METHODS COMPARED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17125, 4 December 1929, Page 7

METHODS COMPARED

ROADS AND FOOTPATHS ENGINEER’S STATEMENT DETAILS OF ADMINISTRATION

In September the Borough Council passed a resolution requesting the engineer, Mr. A.- Young, to submit for its information and guidance a report dealing with the. best methods of keeping footways and deep drains in repair; giving figures of the comparative Most of v constructing and maintaining roads with various paving materials, and covering the administration of the borough generally. Mr. Young shimmied a lengthy and comprehensive report to last eyeping’s meeting "of tne council, and in order'that liis statement might be considered; fully, the council referred it to the special* committee by whom the request was made, to bring down a report upon it;, it was agreed, however, that the report should be handed to the press in the meantime. Air. Young’s report read as follows: (1) As to the best method of keeping in repair footways and deep drains in the various districts: Footways: It is presumed that the footways in mind are those surfaced with gravel or limestone chips. From experience it has been found that it is more economical to use chips which have been well blinded with grit than to use gravel, although the gravel is half the cost' Of the chips. Where chips have been used the weed and grass growth has been considerably checked, the footpftjjh ...is cleaner, especially in wet weather, although, perhaps, rougher to walk on than one surfaced with gravel, and if at a future date it is decided to construct an asphalt pavement the stone chips form a most suitable foundation for an asphalt top course. The maintenance of such footpaths consists of grubbing up and carting away weeds and maintaining the cross Side to keep me surface water free. is work is never too satisfactory. Weed killers or poisons of one kind or another have been experimented with, but only with partial success, and at too great cost. There is also an element oi danger to children were they to play on the ground where the surface lias been freshly sprayed with the poison, so that in my opinion it is extremely inadvisable to proceed further with such measures. Burning oS when the growth is dry seems to afford the best solution so far for keeping The footpath clean, and with the little experience gained with the “Haiick” burner, which was lately acquired by the council, I believe that, where the growth is thick and would necessitate "breaking up the footpath surface to a considerable extent to remove the weeds, the application of the burner will prove a much more expeditions and cheaper method. There are the added advantages that there will be no spoil to cart .away, and the surface of the footpath remains undisturbed. , The approximate icost of maintaining footpaths in Whataupoko by present methods works out at 4s 4d per chain per annum. A test of burning off by the “Hauck” burner was made recently in Clifford street over 16 chains of footpath, and the cost worked out at 3s per chain.

Asphalt footpaths: If a policy of permanent footpath paving were embarked upon, and the class of paving were composed of tar grouted metal 2in thick and surfaced with bitumen, such- as is being constructed at present whenever money is available, the annual charges, based on a capital cost of 3s per square yard, or £6 12s per chain, would'be as > follows: Interest on load, 5.50 per cent., sinking fund (12 years), 6.25 per cent.; total 15s 6d; maintenance 5s 6d ; total £1 is per chain. This is the ‘cheapest forth of permanent footpath paving that cati Ije laid in Gisborne. A gravelled footpath renewed every thi-ee or four years costs 12s 9d per ehain pef annum. It may be of interest to record that a considerable amount of hew asphalt footpath work was undertaken last year, a summary of which is appended; Derby street A chain, Childers* road 15 chains, Clifford street \ 10 chains, Fox street 8 chains, Grey stjfeet 6 chains, Kahutia street 39 chains, Stahley road 22 chains, Stafford street ' fl chains, Feel street 2J- chains, Lowe street 2 chains; total 110 chains. In addition, 767 chains of old asphalt foot paths were bitumen surfaced. * 04 i r ... ..1 ‘ «>-.

Pi nil II rial provision Inis boon made in this year’s estimates for continuing the construction of new asphalt footpaths to the extent of (5000 square yards, equivalent to 13(5 chains. In due course a list, of Ihe footpaths which are proposed to be constructed will be submitted to the council tor approval.

“Open drains: The open drains of the borough are cleaned out at least once a year, by shovel; the weeds and grass and accumulations of spoil are sliced out from the sides and bottom of drain, placed in heaps by the road-

side,. and thereafter carted away. This is the usual method of maiatpining open drains, only in highway drains there is no necessity to remove the spoil us lias to lie done in boroughs. The cost of maintaining drains .by this method is: Cleaning out drain Ms per chain, carting away spoil Is 2d; total, Is 2d. per. chain.

It is too early to say what the cost, of burning oJV growth in drains by the “Houck” burner would amount to; what has been done so far with the burner has not brought down the cost. It should be remembered that the. growth in drains does not completely dry up, hence the difiiculty in burning off. There is this advantage, however, the'width of the drains would not bo increased as is tiro case when they are cleaned out bv shovel.

