Las Vegas age. [volume] (Las Vegas, Nev.) 1905-1947, 1927-10-15
STREET IMPROVEMENT
PLANS ARE OUTLINED
c. c. Boyer, Highway En-
gineer, Makes Report on
Type of improvement and
Cost Estimate.

COMMISSION has made report
suggesting the Outbound grave
type of pavement for all streets In
Clarks Las Vegas Townsite, and
making estimates of the costs and
the manner of distributing the
same.
In view of the fact that every
taxpayer in Las Vegas has a di
rect interest in this matter and tC
give the fullest possible informa
ton, we print the report In full
below:
October 4, 1927.
City Planning Commission,
City of Las Vegas,
Nevada.
Gentlemen:
In accordance with your recent
request | am submitting the fol
lowing report on the proposed use
OF Outbound gravel surface for the
streets OF the City of Las Vegas
within the district shown on the
attached map of the city.
Outbound gravel surface has
been used with results that have
been gratifying beyond the most
sanguine expectations on the State
Highways of California. The meth
Cd of treatment as finally develop
ed gives results approaching a
plant mixed asphaltic concrete in
appearance and in riding qualities
that OF high grade pavement.
There are four major operations
involved in the construction OF
Outbound gravel surface as ap.
piled to its use for street surface
These are in the order of their
performance, first, preparing and
shaping the subgrade, second
placing gravel surface materials,
third, applying oil and mixing the
Oil and gravel, and fourth, spread.
ing and compacting the mixed ma
terial. The method selected for
performing each operation has
been developed by careful expert
menting and the operation is care
fully performed in its order. This
is in large measure the secret OF
success with this type of surface
for thus, each operation becomes
suitable foundation for the sue
cecding operation
The prepartion of the subgrade
consists of constructing the sub
grade to the true shape planned
and maintaining it true and even
- in cross-section and profile until
the surfacing material is placed.
Gravel surface materials should
be secured from deposits from
which it has been determined suit
able material can be secured. The
surfacing material as hauled to
the streets should consist of hard
sound particles of stone mixed
with sufficient fine particles to
pacted. 1t should lbe uniformly
graded downward from a maxi
mum size of one Q) inch and be
free from thin or elongated pieces.
1t has been found that a road
oil having sixty to seventy per
cent asphaltic content gives the
best results. This grade of oil
can be handled in the distribut-
ing trucks without heating, con-
tains sufficient binding qualities,
and provides a surface readily
broken up in surfacing in case II
becomes necessary to reshape the
surface The oil lis delivered in
railway tank cars on a convenient
siding where it is transferred to
tank trucks equipped with pres
sure spreaders. The oil is applied
to the loosely spread gravel in
= ten-foot widths and at tine rate OF
one-haH gallon per square yard.
A total of one and one-haf gallons
of oil per square yard is applied
in three applications Of one-halt
gallon each.
Each application of oil is fol.
lowed immG Gdiately with a disc and
spring toJ,h harrow drawn by
the oil and gravel sufficiently mix
the oil and gInVel usfficiently to
permit The use of the street with
ouc the oil picking up on the tires
of vehicles and also prevents the
oil accumulat'ng in puddles. This
process is repeated until the three
applications have been made to
the entire roadway.
After the last application of oil
has been made, mixing operations
begin. This operation is the criti-
cal step in securing satisfactory
results ana must be thoroughly
done. The thorough mixing is ac-
complished by repeated trips of
graders which throw the oiled ma
terial in windrows and then throw
it to either side The mixing pro
cess is repeated until thorough
mixing has been obtained which is
determined by the uniform color.
alton of the mixed materials. The
proper color is a light brown OF
chocolate shade and has the con
sistency of fresh brown sugar, the
particles adhering but not sticky.
After thorough mixing, the ma.
terial is spread with blade to a
uniform thickness over the width
to be surfaced The blade is then
operated over this uniformly
spread material moving small
quantities back and forth until a
true surface is obtained and the
material compacted to a degree
where it will withstand traffic.
Best results are obtained when
Outbound gravel surface is con
structed during warm weather.
There are a number of advant-
ages in the oil-bound gravel type
of surface. 1t requires no replen.
ishlng of the gravel surface which