Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1922-06-07
GOVERNMENT ISSUES
BRICK ROAD FILM
Showing How the Brick Are Made
and Laid in the Most Durable
Road.


lease-a brick road film-the De-
partment of Agriculture, through the
Bureau of Public Roads, has made
available to the public, motion pictures
on three types of modern paving: as
phalt, brick and concrete. Due to this
activity Of the government the gen.
eral public, through farmers oranges,
city civic associations and the like,
on modern highway construction.
The brick picture starts with the
mining of the shale or clay, and gives
clear idea of the heavy labor and
fuel expense in connection with the
manufacture of this paving material.
The shale first is finely ground un-
der rollers weighing several tons, and
is then mixed with water in a pug"
mill that looks like a bread dough
mixer. When it reaches the desired
mud-like consistency, it is forced thru
a die under tremendous pressure and
escapes from the opening much like
tooth paste escapes from its con-
tainer, except that it is perfectly
moulded and compact into solid
mass.
After being automatically cut to the
desired width, the brick, travelling
along on a moving belt, is lifted by
hand and stacked on cars for storage
in the dryer, where the water used In
mixing is evaporated.
When almost dry they are stacked
in kilns where, with heavy consum-
ption of coal, they are heated to the
melting point, process which takes
more than a week. This brings about
or the fusing of the shale
PARTICLES. Theb rick are then allowed
10 cool slowly, which results in an
healing or toughening. When they
are ready to be taken from the kiln
hey are perhaps rs percent. as hard as
and SO tough and dense as
9 withstaUaHd witlh.ngUH she she hs3Siest traffic with
u III ~ - rn1sy Nearing away. n
n; IN i! cFiect bric s1sso i, = 81 Z intcS y
pavement. They first are G.rrted, as |
they leave the kiln, all brokea, cracked |
Or Clipped brick being thr6wn aside.
They are sorted a second time when
piled in the cars for shipment. Then
a third time, after they have been laid
IN the pavement and before the filler |
is applied, an Inspector goes over
hem thoroughly and any that will
not pass visual inspection are thrown
out.
The picture shows the "rattler," a
machine in which brick are tested OF
icially. The -rattler is like an iron
,arrel in which the brick are placed
With large and small iron shot, the
arge shot being bigger than base
,all. The barrel is then revolved at
set speed a certain number of times
md if the brick, when removed, have
ost more than a certain percentage |
If their. original weight, they aer re-
used.
After portraying the details of man
fracture and inspection, the film show
he unusual diversity in the use OF
Prick for surfacing city streets and
highways. (Brick streets in
lse today range from the more simple |
designs, where brick are laid on the
natural soil without artificial base, up |
through the more elaborate designs |
O a point where thick bases are spe- /
:ifed because of exceedingly heavy |
raffic.)
The picture shows in detail sew
raj modern methods of laying brick
surfaces on various types of bases /
md with different kinds of filters be-
ween the joints, and closes with the !
ub-title: 'VItrihed Brick makes
ligh-class duarble pavement, suitable |
or the heaviest traffic, expensive in
irst cost, but cheaply maintained