Inexpensive Methods of Fireproofing 
Figure 12 
HOUSE OF CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION 
flooring” and “top” or finished flooring, 
while if fireproof the general name of “slab” 
or “plate” is applicable; (the under flooring 
in wood construction corresponding to the 
slab or plate in fireproof construction.) 
Among the most generally accepted types 
of semi-fireproof construction is the one 
shown in Figure i. This construction is 
suitable for floors when a beam ceiling effect 
is desired; the heavy beams are spaced so as 
to give the desired effect in the finished 
room; the fireproof floor plate or slab is laid 
directly on top of the beams and reinforced 
with steel rods or a metal webbing to give 
it sufficient strength as a beam and to prevent 
cracking of the concrete under temperature 
changes. The finished floor can be of wood, 
tile or mosaic; if of wood, sleepers must be 
laid on the slab with a concrete filling between 
to hold them in place, and the flooring boards 
nailed to these sleepers. If mosaic is desired, 
this is laid directly on the slab, having the 
necessary concrete base under it. In former 
times it was customary to lay these tile floors 
over wooden planking supported by the 
heavy beams. 
It is interesting to note the advance made 
in mediaeval times in a semi-fireproof form 
of floor construction. Figure 2 is a repro¬ 
duction of a floor built in a house at the end 
of the fifteenth century at Chartres, France. 
We are indebted to Viollet Le Due for this 
illustration, which shows the thoroughness of 
this master of the mediaeval builders. 
Viewing the work of these old but success¬ 
ful constructors it seems pertinent that we 
should, right here, make a plea for honest 
construction on the part of our architects and 
builders. Modern bouse construction seems 
to have fallen from the lofty position it should 
assume, and the tendency has been to use 
false beams, ceilings, etc., when, if we investi¬ 
gate the prototypes of such styles, we shall 
find that their designers were very conscien¬ 
tious in having the construction appear in the 
finished design; for, after all, true architecture 
is nothing more than “ornamented construc¬ 
tion.” Deprive architecture of its construc¬ 
tive elements and we rob it of its very soul 
and life. There is no good reason why show 
beams in a house of to-day should not support 
the weight of the floor above instead of being 
a mere sham. 
Figure 3 shows another type of semi-fire¬ 
proof construction. This consists of wooden 
joists spanning from wall to wall, or if the 
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