i

NATIONAL

BUREAU OF STANDARDS
The program of research on building materials and structures, carried on by the

National Bureau of Standards, was undertaken with the assistance of the Central Housiug Committee, an informal organization of governmental agencies concerned with

housing construction and finance, which is cooperating in the investigations through a subcommittee of principal technical assistants.

CENTRAL HOUSING COMMITTEE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON TECHNICAL RESEARCH

Walter Junge, Chairman. A. C. Shire, Vice Chairman.

Federal Housing Administration. United States Housing Authority.

Sterling R. March, Secretary

Albert G. Bear,

Veterans' Administration.

Pierre Blouke,

Federal Home Loan Bank Board (Federal Loan Agency).

Carroll W. Chamberlain,

Public Buildings Administration (Federal Works Agency).

Joseph M. DallaValle,

Public Health Service (Federal Security

Agency).

John Donovan,

Farm Security Administration (Agriculture).

George E. Knox,

Yards and Docks (Navy).

Vincent B. Phelan,

National Bureau of Standards (Commerce).

Edward A. Poynton,

Office of Indian Affairs (Interior).

George W. Trayer,

Forest Service (Agriculture),

Elsmere J. Walters,

Construction Division (War).

CHAIRMEN OF SECTIONS

Specifications Materials Maintenance

Carroll W. Chamberlain Elsmere J. Walters John H. Schaefer

Mechanical Equipment Methods and Practices

Robert K. Thulman

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

STAFF COMMITTEE ON ADMINISTRATION AND COORDINATION

Hugh L. Dryden, Chairman.

Mechanics and Sound.

Phaon H. Bates, Gustav E. F, Lundell,

Clay and Silicate Products. Chemistry.

Hobart C. Dickinson, Addams S. McAllister,

Heat and Power. Codes and Specifications.

Warren E. Emley, Henry S. Rawdon,

Organic and Fibrous Materials. Metallurgy.

The Forest Products Laboratory of the United States Department of Agriculture is cooperating with both committees on investigations of wood constructions.

[For list of BMS publications and how to purchase, see cover page III.]
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE • Harry Hopkins, Secretary

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS • Lyman J. Briggs, Director BUILDING MATERIALS

a7id STRUCTURES

REPORT BMS36

Structural Properties oi Wood-Frame Wall, Partition, Floor, and

Rool Constructions with "Red Stripe" Lath Sponsored by

The Weston Paper and Manufacturing Co.

by HERBERT L. WHITTEMORE and AMBROSE H. STANG

with the collaboration of

Thomas R. C. Wilson

Forest Products Laboratory

Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture

ISSUED JANUARY 2, 1940

The National Bureau of Standards is a fact-finding organization;

it does not "approve" any particular material or method of construction. The technical findings in this series of reports are to be construed accordingly.

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE • WASHINGTON - I 9 4O

FOR SALE BY THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS, WASHINGTON, D. C. • PRICE lO CENTS
Foreword

This report is one of a series issued by the National Bureau of Standards on the

structural properties of constructions intended for low-cost houses and apartments.

Practically all of these constructions were sponsored by groups within the buUding industry

wliich advocate and promote the use of such constructions and which have built and

submitted representative specimens as outlined in report BMS2, Methods of Deter- mining the Structural Properties of Low-Cost House Constructions. The sponsor,

therefore, is responsible for the description of the specimens and the method of fabrication.

The Bureau is responsible for the method of testing and the test data.

Tills report covers only the load-deformation relations and strength of the structural

elements when subjected to compressive, transverse, concentrated, impact, and racking

loads by standardized methods simulating the loads to wliich the elements would be

subjected in actual service. It may be feasible later to determine the heat transmission

at ordinary temperatures and the fire resistance of these same constructions.

The Forest Products Laboratory, Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture, collaborated in the tests of constructions having wood structural members.

The National Bureau of Standards does not "approve" a construction, nor does it express an opinion as to the merits of a construction, for the reasons given in reports

BMSl and BMS2. The teclmical facts presented in tliis series provide the basic data

from wluch arcliitects and engineers can determine whether a construction meets desired

performance requirements.

