“CLASSIFIED AS FIRST CLASS”

Shannon News, 19 November 1926, Page 3

“CLASSIFIED AS FIRST CLASS”

horowhenija main highways, PUBLIC WOEKS ENGINEERS' STATEMENT. FIRST SECTION COST WELL WITHIN ESTIMATE. Pointed attention has been drawn to the Main Highways under construction in the Horowhenua County by the criticisms of some .of the councillors which led to the Council asking the Main Highways Board to inspect the section that has been in hand and make a special report thereon. Messrs A. Tyndall (Main Highways Engineer), R, Rbnayne (PubliQ Works District Engineer); and Littlejohn (Public Works Department) accordingly made an inspection of the road between the Manakau Bridge and Kimberley road, and a series of questions propounded , by Cr. Catley, the chief critic of the work, was submitted to the inspecting Engineers. Their report was received at Saturday's meeting of the Council and was in the following terms: — NO. 1. HIGHWAY. (Wellington t« Auckland via Taranaki, County Section— Manakau-Lcvin). "Referring to the recent inspection made on the 27th September as requested in your letter dated 20th idem the Main Highways Board have considered the report as submitted by me to the Board, and I am now instructed to advise you as follows: — "Taking the questions seriatim, as set out in your letter dated SiOth September: / - I.—Has enough bitumen been used in the first course? " Sufficient bitumen lu\3 been used in the first course. Numerous samples take-a from the road prove - , this. . . s 2. —If so,''Avby" have-sufficient chips failed to ad here? . Sufficient chips did adhere. 3.-~Would excessive temperature affect quality of bitumen? '• '' Yes - / /.'■'' 4. —Should Surface be effectively sealed by first course? .■ '' -No:■"..'.■ '.' , s.—Has the road enough camber? The appioved specifications provided for a satisfactory camber, and an henest attempt has been made to comply with the specifications throughout, the whole of the work. The camber was checked at a number cf points with a level and staff and-was found generally'to be satisfactory. 6.—Js.it necessary Ho erect ::uch high shoulders?" -- It is extremely desirable to provide strong well-formed shoulders, and where these shoulders have been constructed of filling it is .necessary that they should be made high to provide for future subsidence. The methods of constructing the shoulders used on this work are much superior to the usual methods. i "This length of highway under consideration, which extends over a length of* 7| miles, a\ as Very thoroughly examined from end to end, and the work completed to date can "be classified as first elass. "The fact that 7 miles of this penetration work has stood up to the winter traffic m many cases on a wet tion and without a sealing coat, speaks for itself and proves that the job has been done, in a workmanlike manner by those concerned. "The only fault that can be found with the work is that the County Engineer attempted to do too much penetration work, and did not follow up closely enough with his sealing work. —Yours faithfully, R. H. P. RONAYNE, District Engineer. THE FINANCIAL SIDE. COMPARISON OF ESTIMATES AND EXPENDITURE. Original estimate fw loan purpurposes without Engineering Survey, plans, etc. £16,880 Estimate approved by the Main Highways Board after Engineering Survey. etc., completed; ' £10,480 Expenditure to''9th Oct., 1926 £15,747 Amount required to complete , section , £7OO Estimated cost when Section is compl :ted £.16,447 DETAILS OF ENPEN DiTTTRE. . Manakau Stream—Levin (7 in. 47eh.) - ; • £ s. d. T6lal wages paid 2953 18 4 Survey, plan work, ett. 497 19 4 Concrete pipes 31 16 4 Bitumen ... = . .. . 2651 3 9 Use. of bitun-.fn plant .. 380 6 6 *Metal 15,187-J e.vds., chips 2556| c. yds 4286 8 6 TJseiof lorries, carting metal,;, etc. .. 2757 5 0 Rolling, scarifying, etc. .. 1907 12 6 Grading and sweeping . . 11l 12 " 6 Sundries . j 69 5 8 £15,747 8 5 Average cost per mile, £2082 6s Id. Average cost per chain, £26 0s 7d, Average cost of metal and chips per e. yd., 4s 9jcl. Cost of metal on road per 7s il4d. ' ■ X The bitumen used was 1539 barrels at £1 14s s|d per barrel. ' Cr. CATLEY STILL UNCONVINCED The chairman moved the adoption of the report.. Cr. Catley' said one thing they had done was to throw the onus on the l

Highways Board to say what was a first class road ar.d what was not. He did not set himself up as an authority but had gone over the road carefully on foot and not in a motor 'car travelling at 15 to 20 miles an hour. He thought ther'i were a great many weak spots in the road and they weic apparent to anybody who went over it as he had done. He had said a great deal about the road, not from Ihe point of view of destructive criticism; just the reverse, and nobody would be better pleased than he would be to see the re--port borne out. He must come back, | however, to the chips that failed to adhere. There must be a cause for that. In his opinion sufficient chips had not held. No one expected them all to adhere, but he thought more came off than should have. done. He had seen work dene by another local body and there had not been the. quantity of chips failing to adhere.' It seemed to him that there was some-

thing wanted explaining away. Whether it, was :he quantity of bitumen put on, the >empeiature or the day not being suitabl;, he did not know. He fully believe.d that there were weak spots in the nad that wanted looking into. He, admitted that the bitumen had come up in the road, but thought",

