CHEAP CONCRETE HOUSES.

Waikato Times, Volume I, Issue 179, 1 July 1873, Page 2

CHEAP CONCRETE HOUSES.

Tub latest method of. concrete building m practised in Scot* land, is thus described by the Merdee* Journal:— The whole process for building houses of conbrete is soexceedingly simple that the employment of •killed' labour ia. quite unnecessary. A foundation baring been laid, a double framework of wood, or pannelling, 9 inches .apart and 18. iuqhes high is placed above the foundations round the entirebuilding, forming a kind of box. This paneling consists of pieces of wood, vajying in breadth from threa or four inches, to over 1 foot, with a bead on the upper edge having an. aperture by which the pieces are' slid on to an iron rod., j Btoing thus telescopic in construction.the pieces of wood can J be lengthened or shortened according to tihe txterit of thebuilding. At interval* between the ipanela ar* placed up* right bars, ealted separating posts, several feet; high, through, which the icon rods supporting the panels- pass- and are< •ecurod.. At eqiial distances of 18 inches, ascending upwards,. there are apertures, in the posts- for the insertion of the iron, rods, and the paneling round the' entire structure can be* raised with great 'ease as the' building advances. When operation? are to be commenced, a quantity of packing, which may consist of rough stones of any shape, the more rugged the' better, which forma the first layer of the building, is. thrown in, care being taken to keep the packing 1 inch from, the face of the vrdrk, so that it may not show through it. When the 18 inches of packing are filled up, the" concrete,, which is in a semi-liquid state, like mud, is poured into thebox and percolates down through the stones, thoroughly filling all cavities, and binding the atones and .rubble togetherso tightly that the whole forms one solid mass. For a day,, the portka of wall thus made lies encased within the paneling. • By that time* It has become quite dry, the paneling; or frame is taken off and lifted up another 18 inches, the- M bottom of the frame fasting whfrt the top wai before. ; Thu* another box is formed above the piece of jhnitaA wall, and: identically the saflde process which we have described is repeated, stonw and rubble being, thrown: fct'and the liquid cement being poured over them.. In thi» way 18 inches or building are finished moh d»J if the weather- be good, so that, in the course of A iwfck the wallaof a cottage Btit 9 feet highare strongly and firmly built., j , ■ - ". ,WHen the paneling Is sorewed together to, the separating'pd'sts,it is so mathematically exact, b'winj to- its careful? structure, that the wall is built as straight as if tested with a plumb line. Indeed,dt cannot- fail to sfie «o;jand it ia. interesting to ndto that the whole building it finished without the aid of a plumb llinte t which is quite unnecessary. A noteworthy feature in connection- with theJbuilding of these concrete, houses is tha^the usual cumbrous arid often dangerous scaffoldings which are used in' erecting ordinary- , buildings is superseded by a much better, more secure, and. much less unwieldy arrangement, by " whiob ropes are* entirely dispensed with. Little hollow iron tubes, called, cores, are placed in the walls, through which iron rods areinserted, connected with brackets, which- are securely at--i tacheJto the wall, being firmly sorewed' tbtough the budding with nuts. The brackets are just mmilaf in form to. supports used for shelving, and on the -top df -the brackets, are, laid the plants" for the scaffolding, forming altogether a* neat and' strong support. »• Tvtb cottages, which are- built as one, -are- 82- feet m length by 22 feet, and 8 feet high. In. each cottage there are threerooms', those in the front being about 12 feet square, and the back rooms measuring about 7 feet by 12. The cottagesare lighted by two windows in fronts and four, in the book.. | The flooring is, of concrete, which, being thoroughly impervious to moisture, makes the apartments very dry and' ■ comfortable. .It is intended to have tb« roof built in theordinary way wilh rafters and slating,' tint it is uncommon* for concrete to be used as a roofing material, for which purpose ifc answers very well. The .qutside walls, w^hen built,. ' are finished with a coting of concrete; about a Quarter of an, inch thick, allttb finer in- the quality than that uied'for the ordinary building, which gives a smooth finished appearanceto the structure. No supports are requisite- for the lintels, of the doot» or windq.ws,..because. after the concrete is hardened/it is strbngerthananysupiwrt-oPwoodorstono. Whan, the building is in .progress, spaces are left for the joists,, which are temporarily, filled, with sand, which u easily "removable at any time wifch a- trowel. !«»© spaces for thejoists are made, alternately 8 inches and 6 inchea in depth,, on each side.pf the building,, wbich. diminishes tha pressureon, the walls- considerably-. - Houses built in the way we have dbsonbed are much, cheaper than those built ia the ordinary way, the savingbeing from 35 to 40- per- cent. . The .Buildinge*. at the samo time, are more comfortable, because, being impervious to> moisture and heat, they aito -w*tm and dry in winter, and cool durirg summer. The rooms can be papered over thebare walls, no lath or plaator being required, though a> coating of plaster in no way affects the ooncreto, if it is preferred. An important element), of ooursei in the process of building is the concrete or cement itself. It is burnt down from, atone somewhat in the same way as lime, bul, of course, it ia> of an 'entirely different nature.. When/the foment u to be used, it is mixed with rough sand, generally for ordi&ary purposes in the proportion of eight pailfuls of sand to one of cement. The two-are- mixed; simply in> the ordinary Way,, water being poured over the sand and cement uafcil they arein a semi liquid state. When the sand is very sharp and shelly, the concrete can be made in. the proportion of nine, pailfuls of sand to one of oement; Jwhtte. to other oases a« ft m, where the sand wof a soft interior description, our pailful of cement is neoessary to seven pailfuls of sand. . <

