40 BULLETIN 801,- TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
PLATFORMS. 
Platforms connected with the warehouse should be of concrete 
for the pavement directly on the ground, or reinforced concrete for 
platforms above the ground. The platform for the first floor would 
consist, in nearly all cases, of a paved area which would either rest 
directly on the ground or on an earth fill inclosed by a retaining 
wall. Such an arrangement is shown by the drawings in figure 1. 
In some cases the first-floor platform may be constructed more eco- 
nomically of reinforced concrete. For floor above the ground floor, 
platforms always should be constructed of reinforced concrete, the 
details of construction being the same as described for such floors. 
Illustrations for such platforms are shown by drawings in figures 
2 and 3. The width of platforms is a variable factor, though 10 
feet usually should be accepted as a minimum, as this gives convenient 
room for the passage of the ordinary hand trucks. Platforms used 
for loading or unloading cotton from cars should be 20 feet wide, 
if possible, since this will allow the placing of cotton in quantity 
on the outer half of the platform, and yet provide a clear space 
of 10 feet between such pile of cotton and the warehouse wall. In 
the design of the platforms to be used in loading cars, no columns 
should be placed at the edge of the platforms, otherwise freight 
cars must be " placed " accurately to avoid having a column block* 
the car door. Good platform construction is shown by the plan 
for a compress compartment in figure 6 and the storage warehouse 
plan in figure 2. The practice of roofing platforms, while very 
convenient, is an expense which usually can not be justified except 
in the case of the compress compartment and such adjacent storage 
compartments as are used in conjunction with it. Here platforms 
usually should be covered. 
for the storage compartment should be stationary, so as to be closed at all 
times. Skylights for the storage compartment should be only of such size 
and number as is necessary for convenient handling of cotton and reading 
of tags. A size of 4 to 6 feet square is very convenient, while the size usually 
should not exceed 64 square feet. The compress section, however, requires 
considerably more light and ventilation, and the different conditions do not 
permit of a fixed size for these openings. 
The single panes of glass used for these skylights- should be of such size 
as not to exceed an area of 1,728 square inches or a width of 18 inches, the 
thickness of the glass being at least one-quarter inch. This limit of width 
is desirable for all glass; that used in a nearly vertical position (making 80° 
or more with the horizontal), if subject to an exterior exposure, should be 
restricted further to 720 square inches area and 48 inches for the greatest 
dimension. An example of this last requirement is that of monitors near 
together on a fire-resistive roof and communicating with separate compart- 
ments. However, this condition seldom obtains and the first limit stated is 
generally satisfactory. 
