Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-10-11
|Hou Present Road LalD Saves Money
Sevsnth-Ths New Road Law Ha,
Saved Money by lowering the Prices
For Bridge Work and Materials.

sevsnth-Ths New Road Law Has
Saved Money by lowering the Prices
For Bridge Work and Materials.
Under the competitive bidding sys-
tenn which the new law requires, the
&C unties have paid an average Of APP
proximately cents per pound for
steel trusses erected, against to 5A
cents per pound paid under the old
law for inferior steel bridges. They
have paid, since the new law went into
effect, 3 to 3h cents per pound for
steel beams erected, against 4 to AZ
cents per pound for such beams under
the old law.
Reinforced concrete constructed
since the law became effective has cost
80 to SIS per cubic yard, against a
cost of $40 to $40 per cubic yard for
reinforced concrete under the old law.
Taking permanency into considera-
ton, we would say that the counties
are now getting at least 80 per cent
more for the money invested in rein
forced concrete than was secured
under the old system. The following
examples of specific savings in cost
will serve as Illustrations:
Under the blanket contract in Clin-
ton county, for 1910, the price on con-
crete work ranged from $l9.66 per
cubic yard for box culverts, to $3.50
per cubic yard for wing walls on steel
truss bridges. Payment was made on
one abutment between Section 3,
bloomfield township, and Section !,
Brookfield township, at the rate OF
s46.33 per cubic yard. On July "a. 1914.
bids were received on sixteen concrete
culverts, one concrete girder bridge,
and one I-beam span, involving 1,lob
cubic yards of concrete. The average
unit price of this concrete was $12.44
per cubic yard; s7.22' per cubic yard
under the 1910 price for box culverts,
and s22.66 under the 1910 prices, for
wings on truss bridges. Comparing
the price received this year with the
1910 prices for box tulverts. the saving
on the bridges let July "a, 1914. was
ss34632.
Saved $4,29s on One Bridge.
In 1909, a concrete arch bridge was
built over Cedar river. on Main street,
in Charles City. This bridge consisted
Of three seventy three foot arch spans,
with seventy foot roadway. the con-
tldCt pIiSe bSiIlS Son.OVu, "fiiNh
GUIDED the concrete bridge and the
filling over the same. The estimated
quantities taken from the plans on
file are as follows:
Concrete ....... 3.o92 cubic yards,
Filling .........4 1000 cubic yards.
Deducting for the 1000 cubic yards
OF filling, at the rate of 40 cents per
cubic yard. leaves $4,000 for 3,Os2
cubic yards of concrete required on the
plans, or sll.S2 per cubic yard. Gravel
was obtained at very low figure.
In 1914. a contract was let at a pub
lie letting, for bridge over the Shell
Rock river, in the town of Marble
Rock, FLOYD county This structure
consisted of three eighty-foot concrete |
arches. with a twenty five foot road
way. The estimate of quantities re-
CURED by the plans are.
Concrete 2,340 cubic yards.
Filling .2.40o cubic yards.
Applying the unit prices obtained on
the Main street bridge in Charles City, |
the Marble Rock bridge would cost as
follows:
3 $40 cubic yards Of concrete,
at $1132 per cubic yard .s26.4Ss.So |
?. 400 cubic yards of fill, at
40 cents 10000
Total 3 Z'.44o.ov
The contract for this bridge was let
on Aug IT, 1914, for S23l50: amount
saved, s429S.S0.
Saved $444 in Franklin County.
In 1912, an sx7-foot culvert was
built in Section II. Reeve township, |
Franklin county, at a unit cost OF
$3.50 per cubic yard. This culvert was
destroyed by high water in June 1914.
On June %. 1914, contract was let
at a public letting. for an sxlO-foot
box culvart in this location, for sT56.22,
about 1896 per cubic yard. The price
en- this culvert under the unit price
obtained in 1912, would be as follows:
rs cubic yards of concrete at
$3.50 per cubic yard. .....s l.20oso
Contract nrice . $500
Amount saved .s 444.So
Saved s1,s57 in Grundy County.
When the new road law became ef-
fective Grundy county had a blanket
contract for steel trusses delivered 1.
@. b. cars. at prices which averaged
s5.45 per 100 pounds. Another blanKet
contract provided for haullns anu
erecting this steel at the rate OF sl.'o
per foot of span, and also provided lor
the construction Of concrete work the
county to furnish all materials at the
bridge side. Under this contract the
concrete work for q 45-foot span be-
tween Sections 8 and 9, Shilo town
ship, was constructed at an average
unit price of s12.01 per cubic yaro.
The concrete work was constructed 1ol
a forty-foot span between Sections 20
and 26, Blackhawk township, at an
average unit price Of sl4.3o per CUBIC
ward. The average price Of the con-
crete work on these two bridges was
s13.15 per cubic yard. On June D. l9i4'
A contract was let for the construction
Of a steel bridge, consisting OF TWO
seventy foot spans. located between