ROAD CONSTRUCTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13839, 27 August 1908, Page 7

ROAD CONSTRUCTION.

A NEW ZEALAND PATENT. [BY telegraph.— association.] Eltium, Wednesday. A company has been formed, with a capital of £1000, to place concrete blocks on the market l*s loading purpose*. The proposal is to lay concrete tracks to carry wheels, and,, it is claimed that, as concrete would bear all the wear and tear hi the centre of the road, it could be made very light with 6in of metal, instead of 9in or lOin, as at present.. It is stated that concrete blocks could be laid for £800 a mile. It is proposed to remake a mile of Elthaui Road with concrete blocks, as an experiment, at & cost of £1000. Describing the patent at a meeting of the Hawera County Council, Mr. Basbam, engineer to the Hawera and Eltham County Councils, made the following statement: —"The cost of laying these concrete tracks would range from about £500 per mile on the South Road to about £900 per mile in the back districts. This £900 per mile includes the cost of the blocks, the laying, and the metal or gravel track between them for the horses to run on. There can be no question that a road of this description must outlast a road constructed of Bin of crushed metal, and the hauling power of ! each horse would be increased consider- ! ably, while a substantial amount per mile would be saved in the initial cost of construction. Under the county loan of £63,000 the cost of the roads in the back district, ranges from £11 to £16. The cost of the concrete track and gravel or metal would range from £11 to £12 per chain, which would show a saving of about 25 per cent, in favour of this method. On the Continent of Europe they are constructing main roads wholly of concrete, reinforced with steel spikes. This class of road has great wearing qualities."