Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-09-03
OFFERS PLAN TO.
SAVE CITY WOOD.
BLOCK PAVING.
Asphalt Coating Propos-
J al Made by County
J Road Contractor

A proposition for saving the cltyS
wood block pavement, which is rap
idly going to ruin and costing increas-
ingly to maintain, was made to the
city council last night by r. d.
Kneale. Prof. Kneale was formerly
an instructor at Georgia Tech and |
member of the state highway COM
mission, but is now connected with
Sam Finley, of Atlanta, originator
and operator of the Finley methods of
asphalt paving, which is doing the
surfacing work on Sumter county's
paving project. The proposition
appeared most attractive to Mayor
Sheppard and all the members of
the council, who stated that they
realized something must be done soon
to save the old pavement, and a con-
ference was held today on the matter.
. The orly Obstacle in the way of en-
tering into an agreement with the /
Finley concern at once for the work
appears to be the city's financial con-
dition, but a possible way out was
seen in Prof Kneale's assertion that
the Finley company would accept the /
city's warrants for the entire job
at per cent for period of one
or twD years, provided actions IS
taken shortly. He said the ability of
his company to absorb paper is linz
tied and that as the same thing is
being done on several other large
projects this offer cannot long stand |
open. The total job here, as pro-
vided in the proposition made to the
council, would cost about S2l, 900.
This provides for a coating an inch
thick on top of the present block
pavement. Prof. Kneale said that a
half inch might be satisfactory for
a number of years and be laid for
considerably less, but the cost would
be more than half the inch cost.
The Process.
Prof. Kneale stated that the wood
blocks would make as good found
alton for an asphalt surface as any
other material and advised that they
be left, as they are, except that the
bad bumps be removed. He explain
ed the process by saying that over the
blocks, as they now lie, a heavy coat
ing of hot asphalt is sprayed, when
nenetrates the crevices and blocks
to the depth of half inch, Mex,
while the asphalt is hot, is placed
"a inch layer of stone screenings.
Then another application OF not as
nhalt is made under high pressure
Forcing the oil into the layer OF stone
screenings. and on top of this is
Iaver of fine crushed stone or coarse
sand is placed, following which the
whole is rolled.
"Tbis will form a surface imperv-
ions to water and of wearing aelllty
that will stand up under many years
Of hard service" said Mr.. Kneale.
IF nroperly laid so that there are no
leaks in the surface the blocks VIII
never bulge again, and We are willing
in taking the Job to enter into guar
antee against bulging for two years
We MIGHT make the guarantee longer,
hnt if there is no bulging within TWO
years there will never be any because
+ will have been proved water Clgnt.
owe have our asphalt plant now
installed here on the Sawyer slte Ioc
fine county road work. because VI
weather conditions work mas peeh
very slow and our overhead expenses
are going on. We can take TINS con-
tract to surface the cltys streeCs pc
tween times now at far less ngufe
than we could possibly do under any
obter condition. We are making
nronosition to do this work at W
Cents per square yard, whlc IS
oInse nrice and will permit only
snooIl profit for us. We have been
osirod To come to Albany to apply
+bis method of covering to tnelr Wooo oo
blocks. but it would cost $IOU or POW
70 install our plant to start the Jop'
ord we couldn't undertake II even
at 1925 per square yard,
Prof Kneale said that the surtac-
;ra Of the wood blocks would give
+he citv pavement good fof 10
,Iaors after which, if the surface hao
worn down to the point where repair
wes needed, the process could Chen oe
ranoated at a smaller cost, because
az crovices would not have TO De hIleq
hv the first coat as at present ana
iess material would be required.
"It will give surface, ldentlca!
Nth that being used on the county
Ids y he said. at will not, now
ever he any smoother than your
MOOD navement is when 1t Is laia'
ovoon+ that the crevices between the
blocks will be filled. That Is tne
raeenn ] | suggest that the city, be-
fore the work should be done, go
ouar 4 and remove the larger humps
and rougher places, which can be
quickly and cheaply done: M
eve have done some OF Chls woIh
in Atlanta and the results nave peen
perfect. Following the greaU hie
there some of the wood BLOCKS on
North Boulevard were badly purheo;
the creosote being evaporated out ana
swelling and buckling exIeremely
when it rained We coated these ana
they have stood up perfectly under
heavy traffic for three years, with
naver buckle. Some of them were