there was not the material there for it to bind. To believe that a thin coat of bitumen is going to protect, seal and waterproof *h • main course, was like asking the skin of one's arm to protect the flesh from a blow. Another thing was that water was coming out of the road after nin. It must get in higher up which it bhould not do if the road was sealed. If the Engineer was satisfied what did he put in side channels and keep them" open to take the water off. That was Avhat made the speaker more alarmed than anything. "If that is a first class road, I don't .want to

see a second class one. There is a danger of deterioration.'in some places. I. invite the councillors to take a Avalk over "the road. They can tee much more than by going over it in a car. The sides should be rolled down to let the water off. ]f water is a destroying agency in road-making it should be kept out. I do not want to pose as' an alarmist, but councillors should go over the road. If you can show me that it is only , a false alarm no one

will be better pleased than I will. Why should Horowhenua. not lead instead of following?"

THE. CHAIRMAN IS SATISFIED. The chairman: It is purely a matter of opinion whether Ave arc leading,or folloAving. I don't propose to discuss •the report. l i, has turned out as I told you it Avould. I Avas not at the inspection by the Engineers, purposely staying aAvay, bar. I asked the chairman of the Works Committee to be present to see how tha inspection Avas made. I would like him to reiterate his report

cn how it was done. You asked for this report, and uoav you have got it I am asking yen, to adopt it. I Avili only say that I' am satisfied. By the end of the summer Ave Avill have one of

the best bitumen penetration roads in the Dominion. Mr Anderson does not claim that that particular piece between Kimberley Road and Ohau sta,ticn is an actually completed road and he has never claimed that. He has told us that there is so much bitumen, there thbt it must haA r e more chips. Cr. Catley: This is the first time Ave haA r e had that. . A THOROUGH INSPECTION. ,Cr. Ryder, chairman of the Works Committee, said the inspecting engineers did u«t run over the road in a motor car. Tl ey stopped wherever the Engineer, they themselves or the speaker wished. They made a practical test, ,not in one place, but in many, and noAvhere did chey find any sign of the lack of bitumen or. of, any burnt bitumen. It was ahvays in a very plastic condition. It spoke Avonders for the foundations that they had stood the whole winter traffic Avithout moving Avhere not sealed. lie felt- that when the warm Aveather came the road Avould be perfect. Cr. MeLeavey'supported Cr. Catley in regard to the Avater and he mentioned several places Avhere it Avas running out. The County men cculd not find out where it Avas getting in. The Enginen said the Avaler came in at the'side. It was not under the bitumen. It came in at one or two places where 1 trse traffic had cut ruts in the side. ■of the shoulder. It waq only after rain and would cease when the rain was over. There would be a considerable amount of bleeding of the bitumen in the hot weather and they Avould haAe to put mere chips on:. He had told Cr. Catley and the Cpuncil that oil previous s occasions. :Te was even more pleased Avith the road than he Avas six weeks ago. Wherever he had thought there Ave-re Aveak spots he had taken the Engineers and asked them to make a test. "Some of that penetrated road has been down eight months Avithout sealing and if the road Avould stand that, with the heavy traffic and winter rain—l stake my reputation on it,'/ concluded the Engineer.

Cr. Catley: 1 must admit that -I did not think it would bleed. I have expressed my conclusions and am prepared to stand or fall by them. In answer to- Cr. Catley, the Engineer said he was going to roll doAvn the shoulders of the road Avhen the weather Avas suitable.

• Cr. MeLeavey said the grader had been used on them at one place and had made an excellent job. The Engineer explained that the grader had been used to remove a hard ridge of chips and dirt ou the sides

Avhieh had p; evented jp'ater from getting ,away. - , Cr. Jensen said it was a pleasure for th'e Council to receive a report like that as it shc.Aved that the Engineers Avere satisfied with the work done. One item in it:was .rather unjust to the Engineer and- that Avas Avhere it referred' to going on with the foundations Avithout sealing. He 'understood that the Engineer instructed by the Council to. go on with that to allow the traffic to get on the foundations before it Avas sealed. That part of the report was ' not fair to the Engineer:- • \j Cr. MeLeavey drew attention to the number of hoops from bitumen barrel s lying about. An accident had nearly been caused to a child riding to school. The Engineer said -instructions Avere. gi\cn for the hoops to be gathered up and he did not think there Avere many tying about except on the new- work l . Cr. Bryant said there Avere none at the loAver end. The Engiueer said he Avould make an inspection. . ■ * COST UNDER THE ESTIMATE. BITUMEN STILL IN HAND. The chairman drew attention to the statement of the cost of the first section, pointing out that allowance had been made in it for the,estimated cost of finishing this piece of road. It would be'seen that the cost came £4O or £SO Avithin the estimate. Civ Ryder asked Avhether the bitumen' still lying on the roadside had been taken nto account. ]

The Eigineer said that it had not and they were than much better off. The bitumen on the roadsieie, however, as far as the Ohau station belonged to the Levin Borough Council, as the County had used Borough bitumen, for that length Owing to having to use the Borough boiling plant. The reports Avere then adopted.