14 MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS 



GROWING USE OF CONCRETE. unless he is built that way. Good concrete accepted on its merits, and not on imaginary 



work means, above all things, a good con- quant 



Over 6,000 Monoliths Built in This Country tractor to execute the plans of the architect Unlimited Use for Concrete. 



in 15 Years. an ^ engineer. The real qualities of good concrete are so 



Causes cf Failures. varied in their number and advantages that 



It ,s high tune that the general public be- or - reinforced con- it is difficult within the limits of this article 



came thoroughly imbued with the idea that ^nHitinns- to state them fully for comprehension by the 



there is good 'and bad concrete. The world crete can be traced to one of three co, . ^^ 



should learn to distinguish the different first, faulty design; second, poor mate as; In spite o{ the tremendous volume of public 



mp a? thev recoff and third, careless or inexperienced execution. wor i c w hich has been executed in reinforced 



"Faulty design" generally includes the fol- concrete, there remains a still greater use of 



nize first and second-class grades of work in , owill ,, : " this material along other lines, which may be 



masonry, brick, wood, or steel construction. Primarily, the selection of concrete for in- divided roughly into three classes, namely, 



The trouble today is that nearly every one correct use, such as for conveying acids, for commercial, private, and farm enterprises, 

 inntc rrmrrptp as rnnrrete and attributes waterproofing cellars and walls, where the Commercial work generally includes fac- 



water is under static head, or the use of con- torics, warehouses, lofts, office buildings, ho- 



crete in tension, where current practice does t els, chimneys, reservoirs, foundations, and 



possess or possesses in some cases, but not not permit tensile stresses in concrete. similar industrial structures. Practically no 



in the one in question. The truth of the mat- Secondly, the incorrect designing of con- progressive industrial executive goes ahead 



tetr is that concrete is a good material in crete to take loads without providing the w j t h new building work, or for that matter, 



.ii 'A : proper reinforcement or proper amount of w ; t h alterations to existing structures, with- 



S concrete. Such designs occur frequently in O ut investigating and taking estimates on 



in no way foolproof. other materials, and are in no sense the fault concrete or reinforced concrete. Although 



It cannot be disputed that concrete and of the material, but the fault of the designer, the commercial development of this material 



reinforced concrete construction are of oroven We cannot expect inexperienced men to de- .; s not much over fifteen years old, its use is 



,, ,-. , , . sign properly in concrete any more than you very extensive. In Europe, moreover, par- 



merit ana recognized worth. One has but ** gJP^ \ em tQ design > in terra cotta> ^^ jn Germany , conc ' ret e is used in 



to glance about him to be impressed with the br j c j Ci ste el, or wood, if they do not know ma ny lines to which we have not yet adapted 

 wide usage that this material has had. It is w j, at t hey are about. it. France also relies on concrete for prac- 

 idle to say that concrete is essentially un- Th e condition referred to above as "poor tically every class of construction, 

 worthy and dangerous. Surely such conserva- mater i a ls" has been the basic cause of the The use of concrete for residences, garages, 

 tive interests as the great railroads of this ma j rity of the few failures which have oc- stables, fences, sidewalks, and other small 

 country, the United States government, the cu rred in connection with concrete construe- structures has been extensive, but not nearly 

 Prussian government, the English govern- tion p oor materials may be used either as muc h as it will undoubtedly be in the fu- 

 ment, and, in fact, capital throughout the through ignorance of the requirements of ture. There are many problems in connection 

 world would not have put the cash they have concre te, or may be used intentionally bv a w j tn the same which have not been solved as 

 into this material, unless they had become dishonest contractor; in either instance, their satisfactory as they should be. Nevertheless, 

 convinced that it was safe and permanent. use hurts concrete, but the resulting damage a great number of residences and bungalows 

 The irrigation work throughout the West, j s not inherent to the use of concrete. One have been built of concrete in all parts of 

 both dams and canals, the New York subways might use poor brick themselves in an ordi- the country. As more and more work is 

 and railroad tunnels, the Panama- Canal, the nary building, and, if the structure collapsed, being done, the architectural and practical 

 New York Barge Canal, the Catskill water as ; t undoubtedly would, the builder of the treatment of the small home is being success- 

 supply system, the Florida East Coast Rail- structure, and not the whole brick industry, f u il y worked out. 

 road viaducts stretching for miles across the would be blamed. Farm work is very widespread, and the 



Se \f Vtt? t th Vo?thP3 The third ccnditi ?" refer f red to as beine adoption of concreted been more success- 



st the merits of this material responsible for any failure of concrete, name- f j \ herein tha n along any one line. A list 



One. prominent Eastern railway .in a period ly , care less or inexperienced execution," is of but a few of the more common types of 



of nine .years has used concrete in rebuilding something which is growing less and less as structures wh ; c h can be built bv any one 