(2) Expenditure on Gladstone road from Post Oltice to borough boundary

Total expenditure, including maintenance of tram 't rack: Four years, 1925-1929, £(>49B Bs. Expended on tram track (159 chains), four years, 1925-1929, £1455 17s 7d. .Apportioned as under: Tramways 75 per cent., £lO9l ISs 2d; streets maintenance 25 per cent., £M(iM 19s sd. Deduct tramways apportionment, £ 1091 ISs 2d; expended on Gladstone road, £540(5 9s l()d.

Continuing, Mr. Young gave details of the expenditure of maintenance in connection with the various sections of Gladstone road from the Post Office to the boundary. (3) Childers road.

(a) Amount of expenditure for maintenance for three years prior to putting down in Dot, mix: Total expenditure, 192,1-1925 £(533; 1925-19215 £478 7s sd; 19215-1927, £937 7s 7d; total expenditure for three--years, £2948 Ins. (li) Amount of expenditure for maintenance since putting down in hot mix: Total expenditure. 1927*1928, £457 (>s 9d; 1928-1929, £305 2s lid; total for two years, £7(52 9s Bd. The section, Read’s Quay to Cobdcn street, laid down in hot mix in 1927-28, has cost nothing for maintenance, but from now on will require a bitumen seal coat every third year. Annual maintenance cost will be 13,8.13 square yards at Sd per square,yard, £4(50. (c) Cobdcn street to Stanley road: Comparative costs. charges on existing roadway: lutercst and sinking fund on construction cost, £95; average annual maintenance expenditure last live years, £195; total, £290. (2) Annual charges on existing roadway assuming it to be reconstructed in bitumen grouted paving (reconstruction cost, 7920 sq. yds. £303(5): Interest 5.50 per cent., sinking fund, 15 years’ loan, 4.(53 per cent., 10.13 per "cent, on £303(5, £307; maintenance at 7d per square yard every second year. £11(5; total, £423. (4) Wainui road.

(il) illXpenultUl o [JULHUii auiiiuvi-u with bitumen, eastward from Kaili esplanade: Reconstruction cost, Fcbruary, 1026, metalling and surfacing with one coat tar and one coat bitumen,- £671; annual maintenance expenditure, bitumen sealing at 7d per square yard, £SI. (b) Expenditure on roadway from end of bitumen portion to Cook County boundary: Interest and sinking fund on construction cost, 6 per cent, on £l7lO, £103; average annual maintenance expenditure last three years, B.i)6d per square yard, £306; total, £409. (c) Assuming the above road were converted to, (a) bitumen sealed road, (b) bitumen grouted road, the position would be as follows; (a) bitumen sealed road, assumed life, .15 years, £3754; annual charges, interest 5.50 per cent., sinking fund 4.03 per cent., £3BO, maintenance £250; total, £630. (bj Bitumen grouted road, assumed life Id years, £3801; annual charges, interest 5.50 per cent., sinking fund j 1.63 per cent., £391, maintenance £125; total, £5lO. , . Comparing the three types of road, it will be seen that the grouted road is cheaper than the sealed road,.viewed from, an annual upkeep point o. view. The annual cost of a bitumen grouted paving would be approximately £IOO more than that of the existing roadway. Indirectly, however, the users of the road would matenaln benefit in reduced expenditure on running costs of motor vehicles. (5) What system is adopted, in checking the tools and plant given but i„ connection with the various works of the borough. Tools issued on \vorks where a ganger is in charge; unemployment relief, stormwater drainage and special road gangs: Necessary tools are issued from store by the overseer to the <ranger whose signature is obtained. The overseer keeps a record of same. During the progress of the .works tools are locked up in a tool box on the job at the pnd of each day, and on completion of the work are either -taken forward to the next job or returned to tho yard, where they are checked, off by the oversew, and it not further required are returned to store. , , , Tools issued to permanent hands not under direct control of ganger: The overseer issues tools as required, and takes a receipt for same. No now tool is supplied until the worn out tool is handed in. The overseer keeps a record of all tools issued, and checks off tools returned or worn out. Worn out tools: Tools unfit for further use through wear or breakage are returned to the worn-out tool section of the -store. Bound handles of worn-out tools are removed from worm tools and are used to replace broken handles. A list of worn-out tools is kept by the overseer. Periodically those worn tools are inspected by me

ami suitably disposed of. Stores: Stores, siu-li as oils, grease, kerosene, packing, ole., are issued from the stoi'e by the overseer as required. The responsibility is placed on the overseer to see that stores are economically used. Requisitions are received fortnightly from the overseer and others in charge of departments. They are checked against previous consumption, and purchases thus kept within .proper limits. Materials: A return of all ’materials

issued to works is furnished daily by ihe overseer. Appropriate work accounts are debited with purchases and credited on issue. > Actual stock' on h.and is periodically checked with stuck account balances and any differences adjusted. In general it may be stated that the purchase and issue of tools, stores and materials is under satisfactory control. Wherever possible looks are branded with the council’s brand. 1 can-find nothing to indicate that there is any undue waste or wrongful use of the council’s property.