STONE ROADS IN NEW JERSEY[9]
As New Jersey contains a great variety of soils, there are many
conditions to be met with in road construction. The northern part of the
state is hilly, where we have clay, soft stone, hard stones, loose
stones, quicksand, and marshes. In the eastern part of the state,
particularly in the seashore sections, the roads are at their worst in
summer in consequence of loose, dry sand, which sometimes drifts like
snow. In west New Jersey, which comprises the southern end of the state,
there is much loose, soft sand, considerable clay, marshes, and low
lands not easily drained.
In addition to the condition of the soil, there is the economic
condition to be considered. In the vicinity of large towns or cities,
where there is heavy carting by reason of manufactories and produce
marketing, it is necessary to have heavy, thick, substantial roads,
while in more rural districts and along the seashore, where the travel
is principally by light carriages, a lighter roadbed construction is
preferred. In rural districts, where the roads are used for immediate
neighborhood purposes, an inexpensive road is desirable. The main
thoroughfares have to be constructed with a view to considerable
increase of travel, as farmers in the outlying districts who formerly
devoted their time to grazing of stock, raising of grain, etc., find it
more profitable to change the mode of farming to that of truck raising,
fruit growing, etc.
The road engineers of New Jersey find that they cannot follow old paths
and make their roads after one style or pattern. Technical engineering
in road construction must yield to the practical, common-sense plan of
action. An engineer with plenty of money and material at hand can
construct a good road almost anywhere and meet any condition, but with
limited resources and a variety of physical conditions he has to "cut
the garment to suit the cloth." We start out with this dilemma. We must
have better roads, and our means for getting them being very limited, if
we cannot get them as good as we would like, let us get them as good as
we can.
Let me give a practical illustration. Stone-road construction outside of
turnpike corporations in West Jersey was begun in the spring of 1891. I
was called on by the township committee of Chester Township, Burlington
County, to construct some roads. Moorestown is a thriving town of about
three thousand inhabitants in the center of the township. The roads to
be constructed, with one exception, ran out of the town to the township
limits, being from one-half to three miles in length. The roads were
generally for local purposes. There were ten roads, aggregating about
eleven miles. The bonding of the township was voted upon, and it was
necessary, in order to carry the bonding project of $40,000, to have all
these roads constructed of stone macadam. The roads to be improved were
determined on at a town meeting without consulting an engineer as to the
cost, etc., so that the plain question submitted to me was, Can you
construct eleven miles of stone road nine feet wide for $40,000? The
conditions to be met were these: There was no stone suitable for
road-building nearer than from sixty to eighty miles; cost of freight,
about seventy-five cents per ton; the hauls from the railroad siding
averaged about one and three-quarter miles; price of teams in summer,
when farmers were busy, about $3.50 per day. In preparation for road
construction there were several hills to be cut from one to three feet;
causeways and embankments to be made over wet and swampy ground. For
this latter work the property holders and others interested along the
road agreed to furnish teams, the township paying for laborers. The next
difficulty was the kind of a road to build. As the width was fixed at
nine feet as a part of the conditions for bonding, there seemed only one
way left to apply the economics--that was, in the depth of the roads.
On the dry, sandy soils I put the macadam six inches deep; this depth
was applied to about six miles of road. On roads where the heaviest
travel would come the roadbed was made eight inches deep. On soils
having springs and on embankments over causeways the depth was ten
inches with stone foundation, known as telford. Where springs existed,
they were cut off by underdrains.
It had been the practice of engineers in their specifications to call
for the best trap rock for all the stone construction. As this rock is
hard to crush and difficult to be transported some seventy or eighty
miles to this part of New Jersey, I found that in order to construct all
of the road from this best material it would take more money than the
bonds would provide; so I had half of the depth which forms the
foundation made of good dry sedimentary rock. Of course, in this there
is considerable slate, but the breaking is not nearly so costly as the
breaking of syenite or Jersey trap rock, and there was a saving of
thirty per cent. As the surface of the road had to take all the wear, I
required the best trap rock for this purpose.
Since the construction of these roads in Chester Township, roads are now
built under the state-aid act by county officials and paid for as
follows: One-third by the state, ten per cent by the adjoining property
holders, and the balance (56-2/3 per cent) by the county. The roads
constructed under this act are generally leading roads and those mostly
traversed by heavy teams. They are constructed similarly to those in
Chester Township, excepting that they are generally twelve feet wide and
from ten to twelve inches deep. Many of them have a telford foundation,
which is now put down at about the same price as macadam, and meets most
of the conditions better than macadam. The less expensive stone is used
for foundations, and the best and more costly for surface only. In this
way the cost of construction has been greatly reduced.
