The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1914-02-04
when TO WORK
SAND-CLAY ROADS
Public Roads Department of Agricul.
ture Sends Out instructions
AS to These Roads.
WORKED IN SPRING OF YEAR
Sand Clay Road Is Made by Mixing
Sand and Clay in Such Way
That Grains Will Touch.

are at present about $4,000 miles of
sand clay roads in the United States,
mainly in the southern states, accord
| ing to the Office Of Public Roads,
| U. S. Department of Agriculture. The
time to work the roads is in the spring
when the soil is damp. If the working
of the roads is deferred until late in
summer when they are dry, they are
not only much more difficult to put
in proper shape but the cost of repair
is greater than if they were worked
early in the spring.
Previous to 1894 comparatively
little, if any, of these roads existed
The popularity of this type of road is
due to the facts that it is cheap, COM
paratively firm and durable, easy to
construct and repair. and that the
materials out of which it is built are
plentiful in many sections of the coun-
| try.
The sand-clay road is made by mix
| ing the sand and clay in such way
that the grains of sand touch each
other the spaces between the grains
being filled with clay which acts as a
binder.
The approximate mixture of sand
and clay may be determined by filling
vessel with sample of the sand to
be used and another vessel of the
same size with water. The water is
poured carefully into the sand until
it reaches the point Of Overlooking.
The volume of water removed from the
second vessel represents approxim
ately the proportion of clay needed.
| If the road to be treated is sandy,
the surface is first leveled off and
crowned with road machine, the
crown being about 1s inch to the foot
from the center to the sides. The
clay is then dumped on the surface
and carefully spread, so that it will
be from to inches deep at the cen
ter, and gradually decreasing in depth
towards the sides. A layer of clean
sand is then usually added, which is
thoroughly mixed with the clay, either
by traffic or by means OF ploWs and
disc or tooth harrows.
The best results have been obtained
by thoroughly mixing or pudding the
materials when wet. For this reason,
it is desirable that the mixing be done
in wet weather. The mixing can be
left to the traffic after the materials
have been properly placed, but this
| involves a whole winter and spring
of bad road and even then the mixing
is not always satisfactorily. In all
cases. it is advisable to dress the road
with road machine or split-log drag
after the materials have been thor
oughly mixed, and to give it crown
Of not more than one inch or less than
three fourths of an inch to the foot
from the center to the sides. A light
coating of sand may then be added.
The use OF the ROAD machine or drag
should be continued at frequent inter-
walls until the surface is smooth and
firm.
If the road to be treated is compos-
ed of clay, it should first be brought
to rough grade with road machine.
The surface should then be ploWed and
thoroughly pulverized by narrowing
to depth of about four inches after
which it is given crown or slope OF
about one-half inch to the foot from
the center to the sides. 1t is then COW
cred with 6 to inches Of clean, sharp
| Sdllu WHlCl ID Spl eau ll1CnSl Ill IhS
center than al the sides. The mater
ials should then be mixed with plows
and harrows while they are compare
lively dry, after which they are finally
puddled with a harrow during wet
weather If clay works to ,Ae surface
and the road becomes sticky more
sand should be added.
The road is then shaped, crowned
and ditched in the usual manner with
roa, machine. This should be done
when the surface is soft, yet still
enough to pack we'll under the roller
or the traffic Wide but shallow dit
ches should be provided on both sides
of the road, and culverts or cross
drains should be placed wherever
water flows across the road, for it is
exceedingly important that the sand
on clay" roads be we'll drained.
| After the clay on sand, or the sand
on clay. road is comp eted, it should
be carefully maint;- ned until the sur
| face becomes firm and smooth. The
construction Of this type of road is
| by no means quick operation. If
soft. sticky places appear, more sand
should be added, and if loose, sandy
places are found, more clay is needed.
| 1t is just as important to attend to
these small details as to any other
part of the work, for, if they are ne
elected, the road is liable to fail.
1t requires one cubic yard of clay
| to surface one and one-half running
yards of road IL feet in width, or
about 1175 cubic yards to the mile.
From "a to 1 cubic yard will make a
load for horses on a dry clay road.
The cost of the road will therefore de-
pend largely upon the distance the
material is hauled, the average being
from $500 to $1,000 per mile. A road
built under the direction of the Office
of Public Roads at Gainesville. Fla.
one mile long, IA #. wide, and having
9 inches of sand clay surface, cost
| 1881 per mile, or ten cents per square
yard. Another sand-clay road built
by the Office at Tallahassee, Fla, 16
it. wide. Z inches thick, cost $40 per
mile, or about five cents per square
yard.
As the minister might preach a SER
mon of the interminabe .ength of 30
minutes. many people refuse to OBJ
| corvo eco IN church Sunday