HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION 



87 



Manner of Laying Blocks. The blocks should be laid in parallel 

 courses, with their longest side at right angles to the axis of the street, 

 and the longitudinal joints broken by a lap of at least two inches (see 

 Figs. 54 and 55). The reason for this is to prevent the formation of 

 longitudinal ruts, which would happen if the blocks were laid length- 

 wise. Laying blocks obliquely and "herring-bone" fashion has been 



Plan 



Fig. 55. 



tried in several cities, with the idea that the wear and formation of ruts 

 would be reduced by having the vehicle cross the blocks diagonally. 

 The method has failed to give satisfactory results; the. wear was ir- 

 regular and the foothold defective; the difficulty of construction was 

 increased by reason of labor required to form the triangular joints ; and 

 the method was wasteful of material. 



Fig. 56. 



The gutters should be formed by three or more courses of block, 

 laid with their length parallel to the curb- 



At junctions or intersections of streets, the blocks should be laid 

 diagonally from the center, as shown in Fig. 56. The reasons for 



