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145
TEST OP KARRI AND JARRAH AS WOOD PAVING
In July, 1888, strips of Karri and Jarrah were laid side by side
in the King's Road, in front of Messrs. Ransome's premises. These
blocks were all exactly 5" deep, and Messrs. Ransome have kindly
shown me samples which have been retained by them The Karri
blocks were wide, and the Jarrah 2 7/8" These blocks have been
down now 4½ years without being disturbed, and Mr. T. W. Higgens
the Surveyor of Chelsea, writes me that the Karri is a quarter of an
inch above the Jarrah, and the Jarrah is about three quarters above
the yellow deal.
On the 14th day of December, 1892, the importers of Karri
wrote this Vestry, saying that they would be prepared to guarantee
that 4" Karri blocks shall last twice as long as the deal blocks (laid in
July, 1885, in the Fulham Road), which are not yet taken up, though
in a very bad condition. Judging from the blocks in the King's
Road the offer appears a safe one, and in the following Table the
duration of Karri wood is calculated at 16 years.
The importers also claim that a 3½" wood block is equal to a 4"
Jarrah.
In a report to my Vestry, dated the 11th day of January, 1893,
the following Table and conclusions appeared showing the relative
cost of using the woods named
Table III.
COST OF REPAYING FULHAM ROAD, Concrete already in.
Description of Wood
Area
Square Yds
Price
per
Yard
Total
Cost
Probable
duration.
Years.
Average Annual cost
of repayment of loan
at 3½ p.c. spread over
period of duration of
wood
£
£
s.
d.
Karri Wood, 9" X 3" X 4" deep
12,500
10s. 6d.
6562
16
534
12
0
Jarrah, 9" x 3" X 4" deep
11s. 6d.
7187
14
649
5
0
Deal creosoted, 9" x 3" X 5" deep
7s. 6d.
4687
8
680
0
8
CONCLUSIONS.
1. Karri is cheaper than Jarrah.
2. Table I. shows Karri to be generally superior to Jarrah, and
the equal or superior of all the other woods given in the Table. The
fact that Lloyd's already class both woods as nearly equal to leak is
a strong certificate in their favour.
3. Both woods belong to the same class, and probably possess
a natural oil in some degree equivalant in its action to the creosote
forced into the deal blocks.
4. The Kings Road experiment shows Karri to be more durable
as a paving material than Jarrah,
5 Table II. shows Karri and Jarrah to be both cheaper in the
end than creosoted deal, and Karri the cheaper of the two.