The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-02-13
Observation Of Road
Building in County
a brick road base thus making it one
OF the popular roads OF this commit

Ia brick road base, thus making 1t one
OF the popular roads OF this commit
nifty.
The writer, 50 far as he has been
able to observe, finds that most brick
roads have been built or are being
built with a concrete base, and curb
ing, with the brick laid on sand. This
no doubt is a good practicable road
but the writer believes that the coun-
ty is paying at least $4,000 per mile
for useless curblng. Why? Instead
OF building the brick road by the
present plans and specifications, why
not change the same to a more mod
ern up-to-date plan? Let us for .
moment look at'the way a brick road
Is now constructed in Harrison cour.
ty. We find, first, that the road bed
has been properly graded and rolled
Then we find that they use about
fve-inch concreted base extending TO
the curb, and at the same time that
the base is put in. the curb of one
foot is constructed, which forms
part of the solid concrete base. After
the concrete has been allowed to set
IN and harden, about hree or -four
inches of sand is placed on the con-
crete base and properly rolled and
leveled and smoothed down to a per-
feet surface, then the bricks are
placed on the sand. and cement
mortar poured between the bricks
and then the brick surface is rolled
again before the cement is allowed to
set up which completes the road for
use. The writer wishes to emphasize
The fact that it appears that this Is
an improper mode OF building roads
and that instead Of having the curb
built as above outlined and the brick
laid on sand base that we should
simply do away with the curbing
altogether. and after the road bed
has been properly graded, and a con-
crete base laid not as thick as has
been used heretofore, and while the
base Is in formative state or Is
being being laid, the brick should be
laid in the cement. The brick should
then be rolled and poured with liquid
comment and rolled again, and thus
make the cement base foundation,
and the bricks one compact solid
mass. The cement when it has hard
ened will penetrate a brick and mako
one solid mass Of road bed which Is
only two-thirds. or three-fourth of tho
same material as used in the former
way Of building roads and undoubt-
edlythe more compact road Of cement
and brick will be the better, to say
nothing CT the saving OF $4,000 per
mile for curbing and further saving
in sand bed and in making the base
lighter. After the road has been
completed che edges Of the road are
protecteS by broken stone tamped
agains. the end Of the cement and
brick, which leaves the edges of tho
road in splendid condition for wagons
or vehicles Of any kind in passing to
get off of the edge of the road to
easily return thereto; and after the
cement base once hardens and the
brick cemented thereto, it will be-
rare thing for brick to come loose
or out Of its place, and should the
same occasionally occur, they can
easily be replaced and cemented and
repaired much easier than the tarvia
road or the old McAdam road.
The writer, for one, and he be-
leves that he will be Joined by hun
dreds Of persons in this county,
would like to see the county court
have small model road built with
out curbs and with the brick laid in
the cement base.