Today in Technology History
(To receive "Today in Technology History" by e-mail, click here. To read past issues click here.)
September 21
John Loudon McAdam was born on September 21, 1756. He made roads much smoother to ride.
Born in the Scottish town of Ayr, McAdam came to America after his father died in 1770. During the American Revolution, which he did not support, he worked for his uncle in New York. He returned to Scotland in 1783, after the war ended.
McAdam bought an estate and held a number of jobs in the following years. Then, in 1806, he became a roads commissioner for Bristol, England. He was appalled by the condition of the roads he oversaw: they were dusty trails with bumps and deep ruts, and many roads became impassably muddy when it rained.
Through his own experimentation, McAdam developed a cheap technique for building and paving better roads. His method involved layers of broken and crushed rock and gravel which would, with time, be firmed into place by the weight of traffic. McAdam's roads were made slightly convex so water would drain away. Thus stronger and dryer, McAdam's roads were less troubled by ruts and mud.
As recognition for his work, in 1827 McAdam was put in charge of all British highways. His paving methods were soon adopted in many countries.
McAdam died in 1836, but he was immortalized in the English language. For decades, the term to macadamize meant to pave a road. And the wide use of one kind of tar macadam gave us the word tarmac.
Related links:
Click here to learn much more about paving and macadamizing.
| Biotechnology | Convergence | Creativity | Culture | E-conomics | Education |
| Equity | Gov't & Politics | Innovation | National Security | Personal Security |
For errors, broken links, questions or comments,
contact webmaster@tecsoc.org.
