REINFORCED BRICKWORK.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 923, 16 September 1910, Page 2

REINFORCED BRICKWORK.

A TEST OF STRENGTH. Brickwork is not to be so easily/ dis« placed' by;'reinforced.,:concrete as somo: people: imagine;-: : A: method lias been: dis- •: 'j ; core^Wherel^U«>>j^'"'(ort'ltaghii^.j;^ l ( ' : '-xi brickwork' can be reiTiforccd m a manner -j that ; enable'the . structure to . carry • , enormous . weight. • . To: demonstrate. . the V. , neiv: idea a ' beam has been made .in Wei-' . > lington of,bricks manufactured at Tonks'a ';'.■■■; ' brickworks, reinforced:; with two steel T.ods $in. in diameter. This beam,-which v ' is lift., long, 6in. in' depth,; and Gin. in< . height, .with; the'long.faces 1 of the-.bricks '• : vertically .placed; :was IreStedCon '■] (which;' gave. it: a ten feet- span); ; and ,' •: ' .weight up-to 41801b. was piled on, the 'j only result being a.deflection of iin. As .', . there wereno other, "handy weights available, the beam' could not bo. tested' . _ |."to; the breaking, point; but another expcriment is to be made to'that end. ' The ■ ■ demonstration, which: took' place in.' Bran- V .- .; don Street, was suflicicnt to . show -the : . great, strength of this beam: of-'.bricks; . . C' : .The idea of .reinforcing brickwork,.(to bs, r. 'i used chiefly for. walls) has: bten-patented . ' in the colonies, and-a. syndicate' is to be. . • formed to exploit the new' idea generally, v.