Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-07-03
FOR GOOD ROADS ALSO
STIMULATES IDEA Of new Streets

blocks; five horse power on poor
granite blocks or cobblc stones, and
so on in an increasing ratio up to
forty horse power to move the same
load through sand. No tests are made
on brick pavements. AS the bricks
become more and more worm, the in
terstices become larger and the draft
is consequently Increased in a direct
ratio.
The history OF that type of pave
ment known as bitulithic bituminous
macadam and by other similar names,
is instructive. About 16,4OO square
yards of it were first laid in 1901.
! Although nothing was known as to
its life, and although coal tar pave
ments had always proved failures in
the past, the public plunged in 1903,
according to the advertisement OF the
promoters, 10 the extent of 9l5,G30
square yards in an untried material,
and even now continues to do so,
Notwithstanding the fact that this
form Of construction has proved a
failure on streets Of very medium,
when laid with coal tar as the cement
ing material. In North Dakota there
has been a neglect of a proper CON-
sideration of the problem of paving
streets and of the available evidence
in regard to the merits of different
forms OF pavement. Too much reli-
ance has been placed upon partisan
statements emanating from the pro.
mOter, the contractor, or the enthusi-
astfc advocate without regard TO act.
ua service tests Of the for moi con.
structlon under consideration.
Paving Novelties.
Tho novelties in forms of pave.
mcnts, which are. only too frequently
put before the public, are creations
OF this description. People flock to
advocate their merits with an eager
ness which depends upon the induce.
cnent held out to do so, or the desire
for something new, although the &C.
tual value OF the pavement can only
be determined by service tests.
Some years ago, brick pavements
attracted a great deal OF attention
and were hcralded as the solution OF
the paving problem. Their construc-
t'on was entered into on a very large
scale, since the demands of the PEG.
pie could not be resisted. The brick
manufacturer was eager to turn out
bricks to fill the demand, b uthe gave
little thought to the. character of his
product. A large portion of it was
quite unsuited Tor paving purposes,
which, added to- the unsatisfactory
way in which the foundations we're
constructed and the brick laid, re.
suited in pavemehts which wore out
rapidly, and caused a general revul.
sion against them. Today, expert.
ence has taught the manufacturer to
make a better brick, and the engineer
and contractor how to lay them. 1t
has also shown the limitations of this
form Of pavements, and that it must
be confined to streets of light traffic.
Had the Introduction Of brick pave.
:nents proceeded more slowly the vast
amount OF money wasted in them
might have been saved.
1t will be readily conceded that no
pavement, of whatsoever material it
may be made, is of itself hcalthful or
unhealthfnl and neither one brick by
itself, nor many thousand bricks.
laid side by side in "a street, have
in themselves power to affect the
health OF anyone. Whatever results |
occur in this line come from accumu-
lations on the pavement and not from |
the pavement itself; hence, the pave
ment which is most easily economic.
ally cleaned, and therefore most apt
to be cleaned, is the best on the score |
OF healthfulness. The usual brick
pavement has cracks every two and
one-half inches, or so, in one direc.I
ton, and every eight inches in the
other. These cracks grow broaderI
and deeper with the growth of age
and traffic. and hence the growing
repositories for dirt and the increas.
ed difficulty OF cleaning. The cost OF
cleaning WORKOUT brick pavements Is |
more expensive than the averaged
municipality can afford.
The selection of pavement is, after
all, what might be called a question
of labor. In London. the pavement in
general use is not permanent, it has
to be renewed every few years, but
1t is clean and quiet, and the people |
are willing to submit to the incon.
v%enience of it's renewal. !
Wood block pavements are fire..
urged and advertised because |
they can be repaired so easily, but
the argument is fallacious. There is
no pavement that can be repaired so
readily as a Bermudes sheet asphalt
pavement. If blocks are removed,
they can never be laid as perfectly
as they were originally, and when the
true surface. is gone, the blocks read
lily deteriorate. There is a disposition
to relay the old blocks when they are
not badly worn, but with the sheet
asphalt pavement, the material put in
is new and has the same life as the
original pavement, BY the time the
old pavement is ten or fifteen years
old, with the many frequent openings
which are unfortunately made a very
large part of it is relatively new. The
constant %reopening Of pavements is
annoying and most exasperating, and
it is to be hoped that some way will
be found to avoid It.
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS FOR
FURNISHING MOTOR VEHICLE
TAGS FOR 1874 REGIS.
TRA1IoN.