Lyman J. Briggs, Director.
Structural Properties of Wood-Frame Wall, Partition, Floor,

and Roof Constructions with "Red Stripe" Lath Sponsored

by The Weston Paper and Manufacturing Co.

by HERBERT L. WHITTEMORE and AMBROSE H. STANG

with the collaboration of Thomas R. C. Wilson, Forest Products Laboratory, Forest

Service, United States Department of Agriculture

CONTENTS

Pagen

2 Foreword

I. Introduction

II. Sponsor and product 2

III. Specimens and tests IV. Materials-.,

3.

10.

Sources of information

Wood

(a) Framing for walls and parti- tions Framing for floors and roofs, _ Sheathing and subflooring Bevel siding

(b)

(c) (d)

(e)

(f)

(g)

Bridging 4 Flooring 4 Spacers and grounds 4

" Red Stripe " lath 6

(a) Description 6

(b) Physical properties 7

Nails_.-_" 7

Plaster 7 Sheathing paper 9 Tacks 9

Size 9 Paints 9

(a) Outside 9

(b) Inside 9 Shellac varnish 9

Page IV. Materials—Continued.

11. Roofing 9

(a) Asphalt 9

(b) Caps 9

V. Wall BQ 9

1. Description, sponsor's statement 9

(a) Four-foot wall specimens 9

(b) Eight-foot wall specimens 10

2. Compressive load 11

3. Transverse load 12

4. Concentrated load 13

5. Impact load 14

6. Racking load 15 VI. Partition BR 16

1. Description, sponsor's statement 16

2. Concentrated load 17

3. Impact load_ 18

VII. Floor BS 19

1. Description, sponsor's statement __ 19

2. Transverse load 21

3. Concentrated load 21

4. Impact load 21 VIII. Roof BT 21

1. Description, sponsor's statement 21

2. Transverse load_„ 24

3. Concentrated load 25 IX. Comments by sponsor 25

1 j
ABSTRACT

For the program on the determination of the structural properties of low-cost house constructions, The

Weston Paper and Manufacturing Co. submitted 30 specimens representing wood-frame wall, partition,

floor, and roof constructions with "Red Stripe" lath. The wall specimens were subjected to compressive,

transverse, concentrated, impact, and racking loads; the partition specimens to concentrated and impact

loads; the floor specimens to transverse, concentrated,

and impact loads; and the roof specimens to transverse and concentrated loads. For each of the loads three

like specimens were tested. The transverse, concentrated, and impact loads were applied to both faces of the wall specimens, and for each of these loads six like specimens were tested. The deformation under load and the set after the load was removed were measured

for uniform increments of load, except for concentrated

loads, for which the set only was determined. The

results are presented in graphs and in tables.

I. INTRODUCTION

To provide technical facts on the performance

of constructions wliich might be used in lowcost houses, to discover promising new constructions, and ultimately to determine the

properties necessary for acceptable performance

in actual service, the National Bureau of Standards has invited the cooperation of the

building industry in a program of research on

building materials and structures suitable for low-cost houses and apartments. The objectives of this program are described in report

BMSl, Research on Building Materials and

Structures for Use in Low-Cost Housing, and

that part of the program relating to structural

properties in report BMS2, Methods of Determining the Structural Properties of Low-Cost

House Constructions.

Masonry constructions and wood constructions of types which have been extensively used

in this country for houses were included in the

program because their behavior under widely

different service conditions is known to builders

and the public. The reports on these constructions are BMS5, Structural Properties of Six Masonry Wall Constructions, and BMS25,

Structural Properties of Conventional WoodFrame Constructions for Walls, Partitions,

Floors, and Roofs. The masomy specimens were built by the Masonry Construction Section of this Bureau, and the wood-frame speci- mens were built and tested by the Forest

Products Laboratory at Madison, Wis.

The present report describes the structural

properties of constructions sponsored by one of the manufacturers in the building industry.

The specimens were subjected to compressive,

transverse, concentrated, impact, and racking

loads, simulating loads to which the elements of a house are subjected. In actual service, compressive loads on a wall are produced by the

weight of the roof, by second floor and secondstory walls, if any, by furniture and occupants,

and by snow and wind loads on the roof. Transverse loads on a wall are produced by the

wind, concentrated loads by furniture or accidental contact with heavy objects, and racking

loads by the action of the wind on adjoining

walls. On nonload-bearing partitions, impact

loads may be applied accidentally by furniture

or by a person falling against a partition, and

concentrated loads by furniture or by a ladder

or other object leaning against a partition.

