Granite Countertops in Denver, Colorado Springs,
Fort Collins, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Vail
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Some Granite History:
Granite for Street Work.
Paving Blocks.
Experience has demonstrated that the best and most enduring streets for heavy traffic in large cities are those paved with stone blocks of proper material and size laid upon a specially prepared bed. The very hard and tough rocks frequently used, though capable of withstanding a maximum of wear, soon become smooth and glazed under traffic, and are therefore inferior to a stone, which, wearing roughly, affords a better foothold for horses. Many of the granitic rocks posses the right degree of hardness and brittleness, and are largely used for this purpose. This industry has increased largely since 1880, the number of granite blocks made in 1889 in the various States aggregating nearly 62,000,000.
Streets paved with the large-sized block used at first were found to be more difficult to keep in repair, worse for horses, and rougher on vehicles than pavements made with the smaller blocks now in general use. There is no uniform standard of size, as specifications of the various cities call for different sizes, but the variations are not great, and blocks 3 ½ to 4 ½ inches wide, 6 to 7 inches deep, and 8 to 12 inches long are generally preferred. In New York City, Brooklyn, and Philadelphia blocks a trifle longer are more commonly used, while in many of the Western and Southern cities the length does not exceed 10 inches. New Orleans, owing to the peculiar nature of its streets, takes blocks much larger.