The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1912-01-18
TOOLS NEEDED IN
ROAD BUILDING
CHEAP and Practical Machinery
Within Reach Of All.
GOVERNMENT REPORT.

able In Building Good Macadam
Road.-Future Maintenance Of High
ways Must Be Mapped Out Before
Anything Else Is Done.
Road building is now occupying the
attention of the people to Il greater
degree than ever before. Building by
the old fashioned way Is expensive.
Tools that reduce the cost are within
the reach of every county. and OH this
subject a government report says:
In addition to the shovels. picks
and other ordinary implements con-
siderable outlay for machinery Is nec-
essary. In these days of high paid la
bor and short working hours one rare
" hears in this country Of macadam
stone being broken by hand.
There are many kinds of stone
crushers on the n:,rket. Except for
city use and in cases where large
amount Of macadam work is done
every year within a comparatively
small area. large stationary plants are
undesirable. There are several kinds
of portable plants which may be
bought at prices ranging from $1,000
to $500 which are admirably adapt
ed for country use These plants in
clude the stone crusher. engine and
boiler, portable bins, revolving screen
and an elevator to lift the stone after
it is broken and to discharge it into
the screen.
"The outfits are mounted on wheels
and may be moved from place to place
at a comparatively small cost. Under
ordinary conditions from $50 to 500
will pay the expense of shifting such
plant from it's old location to a new
one several miles distant.
''Stone crushers are variable in their
output They all need much repair
work from time to time on account OF
the severe usage to which they are
subjected. With an outfit such as has
been mentioned from eighty to hun
dred tons (sixty to eighty cubic yards
of broken stone per day may be ex
pected If the plant is kept in good
condition Such an output is usually
satisfactory. since single steam road
roller will not often roll more thar
| this amount in day. The crushel
will take stones which measure up tt
approximately by IA inches in cross
section: larger stones require mauline
before they can be placed III the re
ceiving oritice.
/ I'm some places it may be fount
more economical to have the stone
shipped in from some permanent crush
ing plant than to purchase crushing
outfit. and 1t is well to consider thi!
feature carefully 1t should also b.
stated that. while the first cost of th'
road is important. the costs Of futur
maintenance must also be taken int
account. 1t is sometimes economical
even ut greater initial cost. to In
port stone from a distance If thereb
more durable road may be had thai
Is possible by the use Of local stone
"The crusher should be set up Il
nearly as practicable in the center o
the section to be built: but. since niue
water is needed for the boiler for tn
roller and for the watering cart tn
site Is often governed by the locatio
Of the water supply.
III possible the crusher should
set low enough 80 that platforr
may be built at the level of the ope1
ing which receives the stone Thi
platform should be sufficiently stron
to bear the weight of the carts ioade
with stone for the crusher. With th
arrangement the large stones may /
| dumped upon the platform and fe
into the crusher without further lif
ing.
THE workmen who set up the plal
; should have had experience In tn
work. Much depends ON the prop'
alignment of the several parts. ar
many petty annoyances in operate
will be avoided II the work is del
properly in the first instance.
"The steam road roller is now use
: to SO great an extent that disc'lsslt
Of its advantages over the horse roll
: is unnecessary Macadam roads mi.
s- Of course. be built with rollers draw
by horses They may also be bu
without any rolling except by Il
wheels Of moving vehicles But expe1
ence has demonstrated that quick
and better work can be done with Z
steam roller and usually at less co:
A SO called ten ton roller Is sutfitler
" heavy for country roads Mos,
the culverts and many Of the brid.
!, are too weak to sustain with safety {
heavier rollers. There are several 6
cellent makes of such rollers. viii
may be had at prices ranging from S
500 to $500
.Since water il always needed
rolling the macadam watering G.
or sprinkler should be provided T
road official cannot often afford to W
for rain. Most OF these carts are p
yfded with extremely broad tires
that the cart assists IN cOnsolidati
the stone instead of rutting it. Ma
+ communities are provided with one
more watering carts. so that 1t is Oft
unnecessary to purchase new one
road building
sIn macadam work. az IN all OIL
construction work. there shonld be
It competent foreman or snpertnfende
d. charge"