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Effect of Motorbus Traffic on the Surface of London Streets.

30th April 1908, Page 6
30th April 1908
Page 6
Page 6, 30th April 1908 — Effect of Motorbus Traffic on the Surface of London Streets.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

London Borough Engineers and Surveyors have been asked by the Metropolitan Paving Committee for their opinions on the effect of motorbus traffic on roads paved with wood, macadam, and asphalt respectively, and their replies possess no little interest.

The City of London Engineer (Mr. Frank Sumner) gives an epitome of reports furnished by various paving companies which maintain under contract wood and asphalt pavement in the City, there being practically no macadam roads. The Improved Wood Pavement Company states that motorbus traffic has no deleterious effect on wood surfaces, but excessive vibration tends to disintegrate concrete foundations where the same are not more than six inches thick, and the sub-soil is not consolidated. The Val de Travers Asphalt Paving and the London Asphalt Companies express the opinion that self-propelled vehicles with rubber tires are better than horse-drawn vehicles, so far as their pavements are concerned, but that the oil droppings, etc., are harmful to asphalt. The Limmer Asphalt Company says that there is considerable increase in the cost of maintaining carJiage-ways which now have to bear heavy motor traffic. The continual dropping of oil softens the face of the asphalt, and sprinkled sand is then worked into the same by traffic. The suction due to the nature of the tires and vibration (particularly over underground tube routes) also help, according to the Limmer Company, to increase wear and tear.

From the Finsbury Council, the Paving Committee has received a report that there is no motorbus traffic on macadam roads in the borougleand that, up to the present, the Surveyor (Mr. P. G. Killick) has not noticed any detrimental effect from the traffic on Woodpaved and asphalt-paved roads.

The Westminster City Engineer (Mr. J. W. Bradley) points out that the motorbus fitted with rubber tires is not more detrimental on wood-paved roads than the horsed bus, but, on macadam roads, the displacement of the binding material, by the sucking action of the tires, makes it detrimental. Oil droppings affect asphalt roads, and, when softened with oil, rubber tires seem to abrade the asphalt, even more quickly than the more common steel tires.

The Surveyor of Holborn (Mr. E. F. Spurrell), like most of the Borough Council Surveyors and Engineers, points out the bad effect of the dropping of oil on asphalt, but adds that this has been lately reduced, trays being now fitted under the frames of the buses for collecting waste oil. It is his opinion that motorbus traffic is not to any great extent lessening the life of paved roads with good foundations ; heavy vehicles, as motorbuses,going at high speeds over a road, and pulling up suddenly, have a destroying tendency, but the indiarubber tires, with which the buses are fitted, do not, when travelling at a fair speed, cause more damage than irontired omnibuses, and the hoofs of horses. Heavy locomotives and trailers, with iron wheels, for conveying building materials and goods through the Metropolis, cause considerably more damage than the motorbuses. With respect to scavenging, where waste oil is intercepted, motorbus traffic reduces the cost of scavenging, as the amount of horse-droppings to be collected is lessened. The surface of wood-paved roads is not injuriously affected by motorbus traffic.

The Fulham Borough Engineer (Mr. Francis Wood) thinks that wood paving is the best form of paving for motorbus traffic. The concrete foundations that were satisfactory for horse traffic, he says, are proving unsatisfactory for motorbus traffic. The blocks must be very much more even in character than those suitable for horse traffic. To wear the road very quickly into ruts is the effect of motorbuses on macadam roads, and, on asphalt roads, the oil droppings have a detrimental effect.

Hammersmith Borough Council, reports the Surveyor (Mr. FL Mair), has deemed it advisable to increase the thickness of the concrete foundation for wood-paved roads from 6 inches to 9 inches. Ordinary macadam roads are quite unsuitable for motorbus traffic.

The effect on wood-paved roads in Lambeth has been scarcely noticeable, except where worn ; there is the usual distribution over a wide area in wet weather of a slop which is squeezed up by the india-rubber tires, but the Sur veyor (Mr. H. C. J. Edwards) says that the traffic has a very serious effect on macadam and flint roads, the stones being reduced to the condition of marbles, and the road in a very short time becoming completely disintegrated. Ile observes no effect on rock-asphalt carriage ways, but a particularly noticeable effect on softer materials.

Greenwich has had very little motorbus traffic, but the Surveyor (Mr. E. J. Heward) said that the little they had for a few months showed that it was disastrous to macadamised roads.

Similar effects on macadam are reported by Mr. Norman Scorgie, the Surveyor of Hackney, who, however, says that the only effect noticed on woodpaved roads is the nuisance occasioned by oil droppings. Hampstead Council has found it necessary to extend the wood paving along the routes of motorbuses. There has been no noticeable effect on woodpaved roads, except, perhaps, says the Surveyor (Mr. 0. E. Winter) to increase the tendency to a greater compression on the kerbs, due to the increased weight and speed of the vehicles.

Mr. W. Nisbet Blair (Surveyor) says that the effect of buses with rubber tires, and without metal studs, on wood-paved roads, and asphalted roads in St. Pancras is inappreciable, but, on macadam roads, most destructive.

One of Wandsworth's Surveyors (Mn, T. Dodd) expresses the opinion that the effect on creosoted wood-paved roads is not injurious, as compared with other vehicles, and the oil spilt on the road tends to preserve it. Having pointed out the had effect on macadam, he suggests that, if granite-macadam roads were, when re-metalled, properly sprayed with tar, and this were repeated annually during warm and fine weather, the effect of motor traffic would not be so injurious to the roads as com

pared with other vehicles. Kingston Road, Putney, upwards of Fi miles in length, was treated in this way last year, with satisfactory results. No expense was incurred in watering, and the surface of the road is at present in a good condition. Mr. Rush Dixon, Surveyor of Woolwich, says the effect of motorbus traffic on macadam roads is ruinous.


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