Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-08-10
under tho circumstances would be to
meet failure. It would create very
undesirable alignment.
HARLAN TRIBUNE ON CONCRETE.

/ URUkON tVSOON6 ON VVNOVSI e
The Harlan Tribune attracted by
certain comment regarding concrete
| Times Republican raises point in
criticism which, while natural as COM
| ing from one who does not pretend to
possess special knowledge Of the sub
ject. IS of value because Of its error.
1t excites discussion.
Thus the Tribune questions the state
ment as to cheap cost Of repair Of con-
crete pavement saying "a block or
square Of paving once injured can not
be patched. The whole block will have
to be removed and a new one laid"
Now. when the Tribune man finds
himself next in Mason City let him
call on the city engineer. Mr.. F. P.
Wilson, who by the way is one of the
! most wide awake and intelligent men
of his profession, whom any editor
can meet in this state. Let him ask
to be shown patches which have been
made IN Mason City's concrete where
repairs We're necessary to broken heat
ing pipes and he will have difficulty
! in detecting the patch with his eye.
The hole in the pavement was CHS
eled out in rectangular shape, with
sides vertical and as smooth an edge
as possible Then the hole was filled
with concrete with base and wearing
surface mixed just as the original
pavement was laid and foated on top
quite wet with wooden float. Any
sidewalk mason can do it and the re-
suit is an almost perfect joint.
AT Marshalltown asphalt paving. al
tho under bonds for it's maintenance
by the paving company. has kept
streets almost impossible all summer
waiting for the paving company to re-
turn and repair it and the city council
is now advertising for general con-
tractors with an asphalt plant to come
there TO do the work, having notified
the paving company that suit for the
cost will be commenced. This is what
happens TO most cities where patented
or special process street paving is
laid
The Tribune. however, mentions an
other item of interest regarding con-
crete which is open to wide difference
Of opinion even among experts ''Mixed
thru and thru says the Tribune, land
laid in one body II is undoubtedly
stronger and more durable than where
the custom Of laying a top coat of pure
cement is followed in order to insure
a perfectly smooth finish"
That is the theory advanced by City
Engineer Gaynor. of Sioux City, Who
is getting mile after mile Of concrete
pavement laid in that city for s11S
per square yard when Council Bluffs
is paying 5000 for brick, a saving OF
over $1,000 to the city block He mixes
enc part cement. three parts sand TO
four and half parts stone and pours the
mass. When tamped the surplus of
sand and cement mortar in this mixture
comes to the top leaving virtually
1:S cement and sand wearing surface
and it has been demonstrated in Sioux
City that this method is the cheapest
in price, In Ann Arbor, Mich, the city
lays its own concrete pavement by
this same method for less than 81 per
square yard.
Mason City, r.. Dodge and other
cities in this state along with Fond
Du Lac, Wis. lay a base or founda-
ton mixed 1:2:5 on which a wearing
surface is laid Of richer mixture
varying from 1:2 Of cement and sand
at Mason City to 1:1:1 OF cement, sand
and granite chips at Ft. Dodge and
Fond Du Lac. The result is a wearing
surface richer in cement without any
possibility Of the soft stone aggregate
coming to the top. 1t would seem that
10 mixture for a wearing surface would
| De more QuFdDIe IMAM l. % ana YET /. 5
| is fundamentally correct and ii stands
up at Sioux City.
| However the Tribune is wrong in it's
| observation that The use Of cement
| for paving for wheel traffic is all a
matter of experiment" Ii has been
used successfully in the largest of our
eastern cities for many years under
various patented processes which in
ultimate analysis are merely concrete
pavements Of rock, sand. gravel and
cement mixtures. The only thing new
about concrete pavement is its remark
able cheapness in cost when laid
without tribute to patentees.
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