Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-01-12

surface water 10 Its nearest and best
exit point. Ii is not enough to get the
water of 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 a general proposition, in accom-
plishing n well built sub-grade 1T is al
ways well TO remove all loan, roots
and vegetable matter from the pro-
posed travel part of the road; also
everything of a 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 il Is necessary to fill to bring |
the sub-grade up to the height required |
| have found in my practice where the
filling exceeds one foot in depth that |
the filling 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 ill 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 I'M
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 n cracked
| I'LL or one that will slide after the road
| has been constructed. This is very
important matter, | find. and 1 have
used it In my work in my own state.
also find that in the cuts 1t is we'll
not to plow down below that point
that is to be the finished grade Of the
! sub-grade. but to keep ii a sufficient
height above that so that when the
roller is placed on the work it will
make n good solid foundation. and you
will not have to resort to filing 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 n road.
The shape, or contour. OF the sub
grade has been somewhat matter Of
controversy. some engineers holding to
the level line foundation and putting
on an extra depth of stone or material
]
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
J lieve It makes better foundation and
e that the uniform depth of stone at the
t shoulders will assist in holding the
e crown Of the road in shape and fur
G nish n sustainment at the shoulder
line better than to have less depti
y OF stone Mt the shoulders and create
4 depth at the center of the road.
Il also assists in case of breaking up o
:, the road or n fracture or other devel
d opments in draining to the side,
l. shoulder. Of the road.
D Tho forming of the shoulders is
d very important matter They are rea
q, lv the support of the road. 1t has 4
WAYS been my practice when making
8, shoulder in the fills To lay ont my roa
lie and put the newly added material te
er or twelve inches into the new trav'
is path. tamping il down firmly and the
IN cutting back Ia the line. thereby NAL
OF ing good. firm shoulder to work
k and 10 hold in place the stone or Gra
b. el in the travel path of the road.
a 1t is difficult matter to treat tn
Mt question as inteligently through q
nd medium of the written word as
cd would be with charts, hut if the
ell. principles are followed In building Il
a sub-grade n good foundation up'
which to put the wearing surface W
les result.-James II. Macdonald. Sta
ult Highway Commissioner of Connec
he cut, in Good Roads Magazine, Ne
in York.
nat