Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1915-12-14
TEXAS HIGHWAYS NEED
BETTER BRIDGES
BY Professor q. X. coshlan,


Highway Engineer A. and N. College.
The use that can be made OF a
Anyway Is governed by the poores,
place ON II. be this place a mua hole.
a stretch OF sand. or an unsafe bridge.
an the past. and in some sections o.
ieAas even recently. the roads wer,
little more than broad trails, poorly
located. poorly constructed and poor
~ maintained. Under such circum
stances. almost anything In the way
OF a bridge was as good II not better
than the balance OF the highway. ana
as long as the structure continued 20
stand little thought was given to It's
trustworthiness In the past few
years. however the increase In popu-
lation. the need OF better markets
and especially the growing need for
better social conditions, has called for
and compelled improvements in high
way construction. This improvement
has usually resulted in lower grades.
better graded cross section. or a
better wearing surface; but. with the
exception OF a comparatively few In
stances little Improvement has been
noticed In our bridges. Too often the
structures that spanned our streams.
when the limiting load was represent
ed by a pair OF oxen hauling a bale
Of cotton. and some cases they con
tinue TO do so only through force OF
habit"
The condition mentioned above Is
bad enough. but this is only part OF
the story. During the past year. In
the state OF Texas. bridges have been
erected that we're out OF date. both
as regards type OF construction and
ability to carry traffic. before they
had been open for use single day
Wooden bridges have been built. al
Though sad experience has proven
that. they are a constant source Of ex
pense to keep in repairs; piers and
abutments have been placed on inse
cure foundations. with resulting set
Element and failure; steel bridges
structurally weak. have been erected
because the men responsible TO the
people failed to secure COMPETENT en-
cheering advice. and. as in many In
stances. the word 'rbinforced con-
crete" has been compelled to cover q
greater multitude OF sins than could
have found shelter under the mantle
OF charity" The need OF sound en-
cheering advice can not be too great
ly emphasized; II takes an engineer
to design bridges Just as II takes q
tailor to design clothes, and not until
this fact has been thoroughly grasped
by the officials In charge OF the roads
and action taken accordingly will the
waste of public funds be stopped. DO
ing without an engineer is never al
economy, neither is II advisable e
let a contractor or a bridge company
do the work that is properly the prov
ince OF an engineer In the employ OF
the city or county.
The number OF bridge failures, AS
well as the constantly increasing cost
OF repairs due TO more and heavier
traffic, has forced the road Official:
Throughout the state to the conclusion
that the happy go lucky" methods ol
bridge design and maintenance must
go; and that, in the future every ef
fort must be made to get the most
value for the money expended. II
most cases II Is impossible at present
TO replace all the structures now span
ming our streams with others Of q
more permanent type. but every
county in the state should make the
effort to construct one or two mod
fern bridges each year. II. in addition
to this. all the present bridges were
kept in the best possible repair an
appreciable improvement would be re
allied. Where money from bond H.
sues is available for road improve
ment a large proportion Of II can
well be spent In the construction OF
thoroughly modern bridges and cul
verts: and this is especially true
where the bonds run for a long term
of years. as any road surface wears
out In a comparatively short period