Concrete v Bitumen.

Opunake Times, Volume LVV, Issue 3675, 30 October 1923, Page 3

Concrete v Bitumen.

LATTER FAVOURED. In view to thj proposed extension of the tramways along Edandaic i<oad the question of the construct ion of the road in permanent material w 13 considered by the Mt Albert Borough Council at a special meeting on October 18. The point had been raised by the local Ra.epayers Association that alternative proposals should be submitted totheratepiyers involving construction in concrete and in bitumen —the latter having previously been favoured by the Council

Mr F E Powell, engineer to the borough submitted a report in he affirmed his aporoval of concrete for main roads carrying heavy traffic. There was, however, no gainsaying the fact that it Was very expensive. The decision to adopt a bitumenised road surface on the penetration system for Edendale Road had been amved at after careful examination of all the stances. It was fully admiLted that a concrete road had a longer life, than any other class of road, and in certain circumstances it wou'd be advisable to advocate it irrespective of cost.

The question to be decided in the present case, however, was whether a bitumenised road was a sound economical proposition, and whether it would be entirely suitable and, satisfactory for the conditions obtaining in Edendale Road The net estimated "cost of concrete for the Edendale Road was £18,750 for a 7in thickness, being £16,000 above the cost of an ordinary macadam road. These figures were from actual contract works The actual cast of concrete over bitumen work would be £11,250, and the interest alone on that extra money for concrete work would amount to nearly £7OO per annum. After discussion in committee, upon the motion of the Mtyor (Mr L E Rhodes ), it was decided that bitumen macadam on the pene tration method should be used for the construction of the road.