CONSTRUCTION AND' FIRE PROTECTION OF COTTON WAREHOUSES. 41 
Disconnected platforms affording no serious fire hazard to the 
warehouse are discussed under the head of " Independent platforms 
and sheds." 
The surface of a concrete platform, for any use where subjected 
to constant trucking, should be of such hardness as not to wear 
rapidly. This is secured primarily by a top-dressing, or surfacing, 
of concrete mixed with a liberal quantity of cement; or by the use 
of sand which is not excessively coarse. Sand having grains of 
graduated size is preferable. Such a mortar is dense and presents 
a surface that wears down slowly and evenly. Further hardness 
may be secured by the use of special preparations which are on the 
market. Some of these are mixed with the mortar and others are 
penetrating liquids for application to the surface after the cement 
has set. The comparative merits of these preparations should be 
determined before they are purchased. 
FLOOR OPENINGS. 
Floor openings never should be permitted to form a direct com- 
munication between two inclosed floors or compartments. Elevators 
and hoist should be located on the platforms and isolated from all 
openings into the compartments. Where bale chutes and stairs are 
required, they should be placed in a similar manner. 
SLOW-BURNING CONSTRUCTION. 
ADVANTAGES AND DISTINCT FEATURES. 
Slow -burning construction is well suited to the requirements of 
the cotton warehouse, although this construction does not afford such 
a high degree of protection as fire -resistive construction. The stor- 
age house for cotton, however, presents a combination of values of 
distinct contrast to many buildings in that the value of the cotton 
stored so very far exceeds the value of the building which protects 
it. Although the building of reinforced concrete will remain prac- 
tically undamaged after its contents have been entirely consumed, the 
building of good slow-burning design will retard materially the ac- 
tion of fire and provide very favorable conditions for extinguish- 
ment. With . acceptable designs for warehouse compartments of this 
construction, fire frequently can be confined to the section in which 
it originated. Hence the compartment is still the unit of the ware- 
house, as it is in case of the fire-resistive construction. The same 
general influences control its preferred size and proportions except 
that its limitations must be fixed entirely by walls, the floors not 
serving to separate compartment units, in case of multiple story 
construction. 
