FARM BUILDINGS, FENCES, GATES 



709 



Use of Concrete. — Concrete is durable, easily cleaned, simple of 

 construction and finds many good uses on the farm. It makes excellent 

 foundation for all kinds of buildings, is well suited for silos, outside cellars, 

 water troughs, walks, feeding floors and stable floors. The essential in 

 concrete constructions consists in the use of clean sand and gravel, mixed 

 in the proper proportions with a good quality of cement. The greater 

 the strength required and the more impervious the structure is to be, the 

 larger should be the proportion of cement. For building foundations 

 and walks, the 1 : 2^ : 5 mixture is used. Where more strength is required 

 the 1:2:4 mixture is preferred. Strength is further increased by iron 

 or steel reinforce- 

 ment. All over- 

 head work — water 

 tanks, silos, bridges, 

 etc. — calls for rein- 

 forcement, the ex- 

 tent of which will 

 be determined by 

 the strain to which 

 the structure is to 

 be subjected. The 

 reinforcing material 

 should be placed 

 where it will be 

 most effective. Con- 

 crete is most dura- 

 ble if allowed to dry 

 slowly. It should 

 never freeze until 

 thoroughly dry. 



Watering 

 troughs should have 



thick walls and the sides and ends should be sloped on the inside to lessen 

 the danger of bursting by freezing water. It is safest to provide a means 

 of draining the water off during cold periods. The accompanying sketch 

 shows the foundation, drainage pipe, forms and reinforcement necessary 

 in the construction of a concrete water tank. 



Both wooden and metal forms are used. The latter are preferable in 

 the construction of silos and round water tanks. Metal forms, when used 

 repeatedly, are cheaper than wooden ones. They leave a smoother concrete 

 surface than wooden forms. The latter should be soaped or greased on 

 the surface next to the concrete to prevent the material sticking to the 

 forms. Wooden forms should also be sprinkled with water before being 

 filled with concrete, lest they absorb water from the mixture too rapidly. 



1 Courtesy of The Pennsylvania Farmer, Philadelphia. 



How to Construct a Concrete Water Tank. 1 



