CHEAP ROADS

Hokitika Guardian, 16 January 1933, Page 8

CHEAP ROADS

NEW ENGLISH METHODS

PROPOSED USE IN DOMINIONS

LONDON, December 1

Jt is understood that Lord Strathspey and others will leave for New yjcaiand early in the New Year in order to consolidate the position of the Empire Farmers’ ■ Company, and at the same tune put forward schemes of development- on improvement of the transport system, for the benefit of the farmers, suggestions which will come well with.n their means—particularly as the very moderate cost will be more than covered by the ..uu.t.oihu oroduce whion they Will be enabled to dispatch. Tnere will be saving, too, in the improvement of ~resent transport disabilities.

'['his side of the ambitious project of tiie organisation will be represented by Mr C. Morland Hughes, a welliinown roads engineer, who has invented a remarkably efficient process of road-making—a process which lie claims provides the best secondary roads in the Homeland, and roads which will prove to bo first-class m the overseas Dominions. His process is known as Cumae.

“The only way, to get down the cost of transport from farms to depots is by having a permanent hard' roadway’ of some nature which will carry the heavy surface's lorries without distress, both in winter and summer,” lie remarked.

“The point is that certain tar and bituminous materials can be so amalgamated together with ordinary earth or clay, and chalk or lime, which is laid down on the foundation of the road and into which broken flint, or other road material, is rolled. It is then dressed over with the special mixture on the top of the stones, and firmly rolled together. The result of the whole process is that the concretelike mixture, which is non-crackalile and absolutely waterproof, falls into the interstices between the metal so that the road is rendered thoroughly waterproof from top to bottom. Further, it is noil-meltable. “And the cost of using this bituminous mixture will not make the cost of the road any greater than if the ordinary waterbound system were adopted.” Further, Mr Hughes continued, the process can be applied in any country. It may probably be found to be more economical to have the bituminous mixture made at certain centres and distributed in large quantities. No expensive plant is required—merely ordinary concrete-mixers—and a steam roller for its efficient application. “The first tiling required,” said Mr Hughes, “is a steam roller; then, on the farm, any coarse material such as flint or gravel can be collected bound, and rolled into the surface. On this rough foundation, is spread some of the bitumous mixture; then the metal is rolled in. I do not ' contemplate any difficulty in obtaining a suitable foundation locally’, for if flint happens to be absent there is sure to be some variety of gravel or ballast that will roll in equally well and "'ill adapt itself to the bituminous dressing. The Cumae process has undergone several tests in the laboratory of the Roads Research, Limited, and in a modified form has been applied in the Mother Country with gratifying results. It has also been thoroughly tested in a city area.”