Evening star., 1926-11-21
S2,0QO,o)D SAVING
IN ROAD WORK SEEN
Reduction in Thickness ot
Paving Brick viii Effect
Big Economy.

American taxpayers will save at
least 81 900 900 yearly as result Of
the reduction in the thickness Of
paving brick shown to be possible
without danger Of street and highway
deteriora ton by tests made by the
Bureau of Public Roads Of the United
States Department of Agriculture.
The bureaus ests, which were con-
Quoted at Arlington. were made on a
circular track divided into several
sections, each of which was paved
with a different thickness Of brick.
One section was paved with the A.
inch brick, which has become the
standard as the result Of so years
usage. Others were paved with ga
8, 2lz and inch sizes. In all re-
the brick the construction Of the sew
eral sections was identical.
Heavy trucks driven around the
track subjected all thicknesses OF
brick to the same traffic. and the test
was continued until each section had
been subjected TO 62 200 passages OF
the tests trucks. During 22200 pas
sages the trucks We're equipped with
heavy non-skid chains on the rear
wheels. AS the trucks were driven
constantly over A narrow band OF the
pavement. it is estimated that the trat'
fc to which the surfaces were sub.
jected was equivalent to Is years OK
traffic on the average highway.
Test Shows Bricks Value.
The results Of the test definitely
nrove that 21a.inch brick of the quail
itv used. when properly supported on
a firm foundation. will prove satls-
factory "or payements CARRYING tne
,,.,Iy ttn
heaviest traffic, and 2-inch brlck are
shown to be entirely satisfactory Tor
streets carrying the lighter types ol
traffic.
1t is expected that the use OF A.
inch brick, the common practice for
many wears, will be practically aban-
doned as a result of the test, and that
engineers generally will adopt the
thinner types. This has already been
done in some sections of the country,
notably in the Southwest; but in other
sections, particularly in the North'
where non.skid chains are used eH'
tensively in Winter. road bullders
have been reluctant to reduce the
thickness of their pavements for fear
Of the effect of the heavy hammer
ing of the chain-equipped trucks.
Comparative bids received for the
construction of pavements show saw
ings by the use of ol2 inch instead of
3inch brick ranging from IL cents
square yard in Pittsburgh to p cents
in Raleigh, n. c., and still larger saw
ings compared with the 3l2 and 4
inch thicknesSeS. Compared with the
latter thickness, the estimated saving
runs as high as 81 cents per square
yard.
Saving Is Estimated.
AS more than 100000 square
yards of brick pavements were laid
in the United States in 1925 and at
least 80 per cent were laid with brick
of 3inch or greater thickness, 1t is
apparent that the use of 212 and :
inch PAYERS, shown by the bureaus
tests to he adequate for heavy and
light traffic. respectively, will pro-
duce a very large saving. Assuming
that as little as Is cents is saved on
each square yard, the annual total
would h, at least 81 500 900.
In view of the fact that about half
Of the brick laid last year were more
than inches in depth. and that the
saving in the use Of 212 inch over g.
inch brick is. in many cases. more
than Is cents a square yard, the es-
innate of s.. 100000 as the annual saw
Ing is believed to be conservative.
Whatever saving results, the tax
payers will get the full benefit of it..
On account of the highly competitive
character of street and highway paw
ing every possible economy that can
be effected is passed on directly to
the communities purchasing the I'M
provement.