Concrete Roads
and Their Construction

IN THE UNITED KINGDOM—PROVINCIAL 41 distributed over the surface of the new i'oad except when near the expansion joints, when the excess material was removed. When the concrete had set sufficiently for a man to walk upon its surface without in any way disturbing it, it was fenced in and kept free from all traffic for twenty-one days, and the sur- face was well watered by means of a watering can for the first ten days and nights. At each end of the new roadway a double row of 4-in. granite setts on Portland cement concrete, 6 in. in thickness, was laid to effect the junctions with adjoining surfaces. Although owing to the increase in transport work at the docks the roadway has had to bear a continuously increasing traffic, the road after over a year’s wear is as when laid down. The repairs and maintenance have been nil, in the summer there is a com- plete freedom from dust, in the winter an absence of mud, and a very agreeable running surface is provided for vehicular traffic. The cost of the complete work, including granite, ballast, cement, reinforcement, and granite setts at junctions with adjoining roads, was 10s. per sq. yard. Latest Report.—Mr. S. A. Hill-Willis, reporting on this road in November, 1920, stated that since the road was constructed in 1917 it has been traversed by all types of heavy traffic in and out of the Docks, and he is in every way satisfied with this trial length, so much so that contracts have now been placed by the Tilbury I rban District Council for 6| miles of similar roadway in the place of tar-macadam. A 50-ton Parsons trench excavator recently passed over this road ; the rear wheels of the excavator were shod with heavy steel studs, but in spite of the great weight of the machine no injury was caused to the surface. Hampshire Southampton Docks.—This road was laid down at Southampton Docks in the summer of 1917. It is 342 ft. long, 25 ft. wide, and 6 in. thick, and has no paths or kerbs. It is level longitudin- ally, but has a transverse camber of 4 in. (about -fc in. per foot). The greater part is straight, but at one end it has a curve of about 100 yds. radius. It approaches one of the most important quays, where vessels up to 20,000 tons are berthed, and consequently has to sustain a fairly heavy traffic of all kinds. The ground in this neighbourhood was reclaimed from the estuary some years