The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-07-06

Daring it to receive the stone. 1t
Affords a means of clearing many
rocky pasture lands and gives the |
armer cash for product he does
lot care to have on the land. Few ,
armers object to road building when |
they receive pay for clearing their
own land at the same time.
In addition V drains act as a foun- !
lation, but its real purpose is OF
course drainage. V drains are fire.
luently built of brick bats or Stag;
any porous material answers the pur
pose.
Frequently wafer from springs APP
pears in the banks and in some sec
tons this has been turned to good
advantage by providing a drinking
trough for the stock and also sup
ply for the automobile
The construction of a bern ditch
on the top of the banks will do much
to divert the water from running
down over the slopes, and in many
cases prevent actual sliding of the
banks Where there is much sliding
over a ledge section, n concrete wall
has been faced up in some instances,
but this is usually done by clearing
on the ledge and drilling holes and
inserting dowel pins before the con
crete forms are put up,
Many culyerts are blocked at their
inets by having the material in the
slopes slide towards the culvert This
is easily avoided by building a drop
inlet with the back high enough to
hold the slope while the sides are
low enough to admit the water from
the gutter
Surface drainage | need not enter
into as presenting any special prob
lens beyond urging the paving of the
cutters where the volume of the wat
er calls for IT, If water tends to UNI
dermine the paving. it can be check
ed by driving two inch plank the
full width of the gutter to a depth
of three feet If this is done every
thirty feet, there will be little ten
dency to undermine.
Many clay pipes are found broken.
because the overseer had not placed
a cushion at the bottom OF the trench
but had laid the pipe directly on the
ledge. Naturally to remedy this de
feet, will require breaking the surface
of the road
Foundation
Along this line | call your attention
to the necessity of cushion between
the ledge and the crushed rock wher-
ever macadam construction is at
also to the value of should
er drains where advisable
Grades
There is not much new material on
the subject Of grades, but | would
suggest in a ledge section, keeping
the profile high as il will not be econ
omy TO balance cuts and fills in such
a section. 1t will usually be cheap.
er to resort to a borrow pit and Ill
low points. rather than cut the high
points of the grade
| have already mentioned the adj
vantage gained on drainage in going
around the hill in place of over it; we
also gain on the grading by going
around n hill rather than through
the Hill, as it is only necessary to cut
half the section for the road and in
hANN bhA a ali0AN us dltNt
to haul the excavation Wheel bar
rows can often be used for this pur.
pose.
Line
Line Is of course a matter of con
Germ on a mountain road and / sug-
gest that as far as practical, sharp
turns be avoided and If impossible to
do this, have warning signs posted
by way of caution. In some states !
this is mandatory not only near sharp
turns, but near school house grounds |
as well. 1t is a good plan on sharp
turns to widen the road at that point |
whenever it can be done
Many of the mountain roads would |
be improved by emitting the crown |
and having the road slope to-
wards the HILL much the same as a |
race track is banked at the turns. All |
The water falling on the road thus |
flows down one gutter to outlets
usually culyerts under the road.
Surfaeing
The material used for surfacing wnll
vary and will ikeylafgmernrnsoda(
vary and viii likely range from sand !
clay, gravel and macadam, If other
han the natural material is used. Let
me advise against thank-you-mams /
water bars. catch waters and box cul. |
'erts on road surfaces. The purpose /
Df all four is to catch water runningl
Town the center of the road. and I'LL
water runs down the center of an i'm
proved road, there is something rad I
Ically wrong with either it's construc-
ton or maintenance A properly !
built road and a properly maintained |
road does not have water running !
down its center.
Nearly all mountain roads have the |
problem of intersecting roads cross |
ing at varying grades and notice
his seems to give the local men no /
small concern. The solution of this |
problem is easy. for il involves a
'atch basin on the up Hill side with |
pipe outlet under the intersectine |
DAD and the varying OF the crown OF /
he road on the side Of the intersect- |
ng road.
Guard Rails
The necessity Of guard rails al the 1
is one Of extreme i'm
1ortance and will do much to pro. |
note the safety of the travelling pub. |
ic
Signs
With many tourists over these
roads the value Of suitable road sign /
IS apparent, and il is a matter OF his. 4
tory We travelled over 1900 miles i'm
1ne state before discovering a counTi
hat had readable road signs.
We cannOt say 20 the visitor or
tourist we do not want YOU but
rather we welcome you TO our Dor.
ders. invite an inspection Of our ad-