Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1915-11-27
Safeguarding Roads
in Winter

Water, not cold, is the cause of the
cording to the road specialists of the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture- Cold weather does not in itself
fnjure roads no matter whether they
are earth, gravel, or macadam. In
fact an earth road will stand more
traffic when 1t is solidly frozen than
at any other time Excess water, how
ever, is always detrimental to a high
way. When cold weather turns this
water into ice, the damage that it does
is greatly increased. Ice occupies con-
siderably more space than the water
from which it is formed, and every
person who has lived in cold climate
Is familiar with the powerful bursting
effect of water when left to freeze in
a confined vessel The same action
takes place when a wet road freezes
to any considerable depth. 1t simply
bursts or, as we generally term it in
road parlance, the road heaves. Later,
when the frost leaves, the road is dis
integrated and ruts badly. If this
process is repeated a number of times
during the winter, gravel or mac
adam road may be practically de-
stroyed, while an earth road may be-
come entirely impossible.
dry road will not heave. Rock,
gravel, sand, and even clay when per-
fectly dry contract slightly on freez-
ING III OTQ0T TO expand on Ir0GZ-
ing, these materials must contain or
be mixed with water, and the more
water they contain the greater the ex-
pansion which takes place. But so
long as the road remains frozen, the
damage does not become apparent.
Hence the frequent and erroneous idea
that it is the thaw which Injuries the
road. The injury was done when the
water in the road froze and the par
ticles of the road surface-broken
stone, sand, or still finer particles of
earth or clay-were pushed apart by
the expanding power of the freezing
water. The thaw merely allows the
ice to melt and assume it's original
volume as water.
The remedy is self evident. Keep
the water out of the road. The time
to begin preventive measures is early
in the fall, before the rains begin. If
the road goes into the winter thor
oughly dry with the surface and drain
age in good condition, the chances are
extremely favorable that 1T will come
out all right the following spring.
Keep the bitches and drains open.
Remove all accumulations of weeds,
grass, ETC., which tend to retain mois-
ture and obstruct drainage. Further
more, do this work early, while the
ground is still dry and hard Vegeta-
ton and litter hold water like sponge
and allow it gradually to soak in and
soften the earth. The job before the
road man is to keep the hard dry sur
face formed in the summer time from
becoming softened by the fall and win
ter rains and SHOWS. When the fall
rains begin the earth or gravel road
should be dragged frequently to pre-
vent the formation of ruts and the col
lection of water. All Travelled places
on macadam surfaces should be care
fully filed in and consolidated.
During the winter, whenever a thaw
is coming on, the cross drains and side
bitches should be opened up as far as
possible. so as to prevent water col
Letting along the roadway. If the thaw
Is so pronounced that the roadway is
sOftened the drag shOuld he uSed.