34 BULLETIN 53, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
BRIDGE WORK, 1912-13. 
The office constructed bridges at Drake, S. C, and at Cheraw, S. C. Descrip- 
tions are given below. 
Drake, S. C. — A 25-foot span I-beam bridge with concrete floor, having a 
clear roadway 16 feet wide, was constructed at Drake. Work began on July 29, 
1913, and the bridge was entirely finished by August 23, 1913. It was necessary 
to provide sluice gates in connection with this bridge, and the construction was 
on that account made more difficult than it otherwise would have been. 
The abutments and wing walls contained 152.2 cubic yards of concrete, which 
was mixed in the proportion 1:3:6. while the floor slab and parapets contained 
12.6 cubic yards of concrete mixed in the proportions 1:2:4. It was necessary 
to use 175 barrels of cement. TO cubic yards of sand, 189.6 tons of gravel, nine 
15-inch 42-pound I beams 2S feet long. 600 square feet of expanded metal, 
56 linear feet of pipe railing, and 3.744 board feet of lumber. Convict labor 
and county-owned teams were used. 
The total cost of the bridge, which includes the necessary convict camp 
expenses, was 81.350.62. The principal items of cost were: Excavation, $18: 
building forms, 858.50 ; laying concrete. 868.70 ; building sluice gates, $10 ; 
placing I beams, $5.40 : removing forms and back filling, $12.30 ; 175 barrels of 
cement, at $1.70 per barrel, $297.50; 189.6 tons of gravel, at $1.45 per ton, 
$274.92; nine 15-inch 42-pound I beams, at $42.04 per beam. $378.36: 600 
square feet of expanded metal, at $0,044 per square foot, $26.40; paint for 
I beams, $3.50: 56 linear feet of pipe railing, at $0.73 per foot, $40.88: 3.744 
board feet of timber, at 815 per thousand, $56.16; hauling gravel, $45; hauling 
sand. 850 ; and hauling lumber. 85. 
Chebaw, S. C. — At Cheraw, S. C a concrete bridge, which had been badly 
damaged, was repaired under the supervision of the office. The repair work 
began on August 27, 1913. and was finished on September 14. 1913. The total 
cost of the work was $225.40, and the principal items of cost were: Hauling 
the materials. $57 ; building dams and pumping water. 827.75 ; work on the 
forms. 88: mixing and placing the concrete. $41.25; 924 feet board measure of 
lumber, at 815 per thousand, $13. S6; 102 sacks of cement, at $0.47 per sack, 
847.94 : and wheelbarrows, drills, bolts, buckets, nails, etc., $29.60. 
PREPARATION OF PLANS. 
Typical designs were prepared during the past fiscal year for concrete bridges 
and culverts ranging in span from 2 feet to 16 feet and for steel bridges rang- 
ing in span from 30 feet to 150 feet About 350 blue-print copies have already 
been furnished from these plans for use at specific points. Special designs, 
prepared to cover cases for which the typical designs could not be used, were 
distributed by States as follows: Arizona. 1; Florida, 1: Iowa, 3; Kentucky, 
7: Maryland, 4: Mississippi. 6; Nebraska, 2; North Dakota, 1; South Carolina, 
2; Virginia, 1; and Wisconsin. 1. 
BRIDGE INSPECTIONS. 
Thirty-five separate inspections were made during the fiscal year 1912-13 
in connection with which the local officials were given advice as to the most 
practical types of bridges for the various locations in question and as to the 
advantages to be derived from employing competent engineering supervision 
for all bridge work. These inspections were distributed by States as follows: 
Arizona. 1: Arkansas. 1; Iowa. 10: Kentucky. 9: Maryland. 3: Mississippi, 3; 
North Carolina, 4; South Carolina. 2: Virginia. 1; and Wisconsin, L 
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