MODERN ROADS FOR LONDON TRAFFIC.
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How London Borough Authorities are Dealing with the Problem of Wear and Tear of Roads.
fr HE MEMBERS of the Institution Of Municipal and County Engineers met in London on Friday, June 22nd. in order to examine methods of road reconstruction and repaving in the Boroughs of Holborn and St. Pancras.
Prior to the tour of inspection, which was carried out in private cars and in three 27-seater chars-a-hancs, a luncheon was held at the.. Connaught Rooms, Mr. George Harvey, J.P., L.C.C., Mayor of Holborn, occupying the chair, and being supported by Mr.Harold Trill, J.P., Mayor of St. Pancras; and by Mr. K J. Elford, M.Inst.C.E., borough engineer of Wandsworth.
Members of the Institution were present from many of the municipalities it) this country, and among the guests was the borough engineer of Singapore, who, with 11P miles of roads under his charge, is over here in this country examining all modern methods of • road maintenance. He told us that his task in carpeting the roads is rather onerous, because -anything of a bituminous order is apt 10 become plastic under the intense heat of the sun and to roll up into waves.
In the course of the speeches at the'. luncheon, testimony was given to the advantages to the community arising out of the existence of an Institution such as that to which the municipal ,and county engineers belong, the member.; being able to meet and to compare notes and to profit by the declared experience of others. They learn how to do their duty better, haw to avoid mistakes, and to effect economies' all of -which is of material benefit to the ratepayer. With regard to the construction and reconstruction of roads, using 'mem: played labour has only in very rare cases been successful. It has been the ex
penance in some boroughs that so much as /2 per centof the unemployed labour offered for road construction by the labour exchanges proves unequal to the manual work required, or if the workers do not seem unfit, they are able to get certificates to that effect! It was shown, too, that modern roads are a vast improvement upon anything that this country ever had before.
During the tour of inspection, the members and visitors were shown a tarmacadam paving which was laid in Lincoln's Inn. Fields in 1914, and which is to-day in excellent order. . A targrouted road laid in 1920 on the eastern side of. Lincoln's Inn Fields was also -found to be standing up to the traffic extremely well. The stretch of road recently reconstructed and paved in High Holborn, from Gray's Inn to Kingsvvay, was traversed, and some interesting facte in connection with the work were given lot the benefit of those who might have to undertake a similar extensive contract. Three streets off Holborn were shown-being surfaced with Aztecphalte„ 2 ins thick, on a binder coat which had been placed upon the old foundation. The carpet was being rolled by a 6-ton Springfield steam roller. British ckhiseurn Avenue, Upper Montague Street and the north side of Russell Square, which have also been laid— 'some of the roads in 1921—with Aztecphalte were also examined, and found to be in excellent condition.
The party then proceeded to Guilford Street, where the road was found to he in the process of cemplete renewal. as to foundations and surface by the modern method employing machinery, and by the older method employing hand 'labour; thus the spectators :,,Vere able to see the latest machinery employed in road-making.
A particularly interesting item. was the section of the road being laid with Ciment Bandit, supplied by the Lafarga Aluminous Co. This is a slow-setting cement, which looks almost black in colour when mixed up with the aggregate. When laid, it will harden -within 24 hours. It will be remembered that we referred to, this material in our recent municipal number. A portion of the road which had been laid at 11 o'clock on that morning was being walked
over by a party of two or three hundred people at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, and was absolutely firm. The asphalt carpeting can be placed over a cement foundation made of this material within 24 hours, thus giving a saving of at least five days and, probably, in the opinion of some engineers, of eight days. Where. the traffic is heavy, the employment of this material enables the road to be thrown open very quickly to the public: Junctions of roads are places which, in recons.truction' call for rapid work. We have already pointed out the fact that there is a substantial difference in cost, as Cinient Fondn costs about
10s. per ton, whereas British Portland cement coets B:2 18s, per ton. Before leaving the Borough of Holborn, demonstrations were given of the Lacre motor street sweeper and a new sweeper, mounted on a Ford chassis, by Archer and Co., of Edmonton, as well as of a Straker-Squire gully-emptier and the same company's street-washer, all these machines having been found 4 be effective, and to have given satisfactory results.
Proceeding to the Borough of St. Pancras, the party was shown streets recently repaved with various materials. The value of Enderby and Stoney Stanton sets on a foundation of 12 ins, of clinker concrete was demonstrated by the condition of Malden Road. This road was paved in 1914 with these sets, and is in excellent condition. It is rather interesting to note that the cost of the sets was then only 10s. per yard super, whereas to-day the price is 25s. per yard super.
Mr. E. .W. Swinstead, the borough engineer and surveyor; showed a roadway -in Gold ington -.Creadent where the experiment has been made of laying old .binder and asphalt .eand c'arpet mixed as one aggregate, after reheating in a rather crude manner on hot plates. This
mixture has been laid 3 ins, in thickness, sealed with a squeegeed coat of Mexphalte bitumen. • The total cost-, in. chiding the preparation of the existing road, is about 5s. per yard super, and, should the experiment prove a success, it will mean that considerable economies can be effected. .
A like experiment was made a year ago in a quiet street, and the new surface seems to have stood the test quite satisfactorily. The experiment in Gold. ington -Crescent imposes upon this material a More severe test, on thereault of which depends -the future use of the material under heavy traffic-conditions. The party was conducted over the works of Constable, Hart and Co., where the -process of manufacturing. Aztecphalte was witnessed, and afterwards was entertained to tea in the' Town-Hall by the Mayor, who expressed his great appreciation of the work being done by the Institution.