The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-05-21
PAVING THE STREETS


a report on this as it does on other
else we should have tried /
to have a reporter present, altho TO
do SO ON Saturday is almost impos-
sible No report was sent in, but
Captain Young has furnished US with |
a copy of his paper. AS will be seen
on reading it. it is absolutely neutral,
and no one could tell from it what
sort of pavement the engineer favors.
After hearing it, those present en-
gagged in a discussion, and from all
we have been able to learn there was
no majority sentiment for any special
material or. method. Of course, ev-
erybody wants brick, but they under
stand that it is out of the city's finan-
cial reach. Captain Young, himself,
advised the Finley method. His paper
follows:
The Woman's Club of Ocala has
thought that before entering upon
such an important step in the line of
progress as the paving of the streets
of our city, the future capital of the
state, it would be we'll to give the
citizens an opportunity to ask ques-
tions about the different classes of
pavement and to consider the problem
involved in the selection of a type
suitable to our local needs.
Because l am your city engineer in
charge of paving, have been asked
to place myself at your service in this
matter. 1t will be a great pleasure
to answer your questions bearing on
this important subject. l sincerely
believe that a citizen with specialized
knowledge holds that knowledge as a
trust and not as a commodity and is
therefore in duty bound to render
service to the citizenship in so far as
his knowledge and ability permits. l
am here as fellow citizen and not as
a representative of the city council.
/ am not here to argue pro and con
be yes and no with such explanations
as may be necessary to bring out the
facts.
Before taking up your questions,
permit me to touch on the factors en-
tering into the problem of pavement
selection.
The problem of selecting the best
pavement for any particular case is
local one, not only for each city, but
for each subdivision into which the
city is imperceptibly divided; and it
involves so many elements that the
incest balancing of the relative values
for each kind of pavement is required
to arrive at correct conclusion. Local
conditions always should be consider
ed. Hence it is not possible to lay
down any fixed rule as to what ma
terial makes the best pavement.
The qualities essential to a good
pavement may be stated as follows:
1t should be impervious.
1t should insure good foothold for
horses and adhesion for motor We
hicles.
1t should be hard and durable so as
to resist wear and disintegration.
1t should be adaptable to every
grade.
1t should suit every class of traffic
1t should offer the minimum resis-
lance to traction.
L l.
1t should yield neither dust nor
mud.
1t should be cleaned easily.
1t should be cheap.
The problem involved in the selec-
ton of the most suitable pavement
consists of the following factors:
Adaptability.
Desirability.
Serviceability.
Cost.
The best pavement for any given
roadway will depend altogether on
local circumstances. Pavements must
be adapted to the class of traffic that
will use them. The pavements suit
able for road through an agricul-
tural district will not be suitable for
the streets of a manufacturing CEN
ter; nor will the covering suitable for
heavy traffic be suitable for a pleasure
drive or residential district.
The desirability of a pavement is
its possession of qualities which make
it satisfactory to the people using and
seeing it. Between two pavements
alike in cost and durability people
will have preference arising from
their personal prejudices and various
other intangible influences, causing
them to select one rather than the
other on their respective streets. Such
selections often are made against the
demonstrated economies of the case
and usually in ignorance of them.
Whenever one kind of pavement is
more economical and satisfactory to
use than any other, there should not
be any difference of opinion about Sc
curing it.
The serviceability of pavement is
its quality of fitness for use. This
quality is measured by the expense
caused to the traffic using it.
The durability of the pavement is
that quality which determines the
length of time during which it is serv-
lceable and does not relate to the
length of time it has been down. The