Transverse loads are applied to floors by furni- ture and by the occupants; concentrated loads

by furniture, for example, the legs of a piano;

and impact loads by objects falling on the floor or by persons jumping on the floor. Transverse

loads are applied to roofs by wind and snow;

concentrated loads by persons walking on the

roof and by tools and equipment when the roof

is constructed and repaired.

The deflection and set under each increment

of load were measured because, considered as a

structure, the suitability of a construction depends not only on its resistance to deformation

when loads are applied, but also on whether it returns to its original size and shape when the

loads are removed.

II. SPONSOR AND PRODUCT

The specimens were submitted by The

Weston Paper and Manufacturing Co., Dayton,

Ohio, and represented wood-frame constructions with a fabricated paper-stock lath marketed under the trade name "Red Stripe." The

constructions consisted of conventional woodframe walls, partitions, floors, and roofs, with

lath and plaster as one or both faces.

[2]
III. SPECIMENS AND TESTS

The specimens represented four elements of a house, which were assigned the following

symbols: wall, BQ; partition, BR; floor, BS;

and roof, BT. The specimens were assigned

the designations given in table 1

Tabls 1.

Specimen designations

Element

IV all DoDo

Do

DoDo

Do

Do

Partition Do

Floor Do

Do

Roof Do

Construction symbol

BQ

BQ

BQ

BQ

BQ

BQ

BQ

BQ

BR

BR

BS

BS

BS

BT

BT

Specimen des- ignation

C/, C2, C3..

T1, T2, T3--

Tlf, T.5, T6.^

PI, P2, PS »_ Pi, P5, P6

It, It, IS U, IS, le R1,R2,R3_..

PI, P2, PS »_ It, 12, IS

Tl, T2, TS... Pt,P2,PS

II, 12, JS.__.

Tl, T2, TS.__ P1,P2,PS

Load Load applied

Compressive... Transverse do Concentrated _

do Impact

do._ _. Racking

Concentrated. Impact

Transverse Concentrated.

Impact... Transverse Concentrated.

Upper end.

Inside face

Outside face. Inside face

Outside face. Inside face. Outside face. Upper end.

Either face. Do. Upper face. Do. Do.

Do.

Do.

» The concentrated and impact loads were applied to the same speci- mens. The concentrated load was applied first. ^ The concentrated and transverse loads were applied to the same

specimens. The concentrated load was applied first.

The specimens were tested in accordance

with BMS2, Methods of Determining the

Structural Properties of Low-Cost House Constructions, which also gives the requirements

for the specimens and describes the presentation of the results of the tests, particularly the

load-deformation graphs. Thomas R. C. Wilson, of the Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wis., cooperated with the Bureau stafl^ in

this work by giving advice and making suggestions on the teclmique of testing wood

structures. For the compressive load the tliickness of the

wall was taken as the thickness of the structural

portion, that is, the distance from the inside

surface of the studs to the outside surface of the

studs. The compressive load was applied onethird this thickness from the inside surface of

the studs. The shortenings and sets were measured by means of compressometers at- tached to the steel loading plates through which

the load was applied to the specimen, not at- tached to the specimen as described in BMS2.

Tliis was done because in wood-frame constructions imder compressive load there is considerable local shortening caused by crushing of

the floor plate and top plate at the eiuls of the

studs. Therefore, the short(!ning of the entire

specimen is not proportional to the vnlnc obtained from compressometers attached near each end of the specimen.

The deformations under racking load were measured with a right-angle defoi-metcr, consisting of a steel channel and a steel angle

braced to form a rigid connection. In use, the

channel of the deformeter rested along the top

of the specimen, with the steel angle extending

downward in the plane of the specimen. Two

pins passed snugly through holes in the channel

into the top of the specimen. Two dial micrometers were attached to a steel block which was

in contact with the floor plate of the specimen

at the stop. The spindles of the micrometers were in contact with rigid extensions of the

steel angle of the deformeter. The gage length

(distance from the top of the specimen to the

center of the block) was 7 ft 11^ in. The micrometers were graduated to 0.001

in. and readings were recorded to the nearest

division. This deformeter was used instead of

the taut-wire mirror-scale device described in BMS2.