In regard to the width, a road nine or ten feet wide has been found to
be quite as serviceable as one of greater width, unless it is made
fourteen feet and over. It is not claimed that a narrow road is just as
good as a wide road, but it has been found better to have the cost in
length than in width in rural districts. In and near towns, where there
is almost constant passing, the road should not be less than from
fourteen to twenty feet in width. The difficulty in getting on and off
the stone road where teams are passing is not so great as is supposed.
To meet this difficulty in the past, on each side of the road the
specifications require the contractor to make a shoulder of clay,
gravel, or other hard earth; this is never less than three feet and
sometimes six to eight feet in width, according to the kinds of soil the
road is composed of and the liability of frequent meeting and passing.
In rural districts the top-dressing of these shoulders is taken from the
side ditches; grass sods are mixed in when found, and in some cases
grass seed is sown. As the stone roadbed takes the travel the grass soon
begins to grow, receiving considerable fertilizing material from the
washing of the road; and when the sod is once formed the waste material
from the wear of the road is lodged in the grass sod and the shoulder
becomes hard and firm, except when the frost is coming out.
Another mode of building a rural road cheaply and still have room for
passing without getting off the stone construction is to make the
roadbed proper about ten feet wide, ten or twelve inches deep; then have
wings of macadam on each side three feet wide and five or six inches
deep. In case ten feet is used the two wings would make the stone
construction six feet wide. If the road is made considerably higher in
the center than the sides, as it should be, the travel, particularly the
loaded teams, will keep in the center, and the wings will only be used
in passing and should last as long as the thicker part of the road.
The preparation of the road and making it suitable for the stone bed is
one of the most important parts of road construction. This, once done
properly, is permanent. Wherever it is possible the hills should be cut
and low places filled, so that the maximum grade will not exceed five or
six feet rise in one hundred feet; where hills cannot be reduced to this
grade without incurring too much expense, the hill, if possible, should
be avoided by relaying the road in another place.
Wherever stone roads have been constructed it has been found that those
using them for drawing heavy loads will increase the capacity of their
wagons so as to carry three or four times the load formerly carried.
This can easily be done where the road has a maximum grade of not
greater than five or six per cent, as before stated; but when the grade
is greater than this the power to be expended on such loads upon such
grades will exhaust and wear out the horses; thus a supposed saving in
heavy loading may prove to be a loss.
In the preparation of the road it is necessary to have the ditches wide
and deep enough to carry all the water to the nearest natural water way.
These ditches should at all times be kept clear of weeds and trash, so
that the water will not be retained in pools. Bad roads often occur
because this important matter is overlooked.
On hills the slope or side grade in construction from center of road to
side ditches should be increased so as to exceed that of the
longitudinal grade; that is, if the latter is, say, five per cent, the
slope to side should be at least six per cent and over.
Where the road in rural districts is on rolling ground and hills do not
exceed three or four per cent, it is an unnecessary expense to cut the
small ones, but all short rises should be cut and small depressions
filled. A rolling road is not objectionable, and besides there is no
better roadbed for laying on metal than the hard crust formed by
ordinary travel. In putting on the metal, particularly on narrow roads,
the roadbed should be "set high;" it will soon get "flat enough." It is
better to put the shouldering up to the stone than to dig a trench to
put the stone in. If the road after preparation is about level from side
to side and the stone or metal construction is to be, say, ten inches
deep, the sides of the roadbed to receive the metal should be cut about
three inches and placed on the side to help form the shoulder; the rest
of the shoulder, when suitable, being taken from the ditches and sides
in forming the proper slope. The foundation to receive the metal, if the
natural roadbed is not used and the bed is of soft earth, should be
rolled until it is hard and compact. It should also conform to the same
slope as the road when finished from center to sides. If the bed or
foundation is of soft sand rolling will be of little use. In this case
care must be taken to keep the bed as uniform as possible while the
stone is being placed on the foundation.
When the road passes through villages and towns the grading should
reduce the roadbed to a grade as nearly level as possible. It must be
borne in mind that the side ditches need not necessarily always conform
to the center grade of the road. When the center grade is level the side
ditches should be graded to carry off the water. In some cases I have
found it necessary to run the grade for the side ditches in an opposite
direction from the grade of the road. This, however, does not often
occur. The main thing is to get the water off the road as soon as
possible after it falls, and then not allow it to remain in the ditches.
