Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1915-06-03
CEMENT ROAD CONSTRUCTION.

We hear lots of talk about concrete
road construction, and 1t was urged at
one time to bond this county for $3.50. =
! 900 50 as to build pike road in GER
tain section where two macadam roads
have been worn out, of concrete. This
sounded pretty good, and the slogan
was raised that concrete road was
such a permanent road that when once
laid road building was over.
But is it?
We have recently come into the pos
session of some data regarding con-
crete roads which do not show them
up so we'll. For instance here is an
interesting article from the Redmond,
Ind, Palladium and Sun, speaking
of how the widely advertised concrete
roads of Wayne County, Mich, are
not coming up to expectations:
"The commissions of Wayne county
should secuve three times the mileage
they have in the past, for the amount
of money they expend on the roads, I"
was the statement of 81. @. Foster, of
the Foster Construction Co, who is a
builder of concrete and waterbound
maeadam roads. Mr.. Fosters inves-
tigation of the cOncre to roads in
Wayne county. Michigan, revealed
some startling facts which were over
looked by the Wayne county, Indiana,
officials at a recent visit there.
"Mr. Foster does not believe this
county is receiving its moneys worth
hn roads w
have cost about $11, 900 mile for
building. He is certain that the act
ion of the commissioners in letting
cont acts for concrete roads will be
the cause of regret later.
81 went over the roads of Michigan
two weeks after the commissioners
from here and the county attorneys
and other officials we're taken over
them" said Mr.. Foster. 81 found
hundreds and hundreds of patches
which were overlooked by the others.
They we're cleverly concealed for the
occasion.
"The abrasions in the road had been
filled with hot asphalt and had been
covered over with sand. l took my
pocket knife and with little pressure
struck it into the road bed the full
length of the blade This was done
on some of the model concrete roads
of Wayne county, Michigan.
"These loads are built at cost of
$40, 900 mile for an eighteen foot
concrete roadway. The roads here
cost more because they are wider in
places. When those concrete roads are
WORKOUT, everything put in them is
lost. It costs as much to break up and
m tn
put it down in the first place."
Mr.. Foster says he was strong
advocate of concrete roads until be
made the investigation of the condi-
tions around Detroit.
The report of Fred q. Simmons,
Commissioner of Public Works, Mil
waukee, says in report made to the
Common Council of that city, on the
subject of concrete road construction
81 have also on my desk the result
of an investigation instigated by the
taxpayers of Highland Park, Illinois,
and made for them by Mr.. Paul E.
Green, member of the American So
ciety of Civil Engineers. This invest
igation was with reference,to the fam
GUS Wayne county concrete roads in
the vicinity of Detroit, Michigan, and |
in summary of the report Mr.. Green |
states that first class concrete road |
cannot be built for less than $3.50 to |
SITE per square yard, and that at this |
price it would be inferior to cement |
grouted brick pavement OF sheet as
phalt pavement.
"Mr. Green also shows, in state
ment headed ''Actual Facts that
these Wayne county roads, although
many of them have been but recently
are now costing over $11,-
BOO per year for maintenance, and that
in despite this maintenance they are
rapidly going to pieces.
81 also know from my own obser-
7ations that no concrete pavement
which would care to call satisfactory
has as yet been installed in any of
he cities of tbs state, among some of
which the experiments have been car
led on somewhat extensively.
kansas City has had extremely
BAD results along this line, has given
Up the idea and in many cases is re-
placing the concrete roads within less
han one-third of the time which they
hould have served.
Gas matter Of fact, 1 do not con-
ider that concrete pavement has
hown any degree of success from a
PRACTICAL standpoint, and / know that
rom a theoretical standpoint it is
oredoomed to failure"
At Greenville, ILL.,. street was laid
n concrete at the following figures:
Ixcavating, "a cents per cubic yard;
itch and gutter, 26 cents per lineal
GOT; expansion joints, 21a cents per
inal foot finished pavement, rs cents
er square yard. The cement cost
1 90 per barrel, sand and gravel, soc
ents per cubic yard; labor $t.75 per
ay. The road looked awful good at
rst, but i. few months the concrete ,
egan to crack in all directions and |
isintegrate so fast that it had to be
bandoned, and other material put in.
ement, to our mind, is a good mater
II in house building, but it is not i
out enough in nature to Withstand I
bbrasion, such rs any road must I
and. If no joints are made the rave
tent cracks, and il joints are made to !,
revent cracking, the conclusion of :
raffic over these joints hastens the
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