The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1921-09-13
FAULTY PAYING
PERMITTED SAYS
TURNER REPORT
Blames Condition He Said Was
Permitted Because Better Ma
terial Could Not Be Had
SUBMITTED TO CITY BODY
Discuss Condition in Downtown
Paving and Advises Method,
Of Remedying it

H.
c.. A. P. Turner, of ST. Paul, en-
gineer employed by the city to have
tests made of paving in the down
town district, which. has been alleged
to be defective, in report to the city
commission says that the sub pave
ment is lacking in hardness and in
some places is somewhat disintegrat-
ed, which he attributes to use of an
excess Of silt and clay in the aggre-
gate. The use Of this, he says, was
permitted under the. specifications be,
cause better material was difficult to
secure.
Tho city commission sometime ago
demanded that the contractors for
the paving in the downtown district
repair it, the paving crumbling in
several places. Representatives of
contractors were here. and the city
undertook further Investigation.
Tho Turner report follows:
The sub-pavement is lacking in
hardness and in places is somewhat
disintegrated.
Lack OF, hardness attribute to
the use of aggregate containing an ex-
cess OF silt and clay permitted under
the specifications because better ma
terial was difficult TO secure.
The water was not heated during
the chilly weather when the concrete
base was placed, and the cement was
undoubtedly chilled in the stage of
hardening, and but partially cured
when the top coat was applied. The
application of hot asphalt surface coat
would cause by its heat sweating and
temporary softening of the partially
cured concrete base with resulting
crumbling under rolling of the finish
coat. ia,
(The necessity for heating the wa
ter in cold and chilly weather at date
this pavement was laid was not gen.
orally recognized as is the case to-
day.
THE acceptance of the work and
final payment under the contract
tends to limit the liability of the con-
tractor to the terms of the mainten-
ance bond, to-wit: keeping the pave
ment in condition not detrimental to
traffic.
"The base has kept in shape where
the slope is ample, The conditions
regarding drainage are those encount-
cred in every growing city. For econ
only, catch basins are first placed as
far apart as they can be expected to
do service. AS streets are paved and
buildings covering the area between
the streets are erected, the rapidity
'of run-of is crafty increased and the
original drainage becomes inadequate
except where the slope is steep. On
east and west streets additional catch
basins in the center Of the block and
connecting sewers are recommended
to divide the slope in quarter block
lengths.
1--WE are of the opinion that the sub
pavement will maintain it's grade, as it
has done in the central portion of the
streets with this improvement in
drainage, and the elimination of the
standing water by this improved
grade will prevent rotting the asphalt
and will insure service for a long
period.
AFTER constructing the new catch
basins the needed grade may. be Sc
cured by adding to the thickness of
the surface coat at a reasonable ex-
pense.
II infer from the discussion of the
matter at your meeting that the con-
tractor was puzzled and disappointed
to find the base in the condition de-
tn~ hot r.
render the work creditable in surface
appearance for a reasonable period
after guarantee of maintenance has
expired he might be inclined to re-
grade the cutters after improved
drainage has been provided"