The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-08-26
Especial Correspondence

lOUtCldl SOAI
Geneseo, ILL.,, Aug. 26.-The first
batch of concrete on the hard roads
leading from Geneseo was run yes
terday afternoon. A large number
of people were present and wit
messed this work which Is the be-
ginning of the realization of the
hope for good roads which has long
been the dream of the people OF
this state. o. F. Cooke, of the state
highway commission, inspected the
work yesterday and gave a detailed
description of the methods in
use to The Argus.
J. J. Dunnegan and company Of
Shenandoah, Iowa, have the con-
tract for the 8.44 miles out Of Gen
eseo, of which about half is east
of town and the rest west of this
city. The contract work here is
in charge of ]. R McDaniels, who
has had extensive experience in
work Of this character. Mr.. Nc
Daniels has been in full charge of
the operations of the Dunnegan
company from the time of making
the preliminary arrangements, the
establishment of unloading facili-
ties. and the laying of the track for
the transportation of material 20
the place of construction. The lev
cling and grading of the Rock Is
land road west from the Main street
bridge over the Geneseo creek has
also been under his supervision.
The specifications which cover this
contract call for a seven-inch bed
of concrete which is mixed in the
proportions of one part cement, two
parts sand and three and a half
parts gravel. This proportion is
used by the Illinois highway COM
mission in all of its specifications
for concrete roads The width of
the concrete roadway is Is fees,
with dirt shoulders of six foot
width extending from the sides.
This gives a possible 30-foot width
of acceptable surface for driving.
This contract is the first to be
undertaken in the state of Illinois
under what are termed the new
specifications" On all road work
i'll the past great deal of diff
Guilty has been encountered in the
matter of breaking of the road bed
near the edges. Another difficulty
TO be met was the irregular check
ing or breaking of the concrete
longitudinally. These lengthy
breaks would invariably lead to the
edge, resulting in the complete
breakdown of triangular shaped
pieces along the edges. With heavy
traffic these became more or less
loosened and eventually broke free
from the main roadbed. 1t is for
the purpose of meeting these con-
ditions that the new specifica-
tions" have been developed. In
order to strengthen the outer sur
face and edge a three-Quarter inch
shear bar is imbedded In the con-
crete six inches from the edge. In
the middle of the concrete bed
there is placed a strip of corrugat-
ed iron which is laid with the edge
up and will be covered with one
half inch of material. These strips
OF corrugated iron are Tapped
distance of about a foot. Through
openings in these strips cross bars
of five-foot length and five-eighths
inch diameter are placed, which be-
come the binder of the blocks which
the corrugated strips center. In
this manner and method the high
way commission hopes to control
the longitudinal splitting and
breaking of the roadbed. Being
successful in that, the breakage
at the edges will be minimized. The
greatest foes to hard roads in this
section are water and frost. With
roads constructed under these spe-
cifcations designed especially for
the purposes above mentioned a
minimum Of danger and damage
from water and frost are also an
ticipated
The Dunnegan company has leas-