The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1916-06-09
THE STANDARD ROAD AT LAST.
1t Represents an Economic COmbina-
ton of Materials Used Hereto
fore for Distinct Types of
Roads.

The American standard road has at
last been devised, and when adopted
generally it will mean relief from the
hit-or-miss methods at
tending present construction of mis-
cellaneous types of roads. 1t in
fringes upon no patents and wipes out
the costly competition between man
ufacturers of road materials, thus eff
fecting a saving of $4,000 to $4,000
mile in the cost of permanent roads.
The American standard road is ev-
erybody's road from the standpoint of
satisfactory service and economy. 1t
is nobody's road in the sense implied
by the use of a single material. 1t
combines the best properties of three
types of familiar roads-the stone
of the old macadam road, the asphalt
of the bituminous macadam road and
the Portland cement or the concrete
road.
The stone, of course, is used
throughout. The cement is used for
a concrete foundation and the natural
asphalt for an asphalt macadam
wearing surface. Thus each material
is confined to the purpose to which it
is best adapted.
Monroe County, Mich, is building 40
miles of the new type of road for less
than $4,000 a mile. And this price
includes 6-inch concrete curb at the
sides of the 5-inch concrete base. The
specifications also call for Pinch
Bermudez or natural asphalt maca-
dam wearing surface, so as to insure
resilient and lasting top adapted to
both horse and motor traffic. The
Michigan road will cost $4,000 a mile
less than an all-concrete road. The
price of the latter, according to the
latest announcement of the Portland
Cement Association, is now $4,000 a
mile.
But the Michigan road was not de-
vised as an experiment. A few ex-
amples of the type were built years
ago, thus affording longtime tests
some of them covering a period of
ten years. However, experience with
separate types of roads has shown
that in the case of country roads sub
jected to horse and motor traffic, as
phalt macadam makes an ideal wear
ing surface, while it has also been
demonstrated that no foundation ma
terial exceeds concrete in durability
and strength. Hence the combination
not only makes for efficiency but low
initial cost and minimum maintenance
The latter important economics are
obtained through simplified methods
of construction and by reducing the
quantities of cement and asphalt re-
quired for separate types of roads, but
without sacrifice of stability and sat
isfactory service.
Thus there is available at last a
permanent road of approximately the
cost of water-bound macadam, type
of highway that will become still
cheaper when methods of construction
are thoroughly standardized. These
roads, with their attractive and elastic
asphalt wearing surfaces, sharply
defined curb lines and unyielding con-
crete foundations, will become the
rule, once the public learns of their
low initial cost No desirable feature
of any other type of road has been
eliminated. The composite road can
not be transformed into mud or dust.
No boulevard or park road presents
more even and attractive surface. It's
adoption will simplify matters for the
engineer and contractor, making good
results more certain, but most i'm
portant is the saving to the taxpayer
through greatly reduced initial cost
and low maintenance.
This state has the stone. 1t can
obtain asphalt and cement at the
prices paid by the Michigan County,
and the composite road should be
adopted as the standard type of con-
struction.