A New Method of Concrete Building.

Progress, Volume XIII, Issue 9, 1 May 1918, Page 199

A New Method of Concrete Building.

Building in concrete or reinforced concrete in place of wood, in particular, and even in lieu of brickwork, is the inevitable. It has been coming

In factory made concrete block work a great variety of solid, hollow and shaped blocks have been tried. Factory made reinforced studs and beams

during late decades, and has advanced much these recent years, both in factory cast parts and in work done in situ.

have been employed with much success, but so far a complete system of factory-made parts for complete buildings has been lacking. However, the patentee

of the system described below claims that this objection can be easily overcome. This system, of which the wall construction only is described in this article, is for use in any class of building—whether it be a dwelling house, factory, warehouse or church, or only a shed or small motor garage. It gives facilities for making any of the parts of any size (in reason) in length or thickness of section, and for any degree of strength required. For the warehouse or any very large or very high building, the structural parts, such as piers, columns and beams may be built in situ. In such erections it is quite as valuable as for use in a shed or dwelling. The method is elastic, in that factory-made parts can be extended. It also permits of any kind of adornment, that is to say, it may be used in the fashioning of any design, though it were better, in such as applies to any special material, whether wood, brick, stone, etc., that designs should be made to suit the material. In this there is great scope for breadth of effect and originality. Exposed parts will be made in multi-colours, such as grey, terracotta, black, blue, pink and yellow. In cost —this is a very important —the dwelling house will certainly not exceed the present cost of a good wooden building, and the concrete building will be lasting, and will not need repairs. Fire insurance will be reduced to a minimum, whilst in the congested areas of towns and cities there will be no risk of life from fire. As to the cost of buildings of the warehouse class, this will be less than brick, probably much less. In damp-proofncss this method of building resembles that of wood construction, there being studs and plates, weatherboards and lining. The difference is that the parts are all concrete or reinforced concrete in place of wood. The following illustrates and describes the walls only. Reinforced concrete is referred to as “R.1.C.” Fig. 1. Section through a wall shows part of an R.I.C. stud, in which P (blocked in black) are horizontal pieces or purlins; X are concrete tiles or slabs or R.I.C. boards, on outside of Avail, Avhilst Z are corresponding parts in concrete or R.I.C. There are several Avays of putting purlins in or on and securing same as shown opposite A B and C. When style A is employed, the stud is shaped to fit the purlin— latter is thus keyed in because its shape is the same as the stud and the purlin cannot move or fall out. In this style (A) the purlin is put in from a horizontal position. At B (a different style), is W, a wedge. This Avas designed to enable the purlin being placed on the studs by putting in the purlin “face on” (this operation being both easier to effect or more rapid than the style as at A); the purlin is placed in position on the studs, then the Avedge W is pushed home, sliding same into position on top of the purlin; the void in stud is left for the wedge, giving ample room to enable the placing of the purlin. It is thought that this (B) is the method which will be generally adopted. C is in all respects similar to B Avith the exception that E being a corbel, is added. This corbel is for use in conjunction with methods A and B, and is used in order to provide a greater bearing for the purlin should a stud of very

thin face measurement be employed (say in studs of less than 2 inch face width, Avhen the corbel may be of any required length). Generally B Avill be adopted. It Avill be seen that it is impossible for the purlins to become displaced. At X are shoA\m concrete tiles or slabs or R.I.C. boards, Avhich are the outer covering of the Avails. These pieces are formed at the head Avith a projection on the inside shaped as shown in Fig. 7, and are “hung on” to the corresponding shaped part of the purlin, Avhilst near the bottom (to fit on top of under tile, etc.), is a part corresponding to the shape of the head of the loAver course. This projection may be solid through the length of the tile, or R.I.C. board as the case may be, or may lie made as lugs, if so desired. It will be seen that the outer covering cannot be displaced. The X pieces may be made as shown in figures 6 and 7that is, canted outwards like weatherboards, or may be laid Avith flush surface as shown in figure 5, and may have different shapes or rebate. The X pieces are lapped, rebated and grooved on the vertical edges to render these Joints also weatherproof. Tiles, slabs or R.I.C. boards are shown at Z, forming the inner lining. They Avill be made rough Avhere it is intended to plaster on same, as in houscAvork, office Avork and the like, and made Avith a good smooth surface for Avarehouse and factory Avails, Avhere it is not necessary to cover Joints, but where still a good surface and appearance are desired. These Z pieces are hung on the purlin (like the X pieces) but the bottom edges are differently made to the X pieces, as Aveatherproofing is not needed. Still again it is clear that Z pieces cannot be dislodged. These Z pieces will be rebated at horizontal Joints too, if so required. To go into further detail— 2 represents a stud shoAving the different shapes at purlin rests either A, B or C Avill be the shape, depending as to Avhether it is intended to place and hold the purlins as shown in Fig. 1, and either as at A, B or C. The sleeve is shown at S, Figs. 6 and 6a. This is intended for use in lengthening purlins betAveen stud supports, the distance betAveen the abutting points of the purlins Avithin the sleeve being regulated as the extension of the length is required. It will be noted that the sleeve is a three-sided piece, and is left open on the outside to alloAV the tiles or R.I.C. boards to hang close to the purlin. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the framing, looking at it from the outside, and shoAvs at A, B, C in elevation, that corresponding to A, B, C,.in section in Fig. 1, i.e., it shoAvs styles Avithout wedge pieces, Avith Avedge pieces, and Avith Avedge pieces and corbels. The foregoing finishes the description of Avails entirely made of concrete or R.I.C. The author of this method of construction (an architect of long standing) has had much experience in concrete building, and knows the difficulties attending transport in country districts. He is also aware of the peculiarities of the public mind born of the long use of building in wood, and believes there are many Avho Avould like a concrete outer covering with Avood lining or plaster inside, in order to reduce insurance, do aAvay with painting and repairs, etc. Hence he has devised his scheme to meet these re-

