Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-21
keep UP sAND-CLAY ROAD
BY PROPER USE OF DRAG
secretary Of North Caroiiua Highway
8 Commission Discusses Prob
lem OF Maintenance.
BEAR ANY KIND OF TRAFFIC.
During Last Winter Many of Roads
Went to Pieces Simply From Lack
OF Carc-New Way Found for
Finishing Concrete Construction.

Finishing Concrete Construction.
WASHINGTON. October 2O.-Evory-
body who has driven over an earth
road knows that some well-drained
sections are likely to be much better
Than others equally we'll drained. but
mo reason for this is rarely under
, stood. In most cases tho good road
Is due to the fact that tho sand and
clay forming the surface are mixed
In proportions which will give the
most dense combination. There is just
enough clay to bind tho sand together.
hundreds Of miles of good roads are
now being built. duplicating ARTIFICIAL
ly tho conditions existing in these
naturally good sections of dirt roads
The mixing OF the sand and clay liz
carried on by well-developed methods
& and gives a good road for light traf-
fc.
There have been many miles OF these
roads built In North Carolina, and dur
Ing tho last winter good many OF
them went to pieces. There was a
tendency to attribute this to failure
Of the type Of construction, but an
investigation made by DR.. Joseph Hyde
Pratt. secretary OF the North Caro-
lima Highway Commission. indicates
that the trouble was due TO the i'm
perfect maintenance OF tho roads.
which were SD weak in consequence
that the severe conditions OF tho win
ter inevitably damaged them as they
would have damaged any other type OF
construction which had been neglected
until u was ready to go TO pieces
Dr, Pratt insists that a sand-clay road
can be maintained in good condition
for any traffic for which the type Is
htted, by an Intelligent uso OF the road
drag. The purpose OF dragging such
road ia not TO bring new material
UP on II, but to smooth out the .'uts
and holes by shaving material II ON
the high places into them and rub
bling II into deLsc condition there.
II this is done after every heavy rain
well-built sand clay road can gen
orally be maintained IN excellent con-
dition. II is important. however, net
to scrape material from the side bitches
over tho roadway. because this ma
terial Is net attcd for Tlih & Gapres-
sione. 1t usually has unsatisfactory
proportions OF sand and clay and often
contains so much organic matter that
II Is incapable OF becoming ms Ill
dated into n hari gurfacr
Where road has become badly rut-
ted and nlled with holes. 80 that drag
sing will not remedy the neglected
surface conditions. DR.. Pratt recon-
mends reshaping the road with 4 road
machine and then dragging it thor
oughly nfter the first rain II I. is
u
surface. great care should be taken
that II contains the sand and clay in
the right proportions for the work.
and, II possible. Is tie same material
used In the original construction Of
the highway. In general DR. Pratt
believes that the sand-ciay road. ii
II has been surfaced with the right
Kind Of material has been construct
cd properly and maintained efficiently.
VIII prove good highway. even un-
der as severe conditions as those cx :
listing In North Carolina last winter.
But this type OF construction must be
wen maintained. and unfortunately
there has been lack of good main
flamenco throughout h, :tate par,icu-
larry noticeable where the traffic has
considerably Increased since thc roads
we're built.
Value OF Cheap Roads.
The state highway engineer OF Kan
sas, w S. Gearhart. made an address,
recently at the Kansas Free Fair. in
topeka. In which he explained the
value OF inexpensive roads when we'll
built and maintained under the cond!-
uons existing in that State II would
be best. hs pointed out. 10 build a COM
prehensive sytem of roads al one time.
ana this would have the advantage Of
obtaining the roads sooner and enjoy
ihg them longer than is possible with
any other plan. but unfortunately there
mas been little consideration OF mi.
method OF road improvement; IN Kan
sas' The adoption Of the system would
mean the improvement OF about 10
peI cen. OF mo reads In county within
q period OF about Ave years
When the piecemeal. one-road-at-a
time method is adopted for the i'm
ProVen:ent OF few main roads IN,
problem is entirely different, and 4
now seems that this method will be
used 10 build the main market roads
connecting tho principal cities and mar
ket cehters In Kansas. AS soon as
these roads are completed they will be
required to carry an enormous automo-
biie and motor truck traffic, and tn.
county that overlooks thi. fac, and
builds type OF road net suit ed TO this
heavy traffic. Mr.. Gearhart believes will
surely nave sad, expensive exDeri
cnce.
When tho average daily trafrc does
not exceed 100 to 200 ordinary vehicles
per day no type OF road can be more
economically constructed and main
tanned than an earth rod Mr. Gearhart
said. and IN other type responds to in
teligcnt direction more quickly or more
satisfactory. Regardless of the TYNE
OF surface to be used. the road should
be quit to permanent grade, and per-
n:anent drainage structures, not on,y
wide enough to carry the traffic safely.
should BIO provided. These improve
ments are OF the most permanent char.
acter, and should be made whether or
not the road Is to be surfaced imme-
diately. for they will give the best pos
sible earth road for the money invested
and such an ear tn road can be more
economically maintained by continuous
dragging than a1y other. An earth
eoad that has been maintained in this
way for several years Will be in the
very best condition to be paved with a
hard surface. for It will be thoroughly
settled.
Mr.. Gearhart stated that we'll
built gravel road is probably the hest
surfaced road that can be built in Kan
sas at this time, and. with reasonable
maintenance. will carry economically
an average daily traffic OF $50 to $50
vehicles. Practically every county in
the State has deposits of gravel suit,
able for road purposes II properly used.
The advantages OF gravel road are
that local materials and local teams
and labor can be used in the construc-
ton and maintenance. and every dol
lar of tax money involved viii stay in
the community. The rod can be main,