OUTBAGBS IN THS STBB«fc CARS OF NBW TOBX.— Thfr New York Herald of March 20 reports that on the morning' of the previous Tuesday a scene of violence was witnessed: on the Third Avenue line, ;whioh shows that, the rowdy classes of the city hare benefited little by the teachings or the Foster trial, and by the impending fate of the miserable man now in the Tombs, and within a. few hours of his death. At the result of that violence/one man is now in BellevueHospital, dangerously wounded, 'and the car conductor it. wounded in tlie lip by a pistol shos. The firing seems to - have been of the most reckless kind. Persons who. have- ' . visited this o#ce (add* the Herald), and wha w,ere present on the car at the time say that the excitement -on the oar was 1 of the most fearful kiud. No one knew what might b» hii or her fate, ai ibot altar ihot was fired. The affair U yefc involved in some mystery. What we do know for certain* it, that it it no longer safe to travel after midnight, if,, indeed,- at nnv hour, in some of our city lines of cow. It seems to hav«' come to this, that to go into, a our it to take yourlife in your hand. What is to be done P Most otrtainly rowdyitm ought to be raercileialy punished. Special legislation in England tome years ago made an qnd of th*> garottor. The application ofthe whip might haw a wholesome effeot on some of our ward gangs of rowdies. Th* police, in the first; instance, are ' responsible. They ought ta be able to protect life and property. The ear proprietor* ought to a certain extent, at least, to be held responsibleIF matters are not soon mended it will be necessary forevery street car, after a ctrtain hour at night, to be guarded by policamen.' This latest outrage fevealu the necessity for % . vigorous enforcement and OK^uticm. of the^w. The more, mercy, the more murder. " If 1 j>eaeefut citizens cannot find their homes without passing through showers pi bullets, we- ' have but small reason to b* proud of our Empire City. American Sttib or kvYtyXisiv&.t—'Ruui* and Ensland are exchanging growls, and uarhaps before many months are pawed Europe may be opce ni9re convulsed with war. Russia threatens Eaglajgid's Indian .possessions, whioh must be protec^d. Being in theoonfidenoe of one of the Russian, t tatcsiuuH we can inform otrf readers of Russia's chief reason i in thus ennroaohing upon India. £lv> wants to get the recipe I for making the real mulligatawny. ' Shis can't get it, so must I go to Pbrter, Donaldson-, and Co fJ corner of Hajleck and I Sauuome streets, and buy what she wants. I