And just here the engineer will meet with many difficulties. The
landowners in rural districts are opposed to having the water from the
roads let onto their lands, and disputes often arise as to where the
natural water way is located. This should be determined by the people
in the neighborhood, or by the local authorities. I have found in
several cases, where the water from side ditches was allowed to run on
the land, that the land was generally benefited by having the soil
enriched by the fertilizing matter from the road.
After the roadbed has been thoroughly prepared, if made of loam or clay,
it should be rolled and made as hard and compact as possible. Wherever a
depression appears it should be filled up and made uniformly hard. Place
upon it a light coat of loam or fine clay, which will act as a binder.
If the roller used is not too heavy it may be rolled to advantage, but
the rolling of this course depends upon the character of the stones. If
the stones are cubical in form rolling is beneficial, but if they are of
shale and many of them thin and flat, rolling has a tendency to bring
the flat sides to the surface. When this is the case the next course of
fine stone for the surface will not firmly compact and unite with them.
When the foundation is of telford it is important that stones not too
large should be used. They should not exceed ten inches in length, six
inches on one side, which is laid next to the earth, and four inches on
top, the depth depending on the thickness of the road. If the thickness
of the finished road is eight inches, the telford pavement should not
exceed five inches; if it is ten or more inches deep, then the telford
could be six inches. It need in no case be greater than this, as this is
sufficient to form the base or foundation of the metal construction. The
surface of the telford pavement should be as uniform as possible, all
projecting points broken off, and interstices filled in with small
stone. Care should be taken to keep the stone set up perpendicular with
the roadbed and set lengthwise across the road with joints broken. This
foundation should be well hammered down with sledge hammers and made
hard and compact. Upon this feature greatly depends the smoothness of
the surface of the road and uniform wear. If put down compactly rolling
is not necessary, and if not put down solid rolling might do it damage
in causing the large stones to lean and set on their edges instead of on
the flat sides. I refer to instances where the road is to be ten inches
and over. Then put on a light coat or course of one and one-half inch
stone, with a light coat of binding, and then put on the roller, thus
setting the finer stone well with the foundation and compacting the
whole mass together.
After the macadam or telford foundation is well laid and compacted, the
surface or wearing stone is put on. If the thickness of the road is
great enough, say twelve or fourteen inches, this surface stone should
be put on in courses, say of three and four inches, as may be required
for the determined thickness of the road. On each course there should be
applied a binding, but only sufficient to bind the metal together or
fill up the small interstices. It must be remembered that broken stone
is used in order to form a compact mass. The sides of the stone should
come together and not be kept apart by what we call binding material;
therefore only such quantity should be used as will fill up the small
interstices made by reason of the irregularity of the stone. Each course
should be thoroughly rolled to get the metal as compact as possible.
When the stone construction is made to the required depth or thickness,
the whole surface should be subjected to a coat of screenings about one
inch thick. This must be kept damp by sprinkling, and thoroughly rolled
until the whole mass becomes consolidated and the surface smooth and
uniform. Before the rolling is finished the shoulders should be made up
and covered with gravel or other hard earth and dressed off to the side
ditches. When practicable these should have the same grade or slope as
the stone construction. This finish should also be rolled and made
uniform, so that, in order that the water may pass off freely, there
will be no obstruction between the stone roadbed and side ditches. To
prevent washes and insure as much hardness as possible on roads in rural
districts, grass should be encouraged to grow so as to make a stiff sod.
For shouldering, when the natural soil is of soft sand, a stiff clay is
desirable. When the natural soil is of clay, then gravel or coarse sand
can be used, covering the whole with the ditch scrapings or other
fertilizing material, where grass sod is desirable. Of course this is
not desirable in villages and towns.
For binding, what is called garden loam is the best. When this cannot be
found use any soft clay or earth free from clods or round stones. It
must be spread on very lightly and uniformly.
Any good dry stone not liable to disintegrate can be used as metal for
foundation for either telford or macadam construction. For the surface
it is necessary to have the best stone obtainable. Like the edge of a
tool, it does the service and must take the wear. As in the tool it pays
to have the best of steel, so on the road, which is subject to the wear
and tear of steel horseshoes and heavy iron tires, it is found the
cheapest to have the best of stone.
It is difficult to describe the kind of stone that is best. The best is
generally syenite trap rock, but this term does not give any definite
idea. The kind used in New Jersey is called the general name of Jersey
trap rock. It is a gray syenite, and is found in great quantities in a
range running from Jersey City, on the Hudson River, to a point on the
Delaware between Trenton and Lambertville. There are quantities of good
stone lying north of this ledge, but none south of it.
