Milford chronicle., 1910-07-22
From Good ROADS Magazine. New York
Will BUILr BURNT CLAY HIeHwAY.

From Good ROADS Magazine. New York.
WELL BUILT BURNT CLAY HIGHWAY.
/ After it has been burned. however. the
[ Elasticity is entirely destroyed. and a
1 light clinker IS formed which, though
not particularly hard when pulverized
forms a smooth surface and seems "a
wear we'll 1t should be understood
that not all of the clay out Of which
the road is to be constructed IS TO be
/ clinkered, but only a sufficient amount
should be rendered nonplastic to neu
tralize the too sticky character Of the
native clay.
Good sound wood. as dry and well
seasoned as it is possible to procure,
I should be provided before beginning
the work and stacked at convenient
intervals along the side Of the road.
About one cord Of wood has been found
necessary for eight linear feet of road
bed twelve feet wide.
After grading the road to an even
width between bitches it is plowed up
as deeply as practicable. 1t will be
found necessary to use horses or
mules. as the extremely heavy nature
Of the clay makes the work of deep
plowing difficult. After the plowins
has been completed burrows are dug
across the road from ditch TO ditch,
extending through and beyond the
width to be burned If it is intended
to burn twelve feet Of roadway the
transverse burrows should be sixteen
feet long so as 20 extend two feet on
each side beyond the width Of the final
roadway. Across the ridges formed
between these furrows. which should
be about four feet apart, the first
course Of cord wodR is laid longitude
nally so as to form series Of tlues in
which the firing is started.
The best and soundest cord wood is
selected for this course and should be
laid so that the pieces viii touch. thus
forming a floor Another layer of
wood is thrown irregularly across this
floor. in crib formation, with spaces
left between in which the Jumps OF
clay are piled.
After the Jumps Of clay have been
heaped upon this floor a third course
Of wood is laid parallel to the first.
This third course is laid in exactly the
same manner as the first, and each
opening and crack should be filed |
with brush. chips, bark, small sticks /
or any other combustible material. |
The top layer Of clay is placed over all, /
and the finer portions Of the material
are heaped over the whole structure.
The deep covering Of clay which is |
thrown over an should be taken from |
the side bitches and may be in Jumps /
of all sizes. including the very finest /
material 1t is spread as evenly as pos
sible over the top in a layer Of not
less than six to twelve inches. Finally .
the whole is tamped and rounded on
so that the heat viii be held within
the fues as long as possible.
When the roadbed Las been care
fully. prepared according TO the fore
going directions the firing should b'
gin. IF. however q large force OF
Iaborers are available for the work q
greater number Of Gues can be fired
at one time.
When the material is sufficiently .
cooled the road5ed should ba brought
to high crown before rolling. TO
allow for the camDacting of the ma
.erial. This can hc best done with a
1low or grader After this the roll /
ne should be begun and continued
until the roadbed is smooth and hard /
The finished crown should have q slope
,f at least oue-haf inch to the foot
Althouga It cannot be denied that
he eumbo and buckshot clays of the
south are particularly adapted for
burning on account of the high per
,entage Of organic matter which the
contain. it is none the less probable
hat many of the surface clays and
ioils Of the states farther north could
,e treated in the same way, and, In
act, any soil or clay which bricks or
.linkers at a comparatively low tenn
,erature should be suitable for the
yerk.