691 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
GOOD CONCRETE GUTTERS FOR PARK ROADS 
Every park or cemetery superinten- 
dent who has made any use of con- 
crete construction knows that the dif- 
ference between good and bad con- 
crete work lies entirely in the selec- 
tion of the ingredients and the strict 
adherence to careful methods at every 
stage of the work. The Kansas City 
Park Commission’s methods of award- 
ing contracts for concrete gutters is 
worthy of careful study both as to the 
actual work of construction and as to 
the detailed and rigid manner of spec- 
ification. 
The type of gutter used in the 
Kansas City parks costs, by contract, 
from 43c to 60p, with an average of 
about 50c per lineal foot. It is con- 
structed on a foundation of six inches 
cinders, with crushed limestone rang- 
ing from inch in its greatest di- 
mension to inch in its least di- 
mension, in the proportion of .one 
part Portland cement, two parts Kaw 
Ri^'er sand, and five parts crushed 
limestone. Immediately on comple- 
tion of the gutter the surface is thor- 
oughly swept with a cement grout, 
composed of one part cement, and 
two parts clean limestone screenings, 
from inch to A inch, with enough 
Kaw River sand to fill voids. 
The contractor is required to sign 
an iron-clad, carefully drawn contract, 
guarantee, and maintenance bond, and 
adhere strictly to the following speci- 
fications : 
SPECIFICATIONS FOR 
Constructing: and guaranteeing for a period 
of three (3) years concrete gutter on 
of 
from ’ ■ ' ' 
to 
The work embraced in this contract shall 
be begun, witbin days after this 
contract binds and takes effect and shall be 
prosecuted regularly and uninterruptedly 
thereafter (unless the said Board of Park 
Commissioners directs otherwise in writing), 
with such force as to secure on or before 
day of 
19.... the full completion of all the work 
embraced in this contract, and if the Con- 
tractor shall fail to complete the work em- 
braced in this contract within the time 
above specified, an. amount equal to the sum 
of fifteen dollars (Jl.ii.OO) per day for each 
and every day thereafter until such com- 
pletion, shall be deducted as liquidated 
damages for such breach of this contract 
from the amount of the final estimate of 
such -work. 
And no extension of the time hereinbefore 
provided for the completion of said work, 
granted by said third party at the request 
or upon the petition of the Contractor, shall 
be held or taken as a waiver of the right 
to deduct the sum of fifteen dollars ($15.00) 
per day as liquidated damages aforesaid for 
each and every day said contract shall re- 
main uncompleted after the time herein 
provided for completion of said work, un- 
less such waiver be expressly made by reso- 
lution of the Board of Park Commissioners 
at the time such extension is made. 
The gutter shall be constructed to the 
forms and dimensions given on the plans 
heretofore approved by said Board of Park 
Commissioners on the 
day of 19. . . 
The dimensions must conform to the gen- 
eral dimensions shown on, the cross-section 
of gutter on said plans heretofore approved 
and be as follows: The gutter to be not 
less than thirty (30) inches wide in extreme 
width, not less than nine and one-half (9^) 
inches thick on. the outer edge, not less than 
seven and one-half {7V2) inches thick on 
the inner edge, and not less than five (5) 
inches thick in the trough of the gutter. 
The material used in the construction of 
the gutter shall be concrete composed of 
crushed limestone and the best Portland 
cement of brand, together with 
a certain portion of clean, coarse Kaw River 
sand. 
All material shall be approved by the 
Board of Park Commissioners. 
The Contractor shall state in his proposal 
the brand of cement he proposes to use, 
and all the material rejected in the course 
of the work must be immediately removed 
therefrom. 
The same brand of cement and the same 
character of stone shall be used throughout 
the work. 
Should the exigencies of the work require 
a change in the brand of cement the Board 
of Park Commissioners will designate the 
change of brand to be used, for which there 
shall be no extra compensation. 
All excavations or filling, or other prep- 
aration of the kind necessary to the per- 
formance of this contract, shall be done by 
the Contractor as a part of such work, and 
he shall assume all responsibility for any 
defective work of such sub-grade. 
Foundation. Upon the sub-grade when 
built of a character such as will warrant 
the Contractor to guarantee his work, as 
hereinafter specified, there shall be placed 
a foundation of cinders not less than six 
(6) inches in depth after having been thor- 
oughly flooded and rammed. The cinders 
shall be free from earth or other foreign 
materials. 
All forms shall be made from first-class 
lumber and securely fastened in place, and 
thoroughly tested for line and grade, and 
plastered with mortar such as is used in 
the wearing course surface, previous to the 
putting in of concrete. 
Gutter. After the foundation of cinders 
has been finished the gutter shall be con- 
structed in the best workmanlike manner 
of concrete composed of crushed limestone, 
clean, coarse Kaw River sand of uniform 
grain and free from foreign substances, and 
Portland cement of the brand specified in 
the proposal and approved by the Board of 
Park Commissioners, and shall have two (2) 
dry and two (2) wet mixtures in the pro- 
portions as follows, according to measure: 
One (1) part Portland cement; 
Two (2) parts Kaw River sand; 
Five (5) parts crushed limestone. 
This mess should be moulded into the 
forms provided and set in place by the 
Contractor, and shall be rammed until all 
interstices are thoroughly filled. 
The stone shall be of sound, hard lime- 
stone, clean and free from all dust and 
dirt and other foreign material, and shall 
be crushed to an uniform size, the greatest 
diameter of which shall not exceed three- 
fourths (%) of an inch and be not less 
than one-fourth of an inch, and be 
acceptable to the Board of Park Commis- 
sioners. 
Particular care must be taken that the 
concrete is well rammed and consolidated, 
and be entirely satisfactory to the Board 
of Park Commissioners. 
Immediately after the completion of the 
concrete gutter, and not more than thirty 
(30) minutes thereafter, the surface of the 
gutter shall be thoroughly swept with a 
cement grout composed of one (1) part 
cement, above described, and two (2) parts 
of clean limestone screenings, from one- 
eighth inch to one-fourth (%) inch 
with the dust screened out, and enough 
Kaw River sand to fill voids. Enough grout 
shall be used to thoroughly fill all inter- 
stices, and to bring the surface of the gut- 
ter to a uniform, even finish. The sand and 
cement shall be thoroughly mixed dry, and 
then enough water added to make a thin 
mortar or grout. 
Great care must be taken to have the 
surface lines true to the line of grade and 
cross-section, as indicated upon the plans. 
The gutter shall be constructed to the 
true lines and grades of the 
as shown by the line and grade stakes to be 
given by the Board of Park Commissioners. 
The Contractor must protect the line and 
grade stakes, and will be held responsible 
for any defective work occasioned by his 
negligence in this regard. 
The gutter shall be laid in continuous 
stones, each section to be about six (6) feet 
in. length, as may be ordered, each stone to 
be entirely separated from the neighboring 
stones at the joints by steel templets three- 
sixteenths (3-16) of an inch thick, and of 
same length, and depth as stone is wide 
and thick, so that any one stone may be 
removed from the work without injury to 
itself or to the adjacent stones. 
The joints shall be smooth, straight, as 
small as practicable, shall be plumb 
throughout their depth and at right angles 
to the line of the work. 
Any spalling or splitting off whatever of 
the finished surface of the gutter, either at 
the joints or in the body of the stone, will 
be sufficient cause for rejection, and any 
rejected stone must be removed and re- 
placed with a new one immediately. 
CmcluiUd on p. XI, 
