Wood Preserving Department 



CREOSOTED WOOD BLOCK PAVEMENT 



By O. P. M. Goss 



STATISTICS show that since 1908 the increase in 

 the use of creosoted wood block in the United 

 States has been very rapid. For example, in 1908, 

 1,260,000 cubic feet are reported to have been laid, which 

 amount was increased to a total of 10,000,000 cubic feet 

 in 1911. Recent years have shown even greater increases, 

 1914 alone approximating 4,800,000 cubic feet of wood 

 block pavement. 



The reason for the 

 increased use of this 

 type of pavement is 

 very evident. Engineers 

 and investigators have 

 been working to perfect 

 wood block construc- 

 tion and have made 

 good progress. This 

 type of pavement must 

 be used with a full 

 knowledge of the ma- 

 terial or the results will 

 not be satisfactory. 

 There is probably no 

 material which requires 

 more careful study than 

 wood block in order to 

 secure the very best re- 

 sults. On the other 

 hand, this material may 

 be inspected as to qual- 

 ity, etc., with a greater 

 degree of certainty than 

 practically any other 

 material. Due to this 

 certainty of inspection 

 it is possible with 

 efficient supervision to 

 secure a first-class job 

 in construction. In other words, any defects in the wood 

 may be readily detected by a visual test-making inspec- 

 tion of the simplest type. 



As a result of experience with creosoted wood block 

 in the United States it has shown such excellent qualities 

 as to encourage a more thorough study of the subject 

 with a view to correcting any objectionable points. En- 

 gineers of many cities are examining its many qualifica- 

 tions and collecting evidence of the experiences of other 

 cities with it, with a view to its use in their own town. 



The durability of wood block pavement has been 

 abundantly demonstrated. There are many instances 

 where creosoted wood block pavement has been down for 



A CREOSOTED DOUGLAS FIR WOOD BLOCK PAVEMENT 



This pavement in Seattle, Wash., shows but one-eighth inch wear after seven years' 

 subjection to very heavy traffic. It is still in excellent condition, and wear has 

 not occasioned one cent s worth of repair. Creosoted wood blocks are considered 

 by experts to be the very highest type of pavement, giving maximum service and 



satisfaction at a minimum cost. 



6 to 13 years with no appreciable maintenance cost. The 

 following are specific examples: 



Jamestown, N. Y., pavement down 10 years. Main- 

 tenance reported, "Very trifling." 



Toledo, Ohio, pavement down 12 years. Maintenance 

 reported, "Very little, if any." 



Minneapolis, Minn., pavement down 13 years. Main- 

 tenance reported, "None." 



Hamilton, Ont, pave- 

 ment down six years. 

 Maintenance reported, 

 "Not one cent." 



New York, N. Y., 

 pavement down eleven 

 years. Maintenance re- 

 ported, "Not a cent." 



Boston, Mass., pave- 

 ment down nine years. 

 Maintenance reported, 

 "Total cost, two-tenths 

 of a cent per square 

 yard." 



Records such as these 

 from cities having large 

 amounts of creosoted 

 wood block pavement 

 are very significant. 



As a result of records 

 such as shown above, 

 some of the largest and 

 most progressive cities 

 in the United States 

 laid large amounts of 

 creosoted woort block 

 pavement in 1914, as 

 follows : 



City Sq. yds. 



Cambridge, Mass 29,037 



Meridian, Conn 44,331 



New Haven, Conn 81,944 



Rochester, N. Y 30,390 



Newark, N.J 73,151 



Philadelphia, Pa 31,224 



Cincinnati, Ohio 44,015 



Chicago, 111 139,914 



Minneapolis, Minn 204,655 



St. Paul, Minn 269,969 



Kansas City, Mo 16,783 



Houston, Texas 73,275 



26,400 square yards of pavement is equivalent to 1 

 mile on a 45-foot street. 



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