The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-07-11
TESTS SHOW UP
PAVING BRICK
Abrasion In Rather ID Over 20 PEI
Cent Columbus standard-Msyor
vstoes More Bills.


The first tests OF paving brick In
Pubic Works Commissioner Has
new rather were made Monday after
noon and Tuesday, morning, and the
results thus far DO not speak any too
well for the brick that are going into
Detroit streets. All OF the percent
ages OF abrasion figured thus far by
the city engineers force are n ex,
cess OF 20 per cent. the limit liked oy
Columbus. o.. In its paving brick tests,
according 20 information received by
Mayos Thompson.
| Thest initial tests are being maize
under the direction OF City engineer
Mccormick, who says he Is Following
I. the method adopted a. standard cy
the National Paving Brick Manufac-
turers' association. For each test ~
brick were placed In the barrel or the
RATHER along with number OF cast'
| iron spheres, resembling cannon balls.
| of different sizes. the total weigir
the spheres being about 300 pounds.
The bricks and spheres were then
ratified" for an hour, the barrel re-
diving nj the rate OF 80 revolutions
per minute. The percentage OF abra-
sion was arrived at by weighing the
bricks before anu after the test ana
figuring out tho lcsE OF material
AS soon ar test was completed. the
figures were telaphoned to the city
engineers ONCE, where the abranion
was computed The results up to
Tuesday noon were given out a. fol-
lows:
Speedway brick, manufactured by
| the Alliance Clay Product Co., II per
cent. Bessemer block, manufactured
| by the Bessemer Limestone Co.. II
| per cent: Wooster, manufactured by
the Wooster Shale Brick Co.. rs per
cent
This showing Il not az good as that
made by the brick which Mayor
Thompson had tested In Columbus
some time ago. Two tests were made
| there and the results, an to two OF
| the three kinds, were as follows: bes-
semer, 20.40 per cent and 1917 per
cent: Wooster. 25.24 per cent and 2z.4
per cent. No samples OF Speedway
brick were submitted to tests In
Columbus.
Mayor Thompson would make
no comment on the results OF the To-
cal tests except to say that II the
tests were conducted according TO the
approved method, the showing made
by the brick was poor.
81 have no reason to doubt that the
city engineer 10 following specifica-
lions in making these tests" he add
ed. 81 believe he will be fair"
After the city engineer IL through
with his tests, Mayor Thompson plans
to make some OF his own, taking the
brick on the streets that are now be-
ing paved.
No aldermen were present at the
morning tests, but several OF them are
planning to go out during the after
noon. and Mayor Thompson my also
60 along. The RATHER has been set
up In the stone yard OF the depart
ment Of public works. at Dequindre
and Erskine-sts.
The mayor has some interesting
data In his possession as to the amount
spent In repairing brick pavements
laid since 1908, which had pan
ned to incorporate In his veto mes
sage, but he has decided to withhold
this information for the present until
he can make personal inspection or
the streets in question and see Just
what condition they are In today.
In his regular weekly veto mes
sage to the common council, Tues
day evening, Mayor Thompson will
turn down additional paving brick
bills, aggregating $2O,7S9.S1. The con.
Germs affected are the Bessemsr
Limestone Co., the Deckman-Duty
Brick Co., the Detroit Vitrifed Brick
Co., the Massillon Stone q Fire Brick
Co., the Jacksonville Brick Co., the
Novelty Brick q Coal Co., Thomas
Bros. & Co., the T. b. Townsend
Brick and Constructing Co. and the
wassall Brick Co.
The mayor in his communication.
calls attention to his previous vetoes,
and adds:
The budget for brick paving
for the ensuing fiscal year
amounts to s757.425. This IL q
large sum, and II ought not to be
expended without every precau-
tion being taken TO insure the
city's getting. full value for so
much money. Az no recognized
test has been adopted thus far
by the commissioner of public
works to determine the quality
OF the brick now being received,
II IL the part OF prudence to go
slow about spending this large
appropriation and honoring claims
for brick shipments, about whose
quality We know very little, and
even that little Is to the disad-
vantage of the brick.
II shall feel II my duty to con-
tinue to veto all brick bills until
satisfactory tests demonstrate