The Raymer enterprise., 1913-08-14
HIGHWAY
MlR()VEllHQ'
COUNTRY ROADS OF CONCRETE
Lasting Matsrials for Construction
I Available In Many Places In Form
Of Sand and Gravel.

W SovS o"S S'eSOse
No single factor plays such an I'm.
portsnt part In the social and busl-
ness life OF community a. the quail.
ity Of Its roads Aside from the plcas-
ure and convenience Of travel. pos
sibie at all times over permanent
roads. there Is the financial phase
which directly concerns the cost not
only OF farm produce. but Of city
products ss well. Consequently ~.
erybody wants good roads. writes p.
II. Wilson In the Iowa Homestead. In
the matter OF paying for permanent
highways. generally satisfactory
agreement seems to have been reach.
ed In the proposed distribution OF tho
cost between the nation. the state. the
county and the users Of the read In
question. As q result. within few
years this country will take Its right.
ful leading position among the ma.
tions OF the world In the number Of
miles OF permanent roads.
In way It Is fortunate that the
United States has been rather slow
In the matter OF road making. Tho
roads can now be built OF lasting ma.
teriais. such as will withstand tho
wear OF motor trafilc which Is fast
running Europe's ceatury-old road
ways. Lasting road materials are
everywhere present In the form Of
sand and gravel from pits and stream
beds and crushed rock from stone
quarries. Combined with Portland ce.
ment into concrete. they form an In.
expensive and permanent road sur.
faco which successfully resists the
usually destructive action Of automo
biles.
(. The hrst consideration In tho buil,l
Ing Of concrete roads Is . careful
study Of local deposits OF sand. grave;
and rock tcalled the aggregated to see
whether they are suitable for con.
crete. Sand must be clean and hard
and must grade uniformly In size OF
grain from onefourth inch down. Tha
same applies to gravel and crushed
rock except TINT the largest particles
commonly allowable are one and one.
fourth inches In diameter. II local
materials are usable. q considerable
saving will be effected. a. only CO.
meut will need to be frcishted.
1t Is much faster and cheaper 10
mix the concrete with a machine than
by hand. Depending en- the. grading
OF the aggregate. the concrete L.
usually proportioncd one bag Of Port.
land cement to two cubic feet Of sand
and four cubic Of screened gravel or
crushed rock. or one OF cement to two
OF sand and three OF gravel or rock.
During the grading and draining o!
the rond. the aggregate Is hauled and
piled at convenient points. The con.
crete Is mixed mushy wet. Is deposit.
I'd to the thickness OF six inches upon
the firm old road bed and is brought
to grade and shape by means OF a
tcmplet 10 order to shed the water
on tho side drains the surface OF the
concrete Is given rise or crown In
the center Of ono one hundredth TO
one sevcnty.nfth the width OF the
roadway. The surface Is finished with
\ wooden float and wire broom. by
which means there Is afforded per.
feet footing for horses. At Intervals
OF 25 feet the road Is divided Into sec.
tons BY narrow contraction Joints ex.
tending crosswise the road and Ell.
tirely through the concrete. These
Joints are formed by means OF a thin
metal or wooden cross form or divid.
ed to which Is tied n single or doublo
thickness OF tar paper with the paper
face against the last laid section o.,
roadway. After the surface OF this
section Is finished and while the con.
crete for the adjoining section Is b..
ing placed. the cord holding tho pa.
per TO the cross form is cut and ths
cross form Is removed. The tar pa.
per adheres to the concrete and stays
In the Joint. which Is reduced TO the
thickness Of the paper by forcing
against II the freshly placed concrete
OF the section under construction.
When the :urface OF the concrete
has hardened enough to prevent pil.
ting 1t Ia sprinkled with clean water
and Is kept moist for several days.
Likewise. as soon as possible, ths
pavement Is covered temporarily with
two inches Of sand or dirt from the
side road TO give further air In cur.
ing the concrete. Traffic Is confined
to the carthen side roads until the
concrete Is about two weeks old. In
the meantime shoulders OF broken
stone or gravel are built along both
edges OF the pavement. These are
made three .eet wide and sufficiently
thick 10 be Arm and to make II m
easy matter at all times for wagon