CONCRETE ROADS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19149, 15 October 1925, Page 9

CONCRETE ROADS.

j Sir, —In Wednesday's Heualp appears I a notice of proposal to raise a special loau by the One Tree Hill'' Road Board for the construction of sundry roads in asphaltic concrete. As a ratepayer, and as one who has some slight knowledge of road and highway construction, it appears to me that this description is likely to be confusing to many of our ratepayers, insomuch as the average individual j lias no knowledge whatever as to what j asphaltic concrete means. T think that I \ am perfectly justified in saying that the majority of ratepayers in this district wish to see their roads put down permanently in concrete, i.e.. "cement concrete," and there is no doubt in my mind that a large number of them will imagine that asphaltic concrete is merely a jnew name for cement concrete _ construction. We know, from the experience alrer.dy gained in Auckland City and suburbs, that the cement concrete pavement is ! satisfactory and successful, and it does not appear to the average ratepayer desirable "to go experimenting in something which we do not understand, and fox tne construction of which we have not got the necessary plant, when we have the satisfactory "example of cement concrete before us. Furthermore, reference to the same issue of the Heram> will show that the New Zealand Portland Cement Company is so satisfied as to the practicability of laying a cement concrete roadway on the Great South Road at a cost which compares favourably with what is Known as " hot mix bituminous paving, that it has already made a definite offer to the local bodies concerned on that stretch of highwav to construct the Great South Road, from Otahuhn to the Papakura Town Board boundary, m cemen, concrete. It must further be borne m mind that bituminous paving, m any form, whether it be penetration, not mix, or asphaltic concrete, means monev foi i . purchase of the necessary' asphalt New Zealand, whereas the conso-ucuon of concrete roadways means every peijnj piece expended thereon country. '