The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-01-05
FURTHER LIGHT ON
PAVING QUESTION
Comparison of Federal,
State And LEGAL
Specifications

ment and the State of Idaho awarded
a road contract for three miles in
Bingham and six miles in Bonneville
counties. In August Of last year
there was also three federal aid con-
tracts awarded in Bonneville county
for total Of nine miles, q total of
fifteen miles Of hard surface pave
ment in and close to Bingham county
last year. The request for bids
asked for competition in six inches
OF bituminous road and solid unsur-
faced, unreinforced concrete pave
ment of an average Of six inches
thick, or known as Idaho Glass "B"
pavement. Some of us think that
the requirements Of the United
States bureau of public roads is a
, little severe; that seems to depend
upon the point of view. Locally the
sentiment seems to be that even tho
| the federal government, after a great
deal of investigation based upon the
results Of experience in forty-eight
states, has decided that six inch
bituminous road is the proper thing
for this section, that this decision is
severe and they have adopted
lighter or the five inch bltuminous
road, which is a Glass &c" pave
ment in the eyes of the government
According to the standard of the
federal government and Idaho a
Glass &c" pavement is the lightest
form of construction that the govern
ment will give aid in and it has been
reliably stated that the state would
build no Glass &C" pavements. FAll
Glass &c" pavements in Idaho are
considered equal and comprise five
inches of unsurfaced, unreinforced
concrete or the same thickness of the
bituminous pavement.
Glass "B' pavements are six
inches thick and are being used here
in Bingham county on the highway.
This type comprises six inches Of un-
surfaced, unreinforced concrete and
six inches of the bituminous pave
ment.
Glass "a" pavements consider the
same types only the total thickness is
seven inches.
According to the present Black
foot specifications a six inch rein
forced pavement, which is higher
tyne or at least equal to the idaho
Glass "A" pavement seven inches
thick is competing with an Idaho
Class C" pavement of five inches
pavement the authorities
have intimated that they did not care
to build in the state except under ex-
treme conditions.
The Portland Cement association
Is asking the City of Blackfoot to
use a concrete pavement Of seven
inches maximum thickness which is
heavier than used upon the national
highways of the county as specified
~ the federal government and
hicker than the bituminous pave
nent. The association would recon-
mend the Idaho specifications or as
heir representative has stated, any
pecifications that have been written
~ authorities who have built and
re building concrete pavements and
ldapt these to the conditions of
3lackfoot. The association asks that
many restrictions be placed in the
pecifications to safeguard the quail
ty of the work, among which is the
VoSiiihS VI tHc SdHu D0IOTo IL lS
laced in the concrete. There are
'oints in the present specifications of
he city that they wish eliminated
ecause they are useless and do not
improve the quality of the work and
10 destroy competition which the city
wants, and they insist that the con-
ition, now in the Blackfoot speci-
cations but not in the state speci-
cations. that bond be made by the
ontractor to cover faulty construc-
ion for as long as the usual bonding
ouse will write bond for, this is
We years. 1t is stated that the state
nd the federal government do not
SIX for maintenance bonds because
ne authorities write the specifica-
ons and then by rigid inspection en-
)rce them.