THE CUBA R EVI E W 



21 



WOODEN HIGHWAY BRIDGES IN CUBA. 



Methods and Costs of Construction 



By Charles 



These bridges were 5 meters or 16.4 ft. 

 long, and were constructed of Acana, a 

 Cuban hardwood. They were built under 

 the supervision of the writer in the winter 

 and spring of 1907-08. The cost of the 

 materials per cu. yd. of concrete was as 

 follows : 

 1.13 bbls. of Atlas Portland cement at 



$4.50 per bbl $5.08 



0.80 cu. yds. of crushed rock at $2.85 



per cu. yd '^•^" 



48 cu. yds. of river sand at $0.20 per 



cu yd 096 



Total $7,456 



The lumber for the forms (250 ft. B. M., 

 at $18 per M.) cost $4.50. The small 

 amount of excavation does not indicate solid 

 rock near the surface, but as the founda- 

 tion soil was firm only a sufficient amount 

 was excavated to secure a foothold for the 



abutments. •, *o en 



The master carpenter was paid $2.50 and 

 his assistants $1.75 per day. The charge for 

 superintendence includes inspection, laymg 

 out of work and the foreman's time of the 

 concrete and excavation. 



The costs of bridge No. 1, which follow, 

 were greater than either of the other two, 

 owing principally to greater excavation, and 

 a larger quantity of materials and more 

 labor were required. 



Bridge No. 1 : 



22 cu. yds. common excavation for abut- 

 ments at $0,612 = $13.47. 



(With Concrete Abutments) in Cuba. 



McKercher. 



Total Cost Per 



Concrete and Forms. Cost. Cu. Yd. 



31.5 cu. yds., 1-3-5 concrete. $234.86 $7,456 



Lumber for forms 1.50 .047 



Labor on forms, 1 carpenter 



2.4 days at $2.50 6.00 .190 



Mixing and placing 31.5 cu. 



yds. of concrete 34.46 1.094 



Total $276.82 $8,787 



Bridge Proper. Total. 

 3,100 ft. B. M. Acana at $50 per M.. $155.00 

 Labor, framing and erecting, 6.8 



days at $4.25 28.90 



130 lbs. bolts, spikes, plates, etc., at 



$0.16 per lb 20.80 



Painting 75.00 



Total $297.70 



Summary : 



Excavation $13.47 



Concrete 276.82 



Bridge 279.70 



Superintendence 51.55 



Total $621.54 



Cost per lineal meter $124.31 



Ct3st per lineal foot 37.90 



The total cost of the second bridge was 

 $559.29, and of the third bridge $575.90, 

 which makes an average cost for each of 

 $585.57. — Engineering and Contracting. 



The Future of Guantanamo. 



"Congress at the last two or three sessions 

 failed to make any provision for continuing 

 the important work, originally outlined by 

 the naval experts in defence, for a war base 

 and dockyard at Guantanamo, Cuba. The 

 work which was started at that place 

 has practically been abandoned, and 

 much of the material which was in- 

 stalled, with a prospect of its value there, 

 has been recalled for use at the home 

 navy yards," says the Washington (D.C.) 

 Herald. 



It will be interesting to know what action 

 the navy department takes on the recommen- 

 dations which are understood to have been 

 made for resuming the work of installation 

 at Guantanamo. There appears to be a dif- 

 ference of opinion, even within the naval 

 service itself, concerning the advantage of 

 Guantanamo as a naval station beyond con- 

 tinental limits. The anticipation of the com- 

 pletion of the Panama Canal requires that 



some prudent measure of naval defense and 

 ship recuperation be established in the neigh- 

 borhood of the isthmus. But even this obvi- 

 ous requirement does not contribute to that 

 unanimity of expert opinion which it may 

 be too much to expect under the conditions 

 which have lately stimulated naval contro- 

 versy. There is no question that something 

 should be done toward having a base which 

 will be of use to naval vessels engaged in 

 the defence of the canal, and the decision of 

 a location should not be long deferred, con- 

 sidering the time required in building and 

 equipping shops and constructing a drydock 

 which, according to the most authoritative 

 view, is required at such a place in order to 

 restore damaged ships to fighting efficiency 

 with the least possible delay. 



Guantanamo has been for several years 

 without the funds needed for its installation 

 as a war base, and appears to be still far 

 removed from Congressional provision 

 in that respect. 



