Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-02-24
ROAD CONSTRUCTION IN THE
WEST

highway construction need not be de-
layed in New Jersey, as in several
Middle Western states, because of the
high price of cement, especially in
view of the reduction to below pre-
war figures in the price of asphalt,
was the tenor of an address delivered
here today before the state convention
of highway officials, contractors, engi-
neers and material men by Joseph r.
Draney, of Ridgewood, N. j.. Mr..
Draney is president of the Asphalt As
ISOLATION, New York, the national or
ganization of asphalt producers and
contractors.
Calling attention to recent reports
that the highway departments Of IL
linois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Min
nesota, Missouri, South Dakota and
Wisconsin have declared a buyers
strike against cement manufacturers
and that, in consequence $1,000 70, 900
worth of highway construction will be
held up. Mr.. Draney said: Asphalt,
which is used in a larger mileage of
pavements than is Portland cement
and which goes to make So per cent
by area of city types of pavement, is
now actually selling at a lower price
than in 1913. 1t is a fact, not as gem
orally known as it should be, that
pavements equal in every respect to
Fifth avenue in New York, Michigan
boulevard in Chicago, Broad street in
Philadelphia, and the most famous old
world can now be constructed
in country districts at little, if any,
more than the cost of %unsurfaced Port
land cement concrete pavements.
"Out in California" the speaker
continued, "they lay the asphalt top
on a base composed of a mixture of
stone and asphalt so that the entire
slab is flexible and waterproof and,
instead of SCATTERING under traffic, it
yields just enough to conform with the
subgrade. In consequence it is al
most ind|estructible. l have not the
slightest criticism to make of the Port
land cement concrete pavement or of
any type of pavement, but it seems in
credible that any highway depart
ments should actually hold up their
paving program because of the high
price of a material which is not an
absolute essential. 1t cannot be-
claimed that a pavement which with
stands the enormous traffic of New
York and Philadelphia and which is
no more costly than unsurfaced Port
land cement concrete is not good
enough for country highways"
Mr.. Draney declared that asphalt is
marketed upon a keenly competitive
basis as shown by sharp differences
in bid prices by the various producers
at contract lettings. He contended that
this competition is more marked in the
case of asphalt than in practically
every other material used in public
work. The speaker outlined the eff
forts made by his organization to Sc
cure reduced freight rates so as to
bring asphalt road costs further
within the realm of economy. In the
course of his remarks he urged open
competition for all types of pavement.
Prior to the formation of the AS
phalt Association" said Mr.. Draney,
there was little coordination of the
many facts and theories concerning
asphalt. There were many conflicting
specifications. Workable instructions
covering the uses of asphalt were
scattered in many publications and
much valuable information was locked
up in the minds of men who had the
knowledge but had not made it public
in nrinfnd form Thnro woo NO ronno-
nized clearing house of knowledge or
fountain head of authority on ques-
tons relating to the problems n
countered in asphalt street and road
paving. The Association has provided
such a clearing house and stands
ready to assist the municipalities and
highway departments in New Jersey
in solving any problems that may
arise. Through our Technical Com
mittee, at the head of which is Mr.. Pre-
vost Hubbard, formerly chief of the
Division of Research, United States
Bureau of Public Roads, we have pre-
pared and issued specifications cover
ing every type of asphalt pavement.
These specifications are now regarded
as authoritative.
I'm our research work we are CO.
operating with the United States Bur-
eau of Public Roads and the various
municipal engineering organizations.
now have Investigations under
in which we are cooperating not
only with the Federal Bureau, but with
the city engineers of New York, Phila-
delphia, Baltimore, Washington and
Detroit. We stand ready to help solve
any problem that may arise in any city
county in New Jersey. That SER
vice is entirely free, for wherever as
phalt paving is laid it is our desire
and our purpose to see that it is done
properly and to the best interest of
the public who use it and pay for it.
I'VE have been endeavoring to Sc