The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-08-31
FAVORABLE COMMENTS
ON CONCRETE PAVING

The following self explanatory COM
relative to the durability |
Of concrete paving are submitted by |
Prof. L. F. Henderson:
Hood River. Aug. Is, 1911.
Editor Hood River Glacier: Having |
heard some adverse comments upon
the decision of the Council to pave our
streets with concrete, and after con-
ference with Councilman Early, deter
mined to write to Thomas X. Campbell. |
a member of the Railroad Commission
of Oregon, and gentleman who has
had great experience IN city paving, |
and especially in concrete, both IN
Salem and elsewhere.
When | did this felt assured from a
very limited experience of my own,
that concrete, well put on and covered,
was the most durable and at the same
time least slippery surface we could
apply to our rather severe grades. l
wish to call particular attention TO
two points in MIR. Campbell's letter.
The first one is to the care taken IN
mixing and applying the concrete, a
thing everyone knows who knows any
thing about the subject, and thing
which should be under the most strict
supervision of the City Engineer, or
some expert selected by the Council.
The second point is one which very
few know about, or, if they know, pay
little attention to, and that is to-
the careful covering of the cement
recently put down, so that it may dry
equally and uniformly. This should
be insisted on by the Council.
l.. f. Henderson.
Salem, Oregon, July %, 1911.
MIR. l.. F. Henderson,
Hood River. Oregon.
Dear Sir: The enclosed from the
Albany, Oregon, Democrat, June 3,
1911. | believe fully answers your
letter and gives you all the informa-
tion have. The concrete streets laid
in Salem up to date have proven salts
factory and promise to wear equal to
any of the high-prlced hard surface
pavements now in use. | believe care
should be taken in mixing the concrete
to get the proper quantities, not only
of cement, sand. rock or gravel, as the
case NAV be, but also uniform guam
tity of water to each batch, as unlfor-
nifty is very much to be desired in this
class of work and the city should
strictly supervise the laying of all
cement streets and demand close
adherence by the contractors to the
specifications. In your climate at TINS
season would recommend a cover OF
from ten to twenty days to retain the
moisture and prevent too rapid setting
in the newly laid street. Sawdust or
planer shavings can be used to good
advantage. | believe time will justify
your council in adopting cement streets
and | certainly think that a few years
hence this class of material will be IN
general use, not only on account of Its
cheapness and ease of repair, but II
! will prove more durable than any OF
/ the so-ealled hard surface pavements
now in use. Very truly yours,
Thos. X. Campbell.
Editor Democrat. Owing to the
current discussions on the relative
merits of paving material, the follow
ing few facts may be of interest tt
your readers.
During the past five or six years the
writer has made a careful study oi
paving materials and has reports from
many cities in the United States.
The construction of bituminous sur
faces and bituminous pavements is i
its infancy in the u. S., practically
speaking, as this class of paVemen
as developed since 1908.
From reports of all cities where ex
detrimental psvements have been laid
the most favorable reports are TO
Portland cement concrete. When prop
erly laid with hrst-class materials, /
certainly warrants its use on accoun
of its first cost, cheapness to maintain
and the small expense to repair wher
it becomes necessary to cut holes 10
] sewerage purposes, etc.
During the summer of 1910 Maso
CITY, Ia, laid 5000 SO. yards OF cemen
paving in a down town district wher
it would have a test under the mos
severe traffic. After two winters,
was in as good condition as the day
was laid. During the past seaso
: 256, 900 so. yds. were laid and cor
: tracts have been let for 43, 900 add
tional So. yds.
The contract price of these pave
| ments including excavation was VIZ
! per So. yd.
| For number of years eoncret
pavements have been used in the alley
of Kanass City, Mo-, and experienc
with these led the city to believe tha
concrete pavement is the most desil
able pavement for this purpose tha
has vet been tried. In all work of thi
character in the city no attempt wa
made to use concrete in layers and tn
same mix has been employed from to
10 bottom.
II Recently a test of concrete pave
ments of an unusual nature was mad
II in the city. A street which carrie
the heaviest travel of any in the plac
was formerly paved with asphalt, bt
the very severe usage TO which tn
asphalt was subjected caused it
wear out rapidly. To relieve the e.
q listing conditions it was finally dete
i mined to pave the street with concre'
II so as to make it serviceable temporal
II ly. while the courts were deciding I'll
II question of widening the street.
II was believed that this concrete cou
II be used as base for some futul
II block or other pavement. 1t was ven
II hurriedly laid, no account taken II
II expansion or construction.
II During the first month that it WI
II turned over TO traffic the wear WI
II barely appreciable, although it is est
II mated that 5000 vehicles. large pr
III portion of them carrying heavy load
II passed over the pavement every
IL hours. At the end of the first moni
II severe blizzard occurred durir
III which time the temperature droppt
II about so degrees in few hour
II Afterward the temperature rose a
II most as rapidly as it had fallen.
III The pavement, even IN spite of Il
II adverse conditions under which it WI
II laid and had been used, is considers
II as good today as when it was first lai
II For reasons as above stated the roi
II commissioners of Wayne county, Mict
II nave adopted concrete pavement
HI their standard type of construction.
III The New York State Highway Coz
III mission adopted concrete pavement
iii its standard on account of, in brie
HI Comparative freedom from dus
HI smoothness of surface, good footiI
HI for horses and wheels. pliability pc
HI .n;ttinu of ehapuas in fha hasa due