Before applying the loads, the speed of the

movable head of the testing macliine was

measured under no load. For compressive

loading the speed was 0.072 in./min, for trans- verse loads on walls the speed was 0.14 in./min, on floors it was 0.173 in./min, and on roofs it was 0.24 in./min. These speeds were recom- mended by the Forest Products Laboratory.

The specimens were tested on the 28th day

foUowmg the application of the finish coat of

plaster. The tests were begun November 23,

1938 and completed December 9, 1938. The

sponsor's representative witnessed the tests.

IV. MATERIALS

1. Sources of Information

Unless otherwise stated the information on

materials was obtained from the sponsor and

from inspection of the specimens. The Forest

Products Laboratory assisted the sponsor by

identifying the species of the wood in the framing. The Heat Transfer Section of tliis Bureau

assisted by determining the thermal conductivity of the lath, the Paper Section by deter-

[3]
milling tlie other physical properties of the

lath, and the Lime and Gypsum Section by

determining the properties of the plaster.

2. Wood

(a) Framing for Walls and Partitions

Studs, floor plates, top plates, and girts,

Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga taxijolia, No. 1 com- mon, S4S (surfaced four sides), 1^^ by 3% in. (nominal 2 by 4 in.).

(b) Framing for Floors and Roofs

Joists, rafters, and end members, longleafsouthern-pme, identified as southern yellow

pine, Pinus sp., No. 1 common, S4S, Ifs by 7^ in. (nominal 2 by 8 in.).

(c) Sheathing and Subflooring

Shortleaf-southern-pine, Pinus sp., No. 2 com- mon, dressed and matched, tongued-andgrooved, in. thick by 5}i in. face width

(nominal 1 by 6 in.).

(d) Bevel Siding

Red-cypress, Taxodium distichum, select, grade

C or better, by %6 by 5^2 in.

(e) Bridging

Shortleaf-southern-pine, Pinus sp., No. 2 common, rough, 1 by 3 in.

(/) Flooring

White-oak, Quercus sp., plain-sawed, clear,

tongued-and-grooved, end-matched, ^^ein. thick

by 2% in. face width, Jackson Lumber Co.'s "Merit Brand."

(g) Spacers and Grounds

Shortleaf-southern-pine, Pinus sp., No. 2

common, S4S. Spacers for walls and partitions were by 3% in. (nominal 1 by 4 in.), and

for floors and roofs ^5^2 by 6'^%2 in. (nominal

1 in. tliick). Grounds were by 1% in. (nominal 1 by 2 in.).

After each specimen was tested, one face was removed to expose the framing members, and

photographs were taken showing the knots and

failures. Typical frames of each of the constructions are shown in figures 1 to 4, inclusive.

Figure 1. Wall BQ.

Typical specimen. The species of the woods were identified by

examination of a sample of the framing of each

specimen.

The moisture content of the wood (except

bridging, spacers, and grounds) is given in

table 2.

[4]
An electrical moisture meter was used when

determining the moisture content. The moisture meter was graduated for Douglas fir and

for longleaf pine. To determine the correction

factor of the meter, 21 samples from the wall

and partition frames and 9 samples from the

floor and roof frames were dried in an oven at 212° F until the weight was constant. The

moisture content was the difference between

the initial weight and the weight when dry,

Figure 2.

Partition BR.

Typical specimen.

Figure Z.—Floor BS.

Typical specimen.

[5]
divided by the weight when dry. The average

value for the Douglas fir (wall and partition)

samples was 1.0 less than the average of the

meter readings, and the average value of the

longleaf-pine (floor and roof) samples was 1.0 greater than the average of the meter readings.

Therefore, the moisture content of the Douglas

fir was obtained by subtracting 1.0 from the

meter readings, and the moisture content of the longleaf pine was obtained by adding 1.0 to the meter readings. The results were rounded to the nearest whole number.

Table 2.Moisture content of the wood

I Determined on the day the specimen was testcdl

Wood

Framing, Douglas fir Framing, longieaf-southern-pine . .

