty
feet. And this method should be fol-
lowed with each succeeding course IN
til the established grade is reached.
The constant travelling over each of
the courses by the teams employed In
handling the material will remove the
possibility of ever having a cracked
fill or one that will slide after the road
has been constructed. This is very
important matter | find. and l have
used it in my work In my own state.
| also find that in the cuts 1t is well
not to plow down below that point
that is to be the finished grade of the
sub-grade, but to keep it a sufficient
height above that so that when the
roller is placed on the work it will
make good solid foundation, and you
will not have to resort to filling in the
cut to bring the sub-grade up to the
grade desired These two principles
of cut and fill will be found to work
to great advantage In the proper con-
struction of road.
The shape. or contour. of the sub
grade has been somewhat a matter OF
controversy. some engineers holding to
the level line foundation and putting
on an extra depth of stone or material
In the center to make the contour or
shed from the center line of the road
to the berms. or shoulders. while other
engineers have given the sub-grade or
foundation upon which the wearing
material is to be placed the same con-
tour as the finished road. have used
this latter method in my own work in
my state by reason OF the fact l be-
lieve 1t makes a better foundation and
that the uniform depth of stone at the
shoulders will assist in holding the
crown of the road in shape and fur
nish a sustainment at the shoulder
line better than to have less depth
Of stone at the shoulders and a greater
depth at the center of the road. 1t
also assists in case of breaking up of
the road or fracture or other devei-
opments in draining to the side, or
shoulder, of the road.
The forming of the shoulders is
very important matter. They are real
ly the support of the road. 1t has al
ways been my practice when making
shoulder in the fills to lay out my road
and put the newly added material ten
or twelve inches into the new travel
path. tamping 1t down firmly and then
cutting back to the line. thereby max
ing a good. firm shoulder to work to
and to hold in place the stone or grav-
ell in the travel path of the road.
1t is difficult matter to treat this
question as intelligently through the
medium Of the written word as it
would be with charts, but if these
principles are followed in building the
sub-grade good foundation upon
which to put the wearing surface will
reSult.-James II. Macdonald. State
Highway Commissioner of Connect
cut, in Good Roads Magazine, New
York.