24 BULLETIN 801^ TJ. S. DEPAETMEI<rT OF AGRICULTURE. 



stream may be discliarged effectively. Usually, however, doors sup- 

 ply this need.^ 



EXTERIOR DOORS. 



Doorways in the exterior wall should be provided in such size and 

 location as may be convenient to the warehouse operatives, and at the 

 same time serve the purposes of the fireman. Convenience in truck- 

 ing is favored by a wide door, most situations being met advanta- 

 geously hj a door opening 7 feet wide and 6| feet high. The width, 

 however, may range from 6 feet to 8 feet and the height should not 

 exceed 10 feet. The exterior, or end, wall of the storage compartment 

 ordinarily should have doors at intervals not exceeding 40 or 50 

 feet apart, measuring from centers of the doors, and usually not less 

 than two doors. The threshold of the doorway should be of cement or 

 iron. It should ha^e a slope outward of 1 inch or more to prevent 

 entrance of blowing rain. The top of the opening should be an 

 arch of the wall material or a lintel of reinforced concrete or steel. 

 For the compress compartment doors may be as numerous as desired 

 and of a width up to 12 feet. It is convenient to have practically 

 the whole wall near the press consist of steel doors arranged to roll 

 up. (See PL XIII, Fig. 1.) -Certainly the compress compartment 

 should have at least as many and as large doors as should the storage 

 compartment.^ 



"^ There is another kind of opening tliat sliould be provided in tlie exterior 

 wall. This is known as a "scupper" which consists of an opening in tlie wall 

 at the floor level for the purpose of discharging water which may accumulate 

 on the floor from any unusual cause, such, as the discharge of water from the 

 sprinkler system. Scuppers should be of suitable size and design for the 

 number used to dischai'ge, under 3-inch head of water, 100 gallons per minute 

 for each 500 square feet floor area. Each scupper should have a capacity of 

 not less than 100 gallons per minute under 3-inch head of water, and should 

 meet the other recommendations of the National Fire Protection Association. 



^ An exception to the usual minimum for door openings may be made in 

 case it is not desired to provide doors for ordinaiy use such as would be true 

 of upper stories not served by platforms on that side. In such instances at 

 least one door should be provided for use of firemen unless the wall is so ex- 

 posed to other buildings as to make the door a hazard. This type of door 

 should be not less than 4 feet wide, fire-resistive and arranged to swing out. 

 It should be secured by such hardware that it could be locked to the outside 

 but not the inside, the idea being that it should not offer any resistance to fire- 

 men shut off on- the inside and that firemen seeking to gain access should be 

 able to break the door open without delay. This may be accomplished very 

 simply by a few links of a chain passed through a hole in the door, the inner 

 link being secured by a hook and tlie outer link by a padlock. Such a door 

 is shown by Plate XVIII, figure 6, and is used for only the upper floors. The 

 landing formed by the projection of the floor slab is very desirable for doors 

 high above tlie ground. 



