The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-12-30
REVOLUTION IN
ROAD BUILDING
Top-Soil Roads Taking Place of
Macadam Everywhere.
WORK IN IREDELL COUNTY.
superintendent Nj. S. Ozment Talks
Interestingly OF the Operations
i'm That County.

Inc IOllOWuS interesting arJlcle
on good roads appeared in Saturdays
Charlotte Observer:
That the building of good roads
throughout the Piedmont section of
the Carolinas has undergone COM
plete change within the past few
years was evidence yesterday by the
statements made here by Mr.. M. S.
Ozment, superintendent OF road con-
struction in Iredell county, who spent
the day here with friends. The ad-
vent of the top-soil type Of construc-
tion and the practical abandonment
of the macadam has been the out
standing development and judging by
all indications, there will be little
macadam built in the future. 1t has
served it's purpose and outlived its ef-
ficiency, in the light of modern trans
portation needs and the advent of the
fast moving and high powered motor
cars.
SAND-CLAY ROADS.
Mecklenburg was the pioneer coun-
ty in the use ofthe macadam but
It has been left to a number of other
counties to blaze the way in the use
of the top-soil or the sand-clay type
of road. The latter has proved to
be not only cheaper but more dura-
BILE in that It resists the action Of
the automobile and at the same time
is more easily repaired when breaks
occur in it's surface for any cause.
CASTOR has built many miles OF ele-
CANT sand-clay or top-soil road, such
as the well-known New Hope road
extending out of Gastonia, and also
Cleveland county. Rutherford has
built some of this road and also Ca
barrus and Union. Arson has not
been backward nor has Richmond.
1t is a safe assertion that three
fourths of the road construction in
the state at this time is Of the top
soil variety, with practically little IL
any macadam going down, save in
those counties where macadam work
has been done and where 1t is abso-
lutely necessary to continue 1t for
the time being.
QUANTITY VERSUS QUALITY.
There Is only one tendency that
might be referred to in connection
with this article and that is the pos
sible dseire on the part of some COM
missioners to sacrifice durability and
diligence and cost OF construction to
cileage. In other words, that guam
tity may be sacrificed to quality. The
laying out OF the road is a most es-
sential detail and should be done by
a thoroughly capable and experienced
engineer. No grade should be al
lowed over per cent and even this
should be tolerated only in exception
al cases. The old adage that the
chain is no stronger than at its weak
est link is true also of roads. The
hauling capacity of a team is fire.
quently cut in half by reason of one
severe grade in an otherwise fine
stretch of road, maybe 20 miles in
length.
IREDELL AND SAND-CLAY.
The sand-clay road has a firm
friend and an enthusiastic advocate
in Mr.. NJ. S. Ozment, superintendent
OF road construction in Iredell, who
spent yesterday here. He declared
the sand-clay road has come to stay,
being both cheaper and better for
Tactical purposes than macadam.
In a little more than two years
Iredell has built PIT miles of sand
clay road at an average cost of ST.
750 a mile. In no instance has 1t
been found necessary to make repairs
thus far, although some of the road
is nearly two years old. Present in
dications are that no repairs will be
needed soon.
Mr.. Ozment says the four essentials
for roads that will stand the test are
location, minimum grade, proper
drainage arrangements, and freedom
from shade. The greatest drawback
is the tendency to locate roads where
the people want them, instead of
where natural conditions dictate.
And the active work should be In
charge OF soil expert, otherwise the
best results cannot be secured from
the top-soil work. In general the
top-soil should be mixed in the pro-
portion of 25 per cent clay and rs
per cent sand. He finds that this
gives the best results, though some
road builders claim that an admisture
OF Is per cent OF clay is sufficient.
In building the Iredell roads the
grade has not exceeded 315 per cent
the effort being to keep it below this
maximum. The bed was graded, and
the part next the bitches not plowed
and left soft for wagons to mire up
in during bad weather, but the edges
were left with firm clay foundation,
and the top-soil which is placed on
the 14-foot center of the road, is
worked down to the very brink of the
ditch, giving a firm road for all
weather. The crown OF the road is
IA inches higher than the ditch which
is considered the best height for
efficient drainage.
Mr.. Ozment says he finds 1t better