Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-08-21
CONCRETE BEST
ROAD MATERIAL,
SAYS EXPERT

Cement-concrete as the best road
making material is advocated by Carl
G. Fisher, "A national authority, and
promoter of the ten million dollar
coast-to-coast road. according to a
francisco Chronicle. The article
says:
"Carl c. Fisher. yice-president Of
the Lincoln Highway association.
which is promoting the proposed &c.
000, 900 coast-to-coast road. points out
the mistake of constructing highways
Iof material that will require large
expenditures for repairs.
Like Elwood Haynes, who recent
lily expressed his conviction that ce-|
ment concrete roads were far and
away the cheapest IN the end, as we'll
as the best for traffic, Fisher is an
Ecrete for good roads.
Fisher tells of mistakes that have
been made in other states by building
macadam roads, the cost of which was
but little less than concrete in the
first instance, and which have reQuir-
ed a tremendous annual expenditure
for maintenance, while concrete roads
are costing little or nothing to keep
in shape.
Maintenance Cost High.
The example of New York should
be considered Fisher says. New
York State spent s50,000,000 for high
ways. They were built of macadam,
and were no sooner completed than
it became evident that under the
heavy traffic the maintenance cost
was going to be excessive 1t has
|proved to be as much as $1,000 mile
year. Now they are beginning to
build concrete roads, the maintenance
of which costs next to nothing.
In Europe, where the macadam
roads were formerly kept by one man
beenworking twelve miles, now, un-
der the heavier traffic conditions, it
has been found necessary to put three
men on one mile Now they are plan
ing to substitute concrete for these
macadam roads
Around Detroit there have been
built about 200 miles of concrete
roads, with a seven or eight inch con-
crete base and a four inch fioated
concrete surface. The original cost
Of these roads is only $500 a mile
they are fifteen feet wide-and the
maintenance charge is practically no
thing. 1t is estimated that they will
stand up for twenty years without
repairs, and that their life is practic-
any indefinite.
AS q test, a road was constructed
with macadam on one side and con-
crete on the other The cost of the
maintenance of the macadam half
proved to be $500 year, while the
charge against the concrete was $3.75
for inspection.
GAS the macadam construction
costs $500 a mile, it will be seen that
the difference in first cost is insig-
nificant.
/ "1n another test a road was built
whit macadam on the sides and a i
strip of concrete in the center, where
it got the bulk of the wear. After
three months a survey was made, and
the depreciation Of the macadam was
estimated at 5 per cent and the depre- |
citation of the concrete at nothing.
Adopted in Colorado.
Colorado has also adopted the con- |
crete construction for fits highways
and around Grand Junction there have
been built several of these roads.
The comparison with rock-asphalt |
is equally convincing. The life Of a |
rock-asphalt road is estimated at four |
years, but the fourth year its condi.
ton will be poor.
Some of these concrete roads are
sustaining a travel of 5000 vehicles a
cay, which is an evidence of the great
increase in road travel due to the use
of automobiles. Some of these same
roads formerly carried traffic of
hardly 1000 vehicles month"
"In Utah the touring party in which
Fisher came to the Coast met the
governor of the state. He stated to
them that Utah would build that por-
ton of the Lincoln highway within
the borders of Utah, and said the ma
terial used would re the same as the
pacadam road upon which they were
at the time of the converse,
ton. He was asked to note what the
twenty machines in the party were do
ing to that same road Getting out of
the car the governors attention was
called to the fact that even twenyI
machines made noticeable rut in a
road.
fxrr%n