The best is at or near Jersey City. The same kind of stone is found in
the same ranges of hills in Pennsylvania, but in the general run it is
not so good. The liability to softness and disintegration increases
after leaving the eastern part of New Jersey, and while good stone may
be found, the veins of poorer stone increase as we go south and west.
It is generally believed that the hardest stones are best for road
purposes, but this is not the case. The hard quartz will crush under the
wheels of a heavy load. It is toughness in the stone that is necessary;
therefore a mixed stone, like syenite, is the best. This wears smooth,
as the rough edges of the stone come in contact with the wheels. It
requires good judgment based on experience to determine the right kind
of stone to take the constant wear of horseshoes and wagon tires.
If good roads are desired, the work is not done when the road is
completed and ready for travel. There are many causes which make
repairing necessary. I will refer to only a few of them. Stone roads are
liable to get out of order because of too much water or want of water;
also, when the natural roadbed is soft and springy and has not been
sufficiently drained; when water is allowed to stand in ditches and form
pools along the road, and when the "open winters" give us a
superabundance of wet. Before the road becomes thoroughly consolidated
by travel it is liable to become soft and stones get loose and move
under the wheels of the heavily loaded wagons. In the earth foundation
on which the stone bed rests the water finds the soft spots. The wheels
of the loaded teams form ruts, and particularly where narrow tires are
used.
The work of repair should begin as soon as defects appear, for, if
neglected, after every rain the depressions make little pools of water
and hold it like a basin. In every case this water softens the material,
and the wagon tires and horseshoes churn up the bottoms of the basins.
This is the beginning of the work of destruction. If allowed to go on,
the road becomes rough, and the wear and tear of the horses and wagons
are increased. Stone roads out of repair, like any common road in
similar condition, will be found expensive to those who use and maintain
them. The way to do is to look over a road after a rain, when the
depressions and basins will show themselves. Whenever one is large
enough to receive a shovelful of broken stone, scrape out the soft dirt
and let it form a ring around the depression. Fill with broken stone to
about an inch or two above the surface of the road. The ring of dirt
around will keep the stone above the surface in place, and the passing
wheels will work it on the broken stone and also act as a binder. The
whole will work down and become compact and even with the road surface.
The ruts are treated in the same way. Use one and one-half inch stone
for this; smaller stones will soon grind up and the hole appear again.
The second cause of the necessity for road repairs is want of water.
This occurs in summer during hot, dry spells. The surface stone
"unravels;" that is, becomes loose where the horses travel. This
condition is more liable to be found on dry, sandy soils, and where the
roadbed is subject to the direct rays of the sun, and where the winds
sweep off all the binding material from the surface. In clay soil there
is little or no trouble from "unraveling." The cause being found, the
remedy is applied in this way: Put on water with the sprinkler before
all the binding material is blown off. If the hot, dry weather
continues, sprinkling should continue. Do this in the evening or late in
the afternoon.
The next mode is to repair the road by placing the material back as it
was originally. The loose stones are placed in the depressions and good
binding material--garden loam or fine clay--is put on, then roll the
whole repeatedly and dampen by sprinkling as needed until the whole
surface becomes smooth and hard. Care must be taken that too much
binding material is not used. If too much is used it will injure the
road in winter when there is an excess of water.
When a road has been neglected and allowed to become uneven and rough,
or is by constant use worn down to the foundation stones, there should
be a general repairing. In the first place, if it is the roughness and
unevenness that is the only defect, this may be remedied by the use of a
large, heavy roller with steel spikes in its rolling wheels. This will
puncture the surface so that an ordinary harrow will tear up the surface
stones. Then take the spikes out of the roller wheels, and, with
sprinkling and rolling, the roadbed can be repaired and made like a new
road. But if the cause of the roughness is from wearing away of the
stone, so that the surface of the road is brought down to or near the
foundation, then the road needs resurfacing. The mode of treatment is
the same as in the other case.
In districts where there is stone suitable for road construction the
county, town, township, or other municipality, proposing to construct
stone roads, should own a stone quarry and a stone crusher. For grading
and preparing the road for construction, dressing up sides, clearing out
side ditches, etc., a good road machine is necessary. For constructing
roads and repairing them a roller is necessary, the weight depending
upon the kind of road constructed. If the road is not wide a roller of
from four to six tons is all the weight necessary. The rolling should be
continued until compactness is obtained. For wide, heavy roads a steam
roller of fifteen tons can be used to advantage. A sprinkling wagon
completes the list that is necessary for the county or town or other
municipality constructing its own roads.
FOOTNOTES:
[9] By E. G. Harrison, C. E., Secretary New Jersey Road Improvement
Association.
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