QUEENSLAND ROADS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22204, 6 March 1934, Page 6

QUEENSLAND ROADS

NO METAL AVAILABLE / BAKED SOIL AS SUBSTITUTE. (Special to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND, March 6, The operation of a new system of road construction in Queensland was. outlined by Mr H. A. Bruce, Minister of Works in the Queensland Labour Government, who arrived at Auckland l by the Aorangi. He is accompanied hy bis wife and they intend to spend a month's holiday in New Zealand. In tome of the eheep country in New South Wales and Queens? land, Mr Bruce said, them were large areas in which there was no metal available for road-making. The soil consisted of dense heavy clays and although roads were necessary the cost of transporting large quantities of metal over long distances had always presented difficulties of finance. These difficulties, however, had been overcome by the nee of a 'Soil burning plant invented recently by Mr L. H. R. Irvine, an Australian road engineer. The basic principles of the system were similar to those employed in brickmaking. Either a stationary or a motive plant was used and the natural soil was subjected to a high degree of heat which baked it, made it impervious to moisture, and rendered it equivalent of C Grade metal. After the baking of the soil the road was formed and rolled and a surface resulted which to date had stood up to all tests most satisfactorily. “ it is a system which can prevent clay roads from becoming • the motorist’s terror, and as such is most valuable, ** Mr Bruce concluded. Vv i '