American Rural HighwaysAgg, T. R. (Thomas Radford)
Science
American Rural Highways
Agg, T. R. (Thomas Radford)
Roads -- United States
=Gang Maintenance.=--The maintenance gang may be employed for some
types of road surface in lieu of the patrolman or with other types of
surface may be employed to supplement the work of the patrolman. The
maintenance gang consists of three to ten men and is furnished all of
the tools and materials required for the particular kind of work they
do. Ordinarily the gang goes over the roads assigned to it once each
season and performs those repair operations requiring more work than
the patrolman can find time for. The work of the maintenance gang like
that of the patrolman should be under engineering supervision.
=Maintenance of Earth, Sand-clay, Gravel and Macadam Roads.=--The
ordinary upkeep of earth, sand-clay, gravel and macadam surfaces is
most readily accomplished by the patrol method, since constant care is
required to keep the roads in a condition of maximum service ability.
The tools required for each patrolman may include the following:
1 shovel 1 spade
1 stone rake 1 pick
1 scythe 1 tamper
1 or more road drags 1 mowing machine for cutting weeds
1 wheelbarrow (sometimes)
1 light truck 1 small kit carpenter's tools
The work of the patrolman consists in keeping the surface of the road
smooth by dragging, repairing chuck holes by tamping in fresh material
of the appropriate kind, keeping the ditches and culverts free from
obstruction, cutting weeds and repairing bridge floors if they are of
plank construction. Removal of snow drifts is sometimes a part of the
patrolman's duty, but more often that is done by special gangs.
Usually the patrolman is authorized to hire teams for dragging and
cutting weeds.
When an earth road requires to be re-graded so as to restore the
cross-section and deepen the ditches, a gang is sent in to perform
that work, as it is obviously impossible for the patrolman to perform
work, of that kind.
If the gravel road is being maintained with a bituminous carpet coat,
the patrolman will be furnished the necessary tools to enable him to
patch the surface with bituminous material as necessity requires.
When the surface deteriorates to such an extent that a new carpet coat
is required, the gang system is employed for all work connected with
resurfacing, instead of attempting to have the work done by patrolmen.
The maintenance of the macadam road is carried out in much the same
manner as that of the gravel road. The binder of stone dust or clayey
sand is renewed as often as it is swept off by traffic. Depressions or
ruts are repaired by first loosening the surface with a pick and then
adding broken stone and screenings to restore the surface.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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