quirements. In the folloAving description Ffg, 8 is an elevation (or section) of- a R.I.C. stud, Avith a Avood strip (sec sectional plan) on the inside face. This Avood strip is cast Avith the concrete stud and forms Part of same, and enables the use of Avood lining, any of the compo boards, asbestos sheeting or lath and plaster on the inside, the outside being all concrete as before described in Figures 1 to 7, both inclusive. Again, in order to provide all concrete outside, including the stud, and to permit the use of plaster on metal mesh or other metal keyings on the inside, metal ties are cast in the concrete stud and are left standing out on the inside face for fastening the metal meshwork. In this last described, AAood pieces may be cast on the stud at places necessary for the fixing of skirtings, cornices, etc. Arrangements are also provided so that the building owner may have the ordinary Avood studded house, Avood lined or plastered on the inside, and yet have concrete tiles or boards on the outsidesec Fig. 9—AA r here shaped Avood purlins (blocked black) are nailed on to the Avood studs. On these purlins are hung concrete tiles or R.I.C. boards just as described in the first section hereof. From this it Avill be seen that those Avho already oavii Avoodcn houses may, at small cost, cover the same either oAer the Aveatherboards or by taking off the Aveatherboards, cover straight on to the studs by merely nailing shaped purlins on to the studs or Aveatherboards as the case may be, and finishing Avith concrete tiles or R.I.C. boards. This concrete covering Avould pay handsomely, as it Avould render the usual recurring paintAvork and repairs unnecessary, reduce fire insurance, give some measure of protection from fire from the outside (say adjoining house or grass fire), Permit the groAving of creepers on the Avails, and greatly add to the appearance and character of the house so treated. The author is of opinion that of the systems described herein, that shoAvn in Fig. 8 is the style which in all probability Avill be commonly adopted for the residence. The reader Avill remember that this system comprises the concrete stud Avith the Avood strip on the inside, giving facility for Avood finish or plaster inside, Avhilst the outside is all concrete. For the Avarehouse class of building perhaps that shoAvn in Fig. 5 is the more suitable, with the piers and beams built in situ. This style should prove most valuable in warehouses, hotels, large residential flats and the like, giving as it does an absolutely holloAv Avail of great strength, ensuring a dry interior and other obvious benefits due to the holloAV Avail. In conclusion, it can be fairly said that all the disabilities attending concrete building have been overcome by this system. The builder Avill be able to order from the factory so many hundred feet of concrete studs, plates, and Aveatherboards, just as is done Avith timber. The fact of the parts being factory made, will be a guarantee of the faithfulness of the material, as the work will be made by experts, and the success of the manufacturer Avill Avholly depend on the turning out of only a first class article. In erection the method is simple, and rapid. It is

also elastic. Different lengths of tiles or R.I.C. boards will be available, and these, with the sleeved purlin, will allow of any measurement being worked to. Special angle and quoin pieces, frieze, base and other parts will be moulded, and customers will be able to obtain tiles or boards giving such projection and ornamental reliefs as the designing architect may require. Though it will not be necessary to bed and point joints, this may be done should the builder prefer it. It would seem that everything necessary to ensure a first class construction and finish is provided, and we venture to say that here is an opportunity where capital will not be found lacking in sufficient quantity, to place this means of substantial building at the disposal of the residents of this Dominion. The patentee is Mr. R. W. de Montalk, architect, F.N.Z.1.A., erstwhile of Auckland, and now of 61 Majoribanks Street, Wellington. Mr. de Montalk has always been in the forefront in concrete and reinforced concrete work. He is a student of this medium— designer of the first reinforced concrete house and the first reinforced concrete roof, and of some of the largest concrete buildings in Ncav Zealand. Mr. de Montalk has experimented largely at his OAvn cost and patented many parts, such as reinforced concrete Aveatherboards, and also flooring pieces of remarkably small section, his avoAved aim being to provide the people of this Dominion Avith better and more substantial homes.