BITUMEN ROADING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4648, 14 January 1924, Page 1

BITUMEN ROADING.

_ WORK IN THAMES COUNTY. CHANGE IN SYSTEM. In view of the large amount of permanent roading to be commenced on the Plains in .the near future, the report of the Thames County engineer on the progress of the work on the, Kopu-Thames road, as presented at last Thursday’s meeting of the Thames Council will be of interest. The work of bitumen sealing-seal-ing the road has progressed as far. as Hauraki Road, but the question of metal, supplies having become acute the .engineer decided to, cease work for ten days and run the whole of the quarry, output on to the roadside. Approximately 500 yards have been dupiped and the total quantity re--quired is 1200 yards. With regard to the , working equipment the engineer ( reported that a decided alteration in the, method of working necessitated giving up the idea of a central position for the heating of the bitumen. The work is carried on by keeping th j tanks up -with the metalling, and it was found that this -necessitates sofe alterations to the flrinf. At present the fire is on the bare ground, and thiis is wasteful on fuel. He recommended that iron grates should be fitted. These need only be large sheet channels, with a grazing at the front and perforated beneath fj allow a simple flue to be cut. The fuel could be limited in length to three feet. He also recommended that.tenders should ne called for the supply ,pf,400 0r.500 tons of a suitab’e. burning material, to be-deliver-ed. in advance of the work. If the length supplied is limited to three fepf and the grates installed, he is Confident that a very substantial decrease in construction costs will result.

.. With regard to the supply of chips or shingle for the top-dressing 500 yards of . this will be required, and as the seal coat will he laid at the rat& of 20 to 25 chains per day the supply will have to be fairly rapid. To acquire this he recommended that previd Ing an c xaminatiori of the Pennies Bay shingle, and if satisfactory that tenders be called for supplying this by scow or punt to Kopu, failing this, to call for tenders for supplying suitable material. The new bitumen will be to hand towards the middle of February, and ‘.T’rangements should -be made immediately to ensure a suffeient quantity fo metal for the seal, coat to be on the work.