YELLOWSTONE The History of the Construction of the Road System in Yellowstone National Park, 1872-1966 Historic Resource Study, Volume I

WOOD GUARD RAIL

This item of work will be performed, measured, and paid for as provided on the plans and in the Standard Specifications for Forest Road Construction, Form F.R.50, Revised 1932, except as follows:

MATERIALS

The guardrails may be obtained from suitable local material. The contractor shall secure written authority to cut the material from the Federal Service responsible for the area from which the timber is to be cut. The contractor may secure the necessary timber free of cost.

Conditions covering the cutting and removal of the timber and the disposal of the brush and refuse will be contained in such authorization.

PRESERVATIVE TREATMENT

The lower or butt ends of all posts to a point 4 inches above the ground line shall be treated with the preservative specified in Federal Specification TT-W-556 or TT-W-561 by immersing the timber for a period of four hours in a tank filled with the preservative to the required height, the preservative being kept at a temperature not less than 215° F nor more than 230° F. The posts shall then be immediately transferred to a tank filled with cold preservative and be kept immersed for not less than two hours, during the final ten minutes of which the temperature of the preservative shall not exceed 150° F but shall be above the temperature at which the solids separate from the oils. The level of the hot and cold preservatives shall be the same during both immersions. Posts shall be painted black to a point 4 inches above the ground line.

After the guard rail is complete in place, it shall be given two coats of Cabot's Creosote Stain No. 247 or equivalent. The cost of furnishing and applying the stain, as well as the above specified treatment, is to be included in the unit bid per lineal foot for "Wood Guardrail, Complete in Place."

STONE PAVING

Stone paving shall be composed of hard, durable quarry or field stones, laid in close contact on a uniform bed, and shall be built in conformity with the plans, or to the line, grades and dimensions as directed by the Engineer.

MATERIALS

The paving stones shall present approximately rectangular faces, and the dimensions of the bottom of any stone shall not be less than three-fourths of the corresponding dimensions of the top. The top surface shall present no projections greater than one inch beyond the plane of the edges.

CONSTRUCTION

All stone paving shall be constructed by experienced workmen. The paving stones shall be set on edge, close together so as to break joints at least four inches. The paving when laid shall be thoroughly rammed so as to bring each stone to a firm bearing, and the finished surface shall present an even, tight and reasonably plain surface of the contour required. All stones shall be laid with their natural beds perpendicular to the finished surface, and on slopes the longest joint laid horizontally. The joints shall be filled with cement grout, composed of one part cement and three parts sand.

Stone paving laid on slopes of one vertical to two horizontal or steeper shall be provided with a footing and coping, each of which shall be at least 50 per cent deeper than the paving on the slope.

METHOD OF MEASUREMENT AND BASIS OF PAYMENT

The quantity of stone paving to be paid for under this item shall be the number of square yards measured in place and constructed in accordance with the plans or as directed by the Engineer.

This item will be paid for at the contract unit price bid per square yard of "Stone Paving, " which price will include all necessary excavation, backfilling, and the furnishing of all equipment, tools, labor, and incidentals necessary to complete the work. Selections may be made with as low a ratio of length to height as 1-3/4 to 1, and as high as 3-1/2 to 1.

The minimum face area of stones shall generally be 240 square inches, the average area 840 square inches, and the maximum area 1440 square inches. Smaller stones down to 200 square inches may be used sparingly. Spalls will not be permitted for chinking along the joints of the exposed face.

Extra large stones shall be used at all corners, graduating smaller away from corners and toward top of wall. Stones in top course shall average larger than those immediately below.

Stones with more than two right angle corners will not be permitted. In general five or more side will be required.

Mortar joints in the exposed surfaces shall generally be 1 to 1-1/2 inches wide; none shall be more than 2-1/2 inches and none less than 3/4 inch wide.

CONSTRUCTION

All construction work shall be carried forward and all stock piling of materials shall be done upon the cleared right of way unless other permission is secured in writing from the Engineer.

All masonry shall be constructed by experienced workmen. Proper tools will be required of the contractor for quarrying and cutting stone.

Quarrying operations shall be so organized as to insure this portion of the work keeping well ahead of masonry operations and a surplus of both weathered and unweathered stone shall at all times be kept on hand to allow for adequate selection being made.

Stones larger than two man size shall be swung into place by approved rigging which will allow accurate placing.

Boulders may be plugged and feathered to obtain weathered surfaces.

All stones shall be laid with major axis horizontal, and in no case will four corners of adjacent stones be contiguous.

All stones shall be thoroughly wetted prior to laying. They shall be fully bedded in Portland cement mortar mixed in proportion of one part of cement to three parts of sand. Unless an approved mortar mixing machine is used, the sand and cement shall first be mixed dry in a tight box until the mixture assumes a uniform color, after which water shall be added as the mixing continues until the mortar attains a consistency such that it can be easily handled and spread with a trowel.

Mortar which is not used within thirty minutes after water has been added shall be wasted; retempering will not be permitted. If a stone is loosened after the mortar is set, it shall be removed, the mortar cleaned off and the stone relaid with fresh mortar.

