The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-19
BrTUMINOUs PAYMENTS.
Their Availability for General Use Sc
Forth.

Their Availability for General Use Set
Forth.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Str: What
IL wanted, conceive, II road SURFACE
noiseless, mudless, dustless, resilient
moderate in first cost and upkesp, simple
to lay and capable OF withstanding ave-
age traffic burdens for thirty to nfty
years at an annual COST a square yard
a year for repairs not exceeding say
two cents. An average cost limit or u
a square yaid for such n surface say TWO
inches thick, exclusive OF grading, founda-
ton and curbing. would answer the pur-
poses A discovery OF the ways and
means to provide this ideal would repay
any reasonable pains and would be OF the
greatest value and importance
Bitumnous cement, tntelligentIy manu-
featured and properly employed, Is capable
OF realizing the ideal suggested. The
abuse and misuse OF bitumlnous materials
are the cause OF and excuse for the criti-
cisms that have been levelled against
them, as can be conclusively shown.
In New York State. Il may not be gem
orally known, the chaotic conditions sun
existing In the Highway Department orig
mated In n serious mistake OF Judgment
on the part OF the respectable. honest and
otherwise satisfactory commission APP
pointed by the then Governor. Hughes 70
disburse the proceeds OF the first $780,
600 900 bond issue.
They adopted, for rea sons which TO them
doubtless appeared prudential, scheme
of employing bitumen ms binder by
plan new and untried which came to be
known as the penetration" method. This
consisted briefly in spreading screened
stone one and one-half inches. one inch
by three-quarters inch sizes, and pouring
hot oil Tesiduum, or In some cases nat
ural asphalt or coal tar pitch, over the
stone "in place" This stone was cold
FaN ~ 10 81
on contact with II and the result was ex-
cess in an cases and in no case uniform
application to all parts of the stones, a
prerequisite 10 satisfactory results. The
failure Of penetration has cost the
| taxpayers millions.
Asphalt paving in cities has reached n
stage OF development where, by using
satisfactory bituminous cements and en-
/ ploying the hot mixing" method, standard
| and uniform results can be counted on
| but for country roads and paving In small
| cities and towns the Introduction or this
| plan has been handicapped by the neces-
! City of having within five miles OF the
| work n heavy cumbersome and expensive
| machinery plant and n corps OF skilled
| operatives to run II.
! Nurnberless attempts have been made
| 70 devise portable equipment. but without
| very much success 30 far. Efforts TO
| provide material made In a factory, Tor
| shipment and employment as cold mix
lures, have been made. but without salts
| faction.
I There the matter stands. and these are
| the reasons why officials are casting about
| FOR something else and why hnanciers arc
| "all at sea" upon this subject.
Asphalt. formerly monopolized as 10
| supply and use, IL to-day commodity
| available in lmitless quantities through
| out the country Of superior quality and
| at "A price onc-half OF that formerly ex-
| acted New blood and healthy compeu-
/ ton are appearing In this field and II l.
/ Inevitable that engineering study Will lead
! TO "A decision that the cheapest good sur
! face and the best cheap surface Will he
evolved through the intelligent employ
! nent OF hltumlpous cement: also that all
! handicaps to it's general use by general
| contractors will be shortly and acceptably
| removed.
Riverside Drive. this city. affords an
| example Of repeated failures OF make
! shift, haphazard experiments, made from
| time to time up TO one year ago, when
| conditions became scandalous. The repair
| ing of this roadway last fall with 81
| luminous concrete. laid under open sp"cI-
| locations, by the hot mixing method, "l
concrete foundation. with suitable curb
ing. illustrates the practicablity OF sup
plying a most meritorious surface, meet
ing under unique and extraordinary
traffic, every requirement herein sci
forth and good. In my opinion, for 9
decade
Many such examples in other parts o.
the United states on city streets anC
country roads could be also cited but un
happily they are offset in popular esti
nation by the i'll considered use this mos
valuable cement has been subjected 10
Upper Broadway. Manhattan, 10 Honker
| city line, is another affirmative illuNra
ton of tho possibilities OF securing max
imum results IN the employment OF as
phalt. This roadway. laid many year
ago with bituminous concrete in the form
Of compressed blocks. Is standing up un
der very heavy automobile service. AM
rs as good as the day II was put down
I The expense IN this case is It's chic
drawback to more general adoption.
1t IL an important fact that prope
asphalt concrete can he reworked an
used over and over again by simpl
and inexpensive means This fact bring
Il in class by itself
In England in the Mdlands hot bias
furnace Stag drenched with crude by
product coal tar and left TO season" b
evaporation of volatiles is giving goo
service at a cost one-half less than shall
e brick can be made for and laid, even 1
o | the vicinity of the factory. FreiGh
% charges on brick at a distance are sim
y ply prohibitive.
= The country rock found Throughout
. this State, as we'll as local gravel an
y sand. is all locally available for tn
manufacture OF bituminous concrete /
I tho vicinity. and only needs intelligen
5 handling to produce standard results a
r. minimum costs.
L II In an exploded idea that only III
hard types OF stone are suitable for b
luminous concrete, II is more likely tina
| the softer the stone the better.
The one prime essential to durabilt
and stability in bituminous concretes
the addition OF a percentage. say 10 20 @
>. OF fine dust. clay, mari. stone screening
& or other impalpable powder 10 act as
, filler and give body TO the mixture, whic
h otherwise would be readily and injur
a ously affected by variation OF atmol
II pheric temperatures which in our climat
: are considerable. BtTuMINous.
A NEW YORK, October II.