Arizona republican., 1920-01-22

load. This made hollowS and in places crushed through the surface, letting in water which speedily disintegrated the foundation. The community was at a total loss as to what to do next
 "Manifestly this type would not stand up under heavy trucking. Heavy trucks could not be ruled off the roads, for economy in transportation demon strated that heavy trucks were only beginning to do business
 Some engineers advocated concrete roads; but the heavy expense seemed an insuperable obstacle. All our ce- ment comes from California, and the freight seemed prohibitive. The bitu lithic company advocated its type of road of heavier construction than that before used in Hawaii.
 With considerable misgiving, due to high cost, the construction of con crete roads was begun five or six years ago. The results have been such that the people of Hawaii have been converted to the belief that a concrete road, with or without a sur face of the asphalt type, is the one and only permanent road which will carry heavy triffic.
 The city of Honolufu has begun the construction of a concrete road around the Island of Oahu, on which it is located. This will be well over 100 miles long. The contract has been let for the first ten miles and it is now under construction, at a cost of approximately $50.000 mile. This road is concrete, reinforced by steel wire. and 25 feet in width. It is of greater width and somewhat heavier construction than would otherwise have been the case; but the specified tions are those designed by the war department, as it wishes to be able to move heavy guns over the road in case of necessity in defense of the island. In consideration of the great CT expense. the department has per mitted the territory to buy material through the department thereby se- curing lower prices, and the federal board has made concessions in freight rates.
 Most of the concrete roads so far constructed in Hawaii have q surface covering of asphalt or bitulithic ma terial. Some have not and they ap- pear to be wearing equally well.
 Il am convinced that a properly con- structed road of raw concrete is, for practical purposes, just good as one with a surface covering. The lat ter is in the nature of an unnecessary luxury, justified if at all. for the pur- pose of minimizing the noise of steel tires in city streets.
 T have for some years past been an interested observer of the construc- tIOli OI NdTiOuS classes or roads on the main land-more particularly in California, Massachusetts, Florida and Sioux City, Iowa.
 There are high class roads of con crete and other classes of construction in all of the localities named, but Sioux City Iowa. leads the entire country in building concrete roads. That city now has approximately so miles of concrete streets and roads into the surrounding country. With the exception of the main show street of the town, about 10 blocks long, which is of bitulithic construc- tion, and some eight or ten miles, which were among the concrete roads first constructed all of these roads are of raw concrete-unsurface The climate in Sioux City ranges from 40 degrees below zero to about 105 de- Srees above, so that the test is the most severe possible.
 T visited the city about a year and half ago and, observing the un- usually good condition of the roads and streets, never having met him before, sought an introduction to the city engineer, Mir. T. H. Johnson. He informed me that in the approximately 70 miles of unsurfaced concrete road there were practically no cracks Ma turally, l did not inspect all the roads: but in walking and driving over many miles of streets and roads I did not find crack a yard long in any sec tion which I saw. Mir. Johnson in formed me that the Sioux City roads have no reinforcing, and have a small CT proportion of cement than is called for by standard concrete specified tions
 The absence of cracks in the Sioux City roads was what first called my attention to them, many of the concrete roads in California even the recent ones hlIiIf hT The Sfa hi foh way commission. are scanned with cracks as though shattered by an earthquake.
 Seeing the explanation for the crackless character of the Sioux City roads, 1 asked MT. Johnson the secret of his success. He replied that there was no secret; that the cause was simply the method of application of the material to thS road and careful supervision. He described to me the method of application. which I will not state here as it is somewhat lengthy and technical 1 can give it to you if you want it, what is bet ter still, you can get it from Mir. John- son direct
 T understand that he has recently resigned his office as city engineer and opened an office in his home town as q consulting engineer in connec- ton with the construction of concrete streets and roads.
 We hope to get him to come to Honolulu to give us. advice on concrete raod construction there. l believe that it would be q measure of wisdom and economy for Arizona or any other community contemplating the build ing of permanent roads on a large scale to consult MT. Johnson as he has certainly demonstrated his ability 10 -~hstruct better roads for less money than any other man has so far produced in the United States so far as l have observed
 When asked whether he thought S4,- UO0,OOO would cover the building of zfS miles Of concrete roads, MT. Thurs ton said he did lot consider the amount sufficient When faced with the shortage of funds in Hawaii he said. the road building officials pro- ceeded with the construction of con- crete roads as far as the money would carry them.