The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1914-01-23
THINKS CONCRETE AND
GRAVEL ROADS BEST.
WALDON SAYS Old ROAD MAKING
METHODS NOT PRACTICAL FOR
MODERN TRAFFIC.


the good roads committee Of the Al
tomobile Chamber Of Commerce there
should Be only two kinds OF roads Dull
Id this country-concrete and gravel
MI. Walden believes that concrete i
the most efficient and durable ant
the least expensive road surface, while
gravel, he states, IL the best farmers
road that can be built at minimum ex
pense. He believes it 10 waste Of
time to build roads of material better
than gravel and not as good al CON
crete. Speaking further of his views
Of roads, of their making and theil
maintenance, Mr.. Walden says:
This Is a very concrete presentation
Ut the solution OF the highway prob
lem that Is puzzling all civilized coun-
tries today. III IL generally recognized
by highway authorities and road users
that the methods of building wagon
roads with broken stone, az intro
duced by Telford and MacAdam CEN
fury ago, have become obsolete. While
these water bound roads were service
able enough for the traffic of the nine
teenth century they are utterly insult
ed to the increased traffic and the
higher speeds Of the twentieth century
Within from two to five years after q
new macadam road Is built it Is worn
out and must be remade, or at the very
least must be resurfaced throughout
its length. In the meantime, unless II
has been oiled frequently or otherwise
treated with an adhesive binder, the
dust lying ON it's surface il public
nuisance to all who use the road and
to all who live beside it.
HDarnonanf hiOhWauG cost less in
the long run than macadam and other
types of temporary roads. The first
cost is greater, but their annual cost
or upkeep is far less and they have a
much longer life This is particularly
true of the concrete road. It costs
less to build than most other kinds OF
so-called permanent roads, is prac-
tically indestructible and requires al
most no attention after completion.
1.-THE village of Saugerties, N. ", has
made an interesting experiment with
concrete. About four years ago ii
built complete new road, one half
of concrete and the rest of macadam.
The macadamized portion had to be
completely repaired at the end OF
two years-service, as 1t had become
badly cut I'D by heavy traffic. The
cement road IS In perfect condition
today and apears to be good for many
years to come.
Concrete roads were adopted sew
eral years ago as standard construc-
ton by the Board OF Supervisors OF
Wayne county, Michigan, in which the
city of Detroit is located. Results
have amply justified this decision and
the Supervisors are satisfied that
they have solved the good roads
problem. More than sixty-five miles
OF concrete roads have been built in
the country during the last four years.
SO successful has been the work that
the county has received some very
f1attering concentrations on her con
crete roads during the last year and
has been visited by ana received re
quests for information from upward
of 1000 highway engineers, road COM
missioners, mayors and others inter-
ested i'm good roads and streets.
The aim of the commissioners has
been to provide the people who use
the country roads with smooth, dur
able, dustless, permanent roads at
cost, and they believe they have ac-
complished this result with the con
crete road. Cost Of construction has
averaged approximately $4,000 9
mile for roads twelve to twenty-four
feet wide over the metal, all expen-
SEES OF grading, drainage and culverts
included.
THE only surface repairs required
on the concrete roads have been the
required filling of the contraction
joints with tar and sand on the roads
first constructed where the. joints
were not protected with armor plates,
as in later construction. This work
did not add more than 500 all told
to last years maintenance account,
which aggregated $16,S74. About
5000 was spent on the concrete roads
the year before. This was used al
most entirely on the bitches and
shoulders. According to the report
the macadam roads needed the prin-
cipal repairs. In fact, the macadam
mileage on the trunk roads practical
ly needed resurfacing, which fact, In
large measure, justifies the aban-
Comment entirely of this type of con-
Gtruction and the substitution of the
more durable and less expensive to
maintain concrete roads.
Proper use OF the split log drag on
the ordinary dirt byroads and the
ditching and graveling OF the princi-
pal country roads will suffice for
their improvement at small cost IN
I'll such time as traffic should be OF
permanent construction, and con
crete appears to be the best material
for the purpose. The concrete arch
provides the strongest foundation OF
On given thickness to sustain heavy
loads lit is impervious to water, and
If the road is properly drained at the
sides is not likely to be affected by
frost. The surface wear from traf-
&c is almost negligible. Horses
shoes and steel tired wagons wheels
do not pulverize it into dust, and the
suction OF rapidly moving automo-
biles does not suck the binding ma
terial from between the stones. Sift-
ed and washed gravel pebbles can Be
utilized for the concrete road, elimin-
ating the expense OF stone crushing,
and the only other materials needed
are sand and cement in the proper
ton of two parts Of the former and
three of the latter to six parts OF
pebbles. This is the mix" used in
the Wayne county roads and accounts
for the relatively low cost of con-
Rtruction a. compared with nearly
$1,000 a mile paid for the obsolete
macadam roads built in New York
New York Sun.