1.002 bridges on its lines Over 900 000 cubic more concrete work is being executed and S much experience^ and withVtk skill 



concrete have been placed on this mor e contractors, engineers, and architects and t satis f act ion, may be of interest; 



come to understand the requirements of the Cow barnSi sta bles, floors of all kinds, steps 



Complicated Inspections. material. Some three years ago there were and sta j rs> foundations, cisterns, watering 



If concrete is properly handled, it is a most several bad failures of bridges and buildings trougn s, tanks of all descriptions, silos, horse 

 excellent material. What this means in the constructed of concrete. In almost every b i oc k s , pigpens, and chicken houses. A num- 

 essence is that, in concrete construction, the case the failure was traceable to the inexpert- ber of t he large cement companies have pub- 

 inspection has to be made at the site of the ence of the contractors. They had built their ]j s h e d, and are quite willing to furnish upon 

 work, whereas, in other materials, such as forms or moulds incorrectly; they had not demand, books showing just how to handle 

 structural steel work, the inspection is at the cleaned the same, and they had used no dis- concrete in such work. The forms and mould 

 mills where the manufacturing of the mate- cretion in removing the forms. are easy to p repa re, and the materials neces- 



ri.il is even more complicated than is the case Although it may appear that concrete re- sary are generally to be found locally, 

 with concrete. Almost any inspector on a quires technical consideration to be success- The advantages of concrete for all classes 

 concrete building can tell by looking at con- ful > the inference should not be drawn that o f construction are briefly as follows: 

 crete as it goes into the forms whether it is there are not innumerable opportunities for First, the relative cost of concrete and oth- 

 good, bad or indifferent, and whether or not the use of concrete where professional atten- er mater i a i s . Compared to any other method 

 the architect's specifications are being lived tion is unnecessary. Many thousands of small o f nre proof construction, reinforced concrete 

 up to. No man can by a mere physical in- farm structures and outbuildings have been wi] j save from 10 to 20 per cent> j n initial 

 spection of steel or iron say whether the built of concrete, to the complete satisfaction cost> and wi j] resu it in obtaining minimum 

 specifications have been fulfilled. It requires f the owners. Square miles of sidewalks and i nsuranc e rates, and will, further, result in a 

 careful laboratory work to determine the roadways of cement exist throughout the reduction in maintenance and repair charges, 

 amount of carbon, sulphur, and phosphorus country, all having been made by compara- so t h at; compared to any other form of fire- 

 present. Any material variation in the auan- lively inexperienced labor. In fact, it would proo f construction, it has no superiors. The 

 t'ty of one of these elements seriously affects be impossible to enumerate the uses of con- maximum height for the economical construc- 

 the strength of the steel. Concrete on the crete easily open to the general public. tion o{ a re i n f orc ed concrete building is ten 



other hand has demonstrated time and time There is an old saying among concrete peo- stor j es ow j n t o the size of the columns, but 

 again that it is stronger than ever its most P le tha t "concrete, once up, stays up." Once a cornb j n ation of structural steel columns and 

 enthusiastic adherents will acknowledge. It tne forms or moulds are removed, and the re i n f orce d concrete floors is being used in 

 can be made in any place and in a great many concrete has set, there is little danger of its many of the large buildings in this country 

 ways, providing certain simple requirements evcr collapsing. Of course, if concrete has at t h e present time There are over 3000 of- 

 are followed. The lesson for the layment been selected for use in a place where the fice an Ioft bu jidi' n gs on Manhattan Island 

 here is to employ technical advice before en- conditions render its use unfit, one cannot w hi c h have been fireproofed with concrete 

 -ing in building work. Hire an architect vouch for the results. The majority of such and t h ere are pro bably six or seven thousanc 

 nr an engineer who will see to it that the deleterious conditions^ are known to the con- bu j]dings solely of reinforced concrete con- 

 proper deigns are prepared and the proper crete profession, and it is only when inexperi- str uction scattered throughout the country. 

 materials used in the proposed structure cnce governs the work that concrete is used _ . , 



Give the contract for the new work to a re- in *"ch places. Precisely the same situation 



liable bidder. Don't he fooled by the low bid cxists with atl v other material. One would Compared to brick and wood construction 

 I. ok into the contractor's financial standing. nt think of using steel where the water could concrete is more expensive by from 5 to 21 

 and. in general, investigate him as vou would ? p t at it and rust it. nor would conservative per cent, but_if the ultimate cost of the bull 

 your doctor <r vonr lawyer, before you en- interests specify wood when they wanted a ings be considered, even though the concret; 

 gage him. All the bonds and inspectors in fire-resistant material. The crux "of the mat- structure may have a higher initial cost, it 

 the world won't make a man do honest work ter is that concrete must be understood and possible to show by careful calculation of cer 



