ASPHALT AND TAR-PAVING

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 172, 14 April 1908, Page 4

ASPHALT AND TAR-PAVING

' ' A CONFUSION OF TERMS. In connection witli the particularly lively interest now being taken in municipal matters, there has been some little discussion on the raorits of asphalt for uso on roadways.' j Mr. W. 11. Morton, tho City Engineer, when the subject was mentioned to him by a Dqmimon reporter,, said that many people did not understand what asphalt really was. They confused it with tar-paving. The real asphalt, as used on street formations, was a rock'obtained in Switzerland and consisted of carbonate of lime impregnated witli bitumen. There 'was also mastic asphalt, the samo. material prepared with additional bitumen, .and, put up in. blocks,, to be applied in •vsofter state. : mentioned that mastic-: asphalt. wasused in "Wellington for cellars'and "damp'-probf courses in walls, and in some cities the footways were covered with it; Such path's were of first-rate quality', but,he-could not recommend them for Wellirigton at ,present, because tho side-walks-here'. wcro so- frequently broken up, aiid also because of -tho expense.' Tar-paving-. was.inmch cheapcr, but less durable and effective than asphalting of either-kind:";lt was' employed on somo of the suburban tram lines fsueh as Island Bay and Kilbiniio, and was much cleaner than ordinary ..macadam. .It was also laid on many' of."tbe ; local footpaths. A Sum of £250 was placed on last year's.municipal estimates for tar-paving Brandon Street, from Featherston Streot ;to I/ambton vQuay,, but owing to a difficultyi in obtaining tar and tho greater urgency., of other works, it had not yet been qcmnJeiftsd. iiiMr; Mprton thought other streets,iofi'tho;' sam^,-.character as. Brandon StreQtr.misht Well be. ; treated Jn ythe samo way. .i-This wotild, ; bc( done by . applying a mixture of tar and, sand, and rolling it,into thq inetal in, place; of ordinary binding ma-, tsriaU y The cost' would be from > 3sJ 6d. to 45,; pdr.,- square -yard. Asphalting pn road,ways' foundation,' and wirala,'vcbfriw2ls. $&2s.v Rer ' square yard. at-18s. per, square yard. ■ .. , Mr. Morton added, that Queen-.Streot, Auckland,,,was a, gopfypxainplo of asphalting. There. fl:as little,..or,;pono on, the streets in Sydiiev, . . Asphalt might ,be - a littjo,imoro ; wpd&bloeking, 1 .but could,not: be xeplaccd sd/well'iyhen.''a: street was taken; It«','bfo'|^as o the',same..