Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-07-26
CONCRETE FACTS ABOUT


THE favor of the property own
ers of Great Falls seems to be
irclining toward the use of con-
crete for paving purposes. Two
contracts, during the last few
months, have been decided upon
with this material. 1t is, perhaps,
beyond the ability of 4 layman to
discuss all of the differences in
value as they relate to the various
kinds of paving material. The de-
cisions along this line often lead
to strenuous discussion. Whatever
the virtue of different materials
for hard surface highways may be,
there has been a wonderful devel-
opment during the last few years.
Il is doubtful if the average citi-
zen has even the remotest idea of
it.
The historical incident which
brought about the need for cement
was the construction of the Eddy
stone lighthouse in the English
channel in 1856 by an engineer
FAMED John Smeaton, who while
looking for a mortar for this pur-
pose discovered that an impure
limestone containing a certain
amount of cla7ey matter contained
hydraulic properties when calcined,
or roasted.
The first recorded manufacture
81 this product in the United States
was in 1919 in Madison county, N.
l., for the Erie canal project and
was developed by Benjamin Wright
and Canvass White. Almost 100
years ago, in 1924. a %bricklayer of
England, Joseph Aspdin, took out
a patent for what he called Port
land cement. Few attempts were
made to produce Portland cement in
the United States until about 1870.
During the 70's, however, plants
were operated at several points, in
Guiding Wampum and Coplay, Pa.
kalamazoo, Mich. South Bend, Ind,
and Rockport, Me.
The remarkable growth of the
industry, and the consequent de-
velopment of new uses for the ma
terial is best shown by the annual
output figures. In 1880 production
Of Portland cement in the United
States was only $4,000 barrels; in
1890 it was 335,00O barrels; in 1900,
8,48z,O 20 barrels; in 1910. 1884,
951 barrels and in 1920, 100, 3O2, 900
barrels.
One hundred million barrels Of
cement-the 1920 output-would be
sufficient to build nine transcon-
t~inental highways, eight inches
thick and 1s feet wide, from New
York to San Francisco. Or it
would build 1,OOO,OO six-room con-
crete houses with a porch and side
walk thrown in. Or it would build
23H great pyramids like those of
Egypt. Or it would build a side
walk five feet wide and four inches
thick that would reach from Wash
ington t the moon-a distance of
243,oo0 miles. a
The quantity Of the output is
shown by the fact that in 1921 the
industry required nearly 5000, 900
TONS of coal. The amount of coal
burned in manufacturing a barrel
of cement varies from $50 to 200
pounds. so that when purchasing a
sack of cement the is pay
ing FOR nearly so pounds of coal.
During the last 10 years cement
has revolutionized the paving in
dustry. Thousands of miles of con-
crete roads have been built, and
every year see an increasing num-
Der contracted for. Last year al
most 5000 miles Of 18-foot concrete
highway were constructed in this
country. City streets are paved
with concrete. alleys are paved
with the same material, curbs and
cutters, sidewalks, fence posts, or
namental lighting standards, park
benches. statuary. swimming pools
into every sort of civic improve
ment cement enters in some way or
other.
Cement has accomplished won
ders for the farmer. The same kind
of cement that paves the roads and
gives him access to his markets is
used in constructing his house and
barns. It is used for silos and
water troughs, replacing the old
wood structures. Hogs are given
concrete feeding floors so that no
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