John Loudon M'Adam Invents Modern Roadmaking

In 1816 John Loudon M'Adam (McAdam) issued from Bristol, England a 32-page pamphlet entitled Remarks on the Present System of Road Making; with Observations, Deduced from Practice. This pamphlet, which he expanded to 48 pages in its second edition of 1819, and to 196 pages in its third edition issued the following year in 1820, described his revolutionary method of road-building. McAdam proved that it was the native soil, not the customary labor-intensive stone foundation, that supported the weight of road traffic. Understanding that the soil must be kept dry in order to to retain its carrying power, McAdam proposed that roads be raised above the water level for proper drainage, and constructed according to a convex design for proper drainage, and covered with a layer of graded stone chips laid to form a firm and impenetrable surface.

McAdam's system, with some modification, enabled the construction and maintenance of more durable roads at a greatly reduced cost, thus contributing to the growth and improvement of transportation during the Industrial Revolution. His system was universally adopted. With the eventual addition of asphalt as a binding material and road surface, it is still used today.