New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-08
City Labor Laying Sur
face That Will Stand
Traffic.
PROPER FOUNDATION
SOLVES OLD PROBLEM
Reinforcements Below and
Timbers Laid LengthwiSe
Will End "Prop Ups"
Rx C. f 7. SCHARPS.

II looks as II the greensboro Bridge
were 70 have a foundation at last tha'
will stand up under the heavy frame
that constantly rolls over THIS strue'-
ure. More than a year ago EDWARD
4. Byrne. chief engineer OF the oN-
-e.u of plants and structures, acting
under the direction of Commissioner
T. J. II. Kracke, laid down trial
stretch Of 900 feet Of wood BLOCK
nsvement on q new type OF founda-
ton. and after being used throughout
much Of the summer and winter that
was the soverest possible test on a
pavement it was inspected by com
,nittee Of engineers representing all
the boroughs, and showed no deteriora-
ton. II is this tee Of foundation
which is now being Installed.
Those who have used the Queens
boro Bridge as an automobile exit from
New York are thoroughly familiar with
the uniformly bad surface 1t has pre-
ssnt.d. Thousands Of dollars have
been spent annually on patching the
wood Block. Every winter has seen
upheavsls in the road surface so thas
II looked like the "Witching waves
~ Conev Island. II took quite time
for the authorities 10 realize that tne
fault was not with the pavement, out
with the way II was laid, and then II
took a little longer for the department
20 devise a better pavement. AlteI
that II was a matter only for Commis-
sioper Kracke 10 get the money from
The Board Of Estimate 70 carry out the
work ,.
The present operations are remark
able in that they are being carried out
nv citv department labor entirely. Inc
Board OF Estimate appropriated Sl44'-
600 for the work, but before the con-
tracts had been let the price OF luH-
Der and steel had advanced so much
that the work will not stay within that
limit. II is probable that il Will cost
nearer 5000 600. but as it appears that
the work when completed Will be per,
manent and satisfactory, II surely VIII
be worth the expenditure.
The work Of laying new pavement
on a better foundation has progressed
50 far that before December l there
will be a strip one-half the width OF
the bridge all the way from New forS
to the Oueens side. No concrete can
be laid properly in freezing weather,
SO that through the winter the WORK
men will keep al the job OF drilling
through the buckled plates in order TO
attach the reinforcing angles which
form very important part Of the new
work. as done by Mr.. Byrne.
Before summer Of next year the sur
face will be completely finished, and
what has heretofore been and still is
nuisance to all motorists who go out
Long Island way will be a smooth and
pleasant highway.
The great trouble with laying
proper foundation for wood block on
the bridge has always been the shallow
ness of the foundation plates. II
very heavy body of concrete were laid
it would add so much dead weight TO
the bridge as TO be dangerous, but the
fundamental defect in trying 10 lay
pavement for the greensboro Bridge
was that an attempt was made 10 lay
n sheet of concrete from one side to
the other and then place the wood
blocks on IL supported by q thin coat
ing of sand and cement
The diagram showing the old and new
construction of the bridge. as given
here, shows where the greatest point
Of weakness was. The concrete was
laid directly on top of the longitudinal
iron stringers, as well as in the BASIN
like hollows of the buckled plates.
Naturally there was q thin surface
Of concrete above the stringers which
did not stand up under the impact of
heavy loads. This concrete might have
done well for limit Of ten tons, but
vehicles OF fifteen and twenty tons