Evening journal., 1914-01-17
T HIGHWAY
IMPROVEMENT
COUNTRY ROADS OF CONCRETE
'-aetins Materials for construetion
Available in Many Places In Form
Of Sand and Gravel.

No single factor plays such an i'm
ness life of community AS the quail
ity OF ltH roads Aside from the pleas.
ure and convenience of travel poe
sible 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 as well. Consequently er-
erybody wants good roads, writes p
n. Wilson In the Iowa Homestead. In
the matter OF paying for permanent
highways. a generally satisfactory
agreement seems TO have been reach
ed IN the proposed distribution OF the
cost between the nation, the state. the
county and the users OF the road in
question. AS a result. within a 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 a way It 10 fortunate that the
United States has been rather sio~
In the matter OF road making. The
roads can now be built OF lasting ma
terials, such as will Withstand the
wear OF motor trafic which is fast
running Europe's century 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 stons
Quarries Combined with Portland oe
ment into concrete. they form an IN
expensive and permanent road sur
face which successfully resists the
usually destructive action OF automo
biles
The drst consideration in tho build
ing Of concrete roads Is a careful
study OF local deposits OF sand. gravel
and rock (called the aggregated 10 see
whether they are suitable for con
crete Sand must be clean and hard
and must grade uniformly In size oi
grain from one-fourth inch down. The
same applies to gravel and crushed
rock except that the largest particles
commonly allowable are one and one
fourth inches In diameter. n loca
materials are usable. a considerable
saving will be effected. as only ce
ment win need TO he freighted.
Il is much faster and cheaper 4
mix the concrete with machine thar
by hand. Depending on the gradinl
Of the aggregate. the concrete 4
usually proportioned one bag Of Pori
land cement to two cubic feet OF san
and four cubic OF screened gravel o
crushed rock. or one OF cement to tw
OF sand and three OF gravel or focl
During the grading and draining {
the road. the aggregate Is hauled an
piled At convenient points. The col
crete iH mixed mushy wet. is deposi
ed TO the thickness Of six inches upo
. the Arm old road bed and is brougl
!, to grade and shape by means Of
templet In order to shed the vat
on the side drains the surface OF Il
concrete Is given a rise or crown
the center OF one one-hundredth
one seventy-nfth the width OF n
roadway, The surface is finished VII
a wooden float and wire broom.
= which means there is AFFORDED pc
feet footing for horses. Az interva
OF 2b feet the road is divided into sc
tlons by narrow contraction joints g
!. tending crosswise the road and e
: tirely through the concrete. Thei
: Joints are formed by means OF a th
metal OF wooden CROSS form or divi
Cd TO which Is tied a single OF doub
thickness OF tar paper with the pap
; face against the last laid section
roadway. After the Burf6ce OF IN
a section Is finished and while the co
- crete for the adjoining section is
= ing placed. the cord holding tho ?
70 per to the cross form Is cut and Il
70 cross form Is removed. The tar .
per adherea TO the concrete and sta
+ in the Joint. which is reduced TO Il
thickness OF the paper BY fcrcil
against Il the freshly placed concre
Of the section under construction.
When the surface OF the concre
has hardened enough to prevent D
ting Il Is sprinkled with clean wat
and is kept moist for several da,
Likewise. as soon as possible. (
pavement is covered temporarily wi
two inches OF sand or dirt from I
side road to give further air in cl
ing tho concrete. Traffic is comm
TO the earthen side roads until {
concrete is about tive weeks old.
the meantime shoulders OF brok
stone OF gravel are built along be
edges OF the pavement. These q
made three feet wide and sufficient
-. thick TO be irm and TO make It
easy matter at all times for wag
: wheels to pass from the side 70
: onto the uavemeut