The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-19

different clays when subjected to weather
conditions. Some clays Withstand n
heavy rain without erosion. while other
CLAWS seem to melt and become liquid
as soon as water is applied Manifestly
the former clay when used as filler
for the voids In the sand would show
binding effect and tend to hold the grains
of sand In place even when subjected to
running water, while the latter clay
would not only bind but be readily re-
moved from the voids of the sand at
every rain. The former clay would MAKE
a good binder and a good road while
the latter would not give satisfaction
because In dry weather it would quickly
form dust and leave the sand loose
Only to become slush when 1t rains or be
washed into the bitches. So great are
the varieties of clay and so very diff
ferent are their characteristics that the
road builder will require greater knowl-
edge of the clay than of the sand. While
coarse sharp sand is decidedly superior.
nevertheless coarse, sharp sand and a
moor clay NAV produce less satisfactory
road than fine sand with a good binding
clay. In all cases the best results Will
be obtained throughout the south only
when the proportions existing between
the sand and clay are as described above
Most excellent results have been OBJ
tanned by simply hauling sand and spread
ing it over clay roads when the clay Is
soft enough to allow the sand 10 pene-
trate il, the pudding and mixing, OF
course, being effected by public travel
Numerous cases all over the country
have demonstrated that sand or gravel
hauled from a creek or river bar and
applied to the road as above Will eHece-
ually cure the worst places In any clay
road and at a cost less than one-fourth OF
macadam. The application OF sand SHOULD
be liberal, however, and in no case stint
ed; for 1t must be borne In mind that
the sand and not the clay constitutes
the depth of the hard surface material
Four inches of sand will not make six
inches of sand-clay road. Since only the
voids are to be filled with clay. four inches
of sand scarcely yield four-inch sand
clay surface when compact.
1t is plain, then, that in order to ouiio
a road sufficient for heavy traffic that
the depth OF sand should not be less than
eight inches when applied to clay road
bed and great care should be taken TO
make the application of sand at a time
and in quantities sufficient to take up
the softened clay as fast as 1t appears
on the surface. In this simple and mex
pensive manner any road overseer Dy ell
gaginR his neighbours team can often pro-
duce the most satisfactory results at less
cost than the old method of filling mud
any creek or river bar literally applied to
the muddiest portion of any clay road
will remedy the evil permanently, While
filling with brush at best is only temper
airy and unsatisfactory. When II Is de-
sired to build a sand-clay road on clay
foundation and 1t is Impossible TO wait
for rain to soften the clay, the surface
may be loosened by blowing 1t and mar
rowing the sand into 1t; but before the
road can in any sense be called sand
CLAW road 1t must pass through the puo-
ding process and very often the roao
builder will discover that he mas an eA-
cess of clay and will require more Sane
when the first application disappears. Inc
remedy is to continue adding sand as long
| as the clay Is In excess :.
| In many localities the surface SOIL Is
normally a practical sand-clay compost
| ton. In such localities will be found Sec
| tions of good sand-clay roads, naturally
made This has given rise TO what Is
| commonly known as the soil ROAD. IL IL
| constructed by simply hauling the sur
| face soil of the above type and spreading
n ,,non the road. which has been previous
| Nv graded and drained. The depth of the
soilinR should be quite liberal because IN
| handling it. it becomes quite ioamy "neh
placed upon the road consequently the
| denth of soil when thoroughly packed oy
| travel is much less than would be ex-
pected. The soil road has given excellent
results and the road builder with little
experience is more likely to succeed with
| II than the sand-clay, road where the
nroner proportions have to be gotten by
| mixing sand and clay. The soil road re-
ouires no pudding or very little II any.
When wet enough to bind travel quickly
| hacks it and on occasional orassihs
smooths it to proper crown and the SOIL
road is then complete.
The sand-clay road in its early history
was intended only for relief in very heaVy
| sands and indeed Its greatest triumph
has been in the overcoming OF the dreao-
ed sand roads Of the southern states. II
is a matter of common experience In
building sand-clay roads that 1t Is easier
L, get satisfactory results If the sand over
which the road passes is very porus ano
deem because it furnishes a perfect sub
drainage The construction OF sand
CLAW road under such conditions consists
in hauling clay upon the sand and cover
ing II with sand ready for pudding pro
cess. Let II be remembered that no SAND
clay road is possible without the con
tact relations above described excep'
in the case of the soil road and an occa
sional deposit of sand-clay composition
, naturally mixed.