MASONRY

DESCRPTION

Masonry shall be approved stones laid in cement mortar beds and shall be constructed in accordance with the plans and these Special Provisions.

MATERIALS

The Portland cement, sand and water for the mortar shall conform with the respective requirements for these materials as contained in the specifications for concrete, except that a fine grading of sand may be allowed subject to the approval of the Engineer.

Stone shall be selected as directed by the Engineer from weathered boulders or slides, or shall be quarried from clear, durable stone from such quarries as may be approved by the Engineer.

APPEARANCE

The finished stone work shall present a good architectural appearance.

When required by the Engineer, the contractor shall build a sample section of face wall of the dimensions required to show the size of stones, breaking of joints, pointing of joints and general requirements of the finished wall. This sample shall be changed or remade until approved by the Engineer. Payment for this sample wall shall be on a force account basis.

There shall be a variety in the size of stones, and as a general rule not over ten per cent shall be of equal dimensions. Care shall be exercised to eliminate the nesting or bunching of either small rocks or rocks of the same size.

Stones shall be selected for variations of color and texture, in weathered and unweathered surfaces.

Wall faces shall be of stones with weathered surfaces. Stones with unweathered or quarried surfaces may be introduced to form up to 75% of the wall surface.

Unweathered stones must be distributed in relation to the entire wall area to avoid the appearance of patches of unweathered surfaces in an area of weathered surfaces.

The stones shall conform in general to the dimensions and face areas shown on the architectural plans.

Individual stones shall have wall heights between 10" and 24" wall length between 24" and 60", (except that in headwalls for pipe culverts, which shall be constructed in accordance with Plans and Architectural designs for headwalls for culverts, and the individual stones shall have minimum dimensions of 6 x 15 inches), the object being to average the wall with stones, whose wall lengths are 2-1/2 times their wall heights.

Walls shall be provided with drainage openings wherever called on the plans or as directed by the Engineer.

All mortar joints in exposed surfaces shall be raked out to a depth of one inch or more before the mortar sets. If required by the Engineer, the joints shall be wetted and pointed with Portland cement mortar mixed in the proportion of one part of cement to two of sand.

Care shall be taken at all times to keep the surface of all stones free from mortar stains. Mortar stains shall be removed while fresh.

No masonry shall be laid in freezing weather without permission of the Engineer and the use of such precautions as he may require. No pointing shall be done in freezing weather. Any work damaged by frost shall be removed and replaced.

In hot or dry weather masonry or pointing shall be protected from the sun for at least three days after laying and in a manner satisfactory to the Engineer.

MASONRY GUARDRAIL

Masonry guardrail shall be constructed to conform to dimensions and design as shown in architectural plans.

General construction for guardrail masonry shall be identical with that for masonry walls except that individual stones shall have wall heights between 8 and 14 inches and wall lengths between 12 and 36 inches.

Guardrail on top of wall shall be constructed as an integral part of the wall, showing no conspicuous junction line of mortar joints.

Top of railing shall be finished to a smooth regular surface to a maximum variation of one inch.

Top course of stone shall be full width of railing and with transverse joints only. Small flat rocks shall not be used in the top course.

METHOD OF MEASUREMENT AND BASIS OF PAYMENT

This work shall be measured in accordance with the dimensions shown on the plans, except where changes are ordered by the Engineer, and will be paid for at the contract unit price bid per cu. yd. for "Masonry," complete in place, which price and payment will be full compensation for the concrete coping or stone top course, whichever is required, and for concrete bridge seats and backwalls, and for all materials, equipment, tools, labor, and incidentals necessary to complete this item of work.

SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION FEATURES

The work contemplated herein is located within or approaching a National park, and special attention must be given to landscape features of the work, and special care taken to protect natural surroundings and adjacent camp grounds.

Any timber or other landscape features scarred or damaged by the contractor's operations shall be removed, trimmed up, or restored as nearly as possible as their original condition, and all scars made on trees by construction operations shall be painted with an approved paint, at the contractor's expense. The Engineer shall decide which method is to be used.

No rock, rubbish, or other debris resulting from the work shall be left on the cleared right-of-way but must be deposited where indicated by the Engineer. The contractor will be required to gather all rock which falls outside of the finished roadway slopes, and place it in the fills at his expense. Care must be taken at all times to regulate operations so as to protect visitors and campers and to facilitate traffic.

Blasting operations shall be conducted under the most careful supervision, and only light shooting will be permitted. The contractor shall adopt precautions in using explosives, which will prevent damage to surrounding objects and the scattering of rock, stumps, or other debris outside of the finished roadway slopes. It may be necessary in order to protect trees and other objects from damage to take precaution of using suitable mats to smother the blasts and in other ways protect objects from damage.

In breaking up surface boulders or rock fragments the method of plastering or mud capping shall be used in preference to that of blockholing.

Rock blasting and side hill excavation, by means of coyote holes or gopher holes will not be permitted.

Failure to observe the necessary precautions to prevent damage, or failure to immediately repair any damage caused, will be sufficient grounds for closing down the work until the contractor has given evidence to the satisfaction of the Engineer that the terms of these provisions are to be strictly complied with.