How to Build a Street
Asphalt and Concrete
At the turn of the twentieth century, the city’s major roads
were woodpaved, with the majority roads still macadamised. There
was an alternative – asphalt. This bituminous limestone obtained
by quarrying, or its manufactured equivalent, was extensively used
in the United States and in some Euorpean cities, including Paris.
But Richard Richards, the City Surveyor 1887-1901, and his predecessor
Adrien Mountain 1879-86, were reluctant to introduce asphalt because
it was felt the surface would be too slippery for Sydney’s
steep gradients.
It wasn’t until the 1920s that the City Council began to
experiment with asphalt. In 1929 it constructed an asphalt plant
which operated for 60 years until the end of 1989. Its associated
laboratory played an innovative role in the scientific development
of road-surfacing practice.
| A
new technique
Illustration in the City Engineer’s Annual Report of
1926 showing the method of laying a 2 inch bituminous concrete
wearing surface on streets in the city.
(image: City of Sydney Archives, CRS 42/4,
City Engineer’s Annual Report, 1926)
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| Road
making plant
The City Council’s Road Making Plant was located at
the Wattle Street depot in Pyrmont. Key features of the plant
are identified on the photograph. To the left is the latest
addition to the plant – the Asphalt Mixing Plant No.2,
erected in 1936. In the centre of the picture behind a series
of drums is the Railway Siding, which allowed for the efficient
handling of road-building materials previously unloaded at
Darling Harbour. To the right are the Metal Storage Bins and
the Asphalt Mixing Plant No.1, erected 1929.
(image: City of Sydney Archives, CRS
42/2, City Engineer’s Annual Report, 1936)
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| Laboratory
Taken in 1930, this photograph of the Council Laboratory
at the Wattle Street Depot shows apparatus for carrying out
tests of road materials and concrete used in building construction.
(image: City of Sydney Archives, CRS
42/2, City Engineer’s Annual Report, 1930) |
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| Concrete
experiments
In the early 1930s the Council was the first authority in
Australia to use dry-rolled concrete. This material which
is compacted by rollers and is able to take the weight of
traffic almost immediately, revolutionized road construction
and repair. This image shows cross sections of experimental
Rolled Concrete tested in 1934.
(image: City of Sydney Archives, CRS
42/2, City Engineer’s Annual Report, 1934)
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| A
product of Council
The City Engineer proudly documents in Young Street the new
type of sheet asphalt pavement, a product of the asphalt road
making plant at the Wattle Street Depot.
(image: City of Sydney Archives, CRS
42/2, City Engineer’s Annual Report, 1930)
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| Reconstructing
George Street
Laying sheet asphalt paving produced by Council’s Wattle
Street asphalt plant. George Street, between Park and Bathurst
Streets, looking south.
(image: City of Sydney Archives, CRS
57/203)
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| Crowd
pleaser
The new-fangled machines used to roll the asphalt road attracted
much attention. The pavements are crowded with fascinated
onlookers as George Street, between Park and Bathurst Streets,
is reconstructed in 1931.
(image: City of Sydney Archives, CRS
57/204)
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