Sheathing, shortleaf-southern-pine Subflooring, shortleaf-southernpine. Bevel siding, red-cypress

Flooring, white-oak

Construction symbol

(BQ \BR

IBS. \bt

(BQ \BT

BS. BQ.

BS.

Moisture content

Mini- mum

Percent

9

12

12

13

12

17

Ifi

Maxi- mum

Percent

23

1825

2,5 1924

23

13

13

Average

Percent

I.') 15

191916

20

19n

10

Figure 4.—RoofBT.

Typical specimen.

a Based on the weight when dry. The moisture content of the wood in each

specimen was determined on each stud or

joist. The moisture content was determined on about one-half of the pieces of sheathing,

subflooring, and bevel siding, and on about 10

pieces of the flooring. The meter reading,

corrected according to the manufacturer's rec- ommendations, was taken as the moisture

content.

3. "Red Stripe" Lath

(a) Description

Fiberboards, corrugated, double-wall, 4 ft 0 in. by 1 ft 4 in., % in. thick. The boards

consisted of a flat filler at midtliickness, a corrugated sheet on each side of the filler, and a flat facing on each corrugated sheet.

The filler was "Auglaise" cliipboard, 0.020

in. thick, weight 60 to 65 lb/1,000 ftl The

corrugated sheets were built up of two sheets

of strawboard, 0.009 in. thick, combined

(duplexed) with an asphalt-base compound,

weight 17.4 lb/1,000 ft^, and then corrugated

with class A flutes, 5/16 in. high, 32 corruga-

[6]
tions per foot. The corrugations were parallel

to the 4-ft edges of the lath. The facings were

gray news liner, 0.025 in. thick, weight 78 to 80 lb/1,000 ftl Each facing sheet consisted of

two plies; the inner ply was sized in the beater

with rosin and starch to increase the moistin-e

resistance, the outer ply was unsized to increase

the adhesion of the plaster.

The corrugated sheets were combined with

the filler by tapioca starch applied to the inner

tips of the corrugations. The facings were combined with the corrugated sheets by sodium

sUicate, 42° Baume, applied to the outer tips of the corrugations at a temperature of 75° F. Each edge of the lath was beveled from both

sides by rollers and then coated with a patented

bituminous compound to increase the moisture

resistance.

(b) Physical Properties

The thermal conductivity at 86° F mean

temperature was 0.49 (Btu/hr W)/{°F/m).

Table 3.

Moisture content of "Red Stripe" lath [Determinsd on the day the specimen -was tested]

Construction symbol

Moisture content »

Minimum Maximum Average

BQPercent

7

S

8

7

Percent

10

10U

11

Percent

89

9

8

BR

BS

BT

Average 8

<• Based on the weight when dry. The water absorption, measured in accord- ance with Federal Specification LLL-F-321a,

Fiber-Board; Insulating, was 32 percent, based on the apparent volume. Therefore, the lath

did not comply with the requirement for water

absorption (maximum, 5 percent) for class B,

Lath (for plaster base). Corrected for the

50-percent air space, the water absorption was

almost 70 percent. The lath was tested for

water penetration by the method developed by

F. T. Carson and described in BMS4, Accelerated Aging of Fiber Building Boards. After 3

weeks there was no evidence that water had

penetrated the lath. The water-vapor per- meability was determined on a circular sample

of the lath sealed with wax over the mouth of a 95-mm petri culture dish containing 50 g of

anhydrous CaCl2 us a desiccant. The assend)iy was placed in a room maintained at 71° F and

65-percent relative humidity and was weighed

periodically. The steady rate of penetration of

water vapor was 5.4 g/m^ per day.

The moisture content of the lath, determiiiod

by drynig in an oven at 212° F until the weight was constant, is given in table 3.

4. Nails

The nails were made from steel wire, with

the exception of the flooring nails. The description is given in table 4.

Table 4.Description of nails

Type

Box

Penny

6 Do- 6 Do.._ 8 Common 16 Do 20 Finishing . ... fi Do 8 Flooring, cut 8 Plasterboard

Roofing, barbedm

0. 0858

.0985 .0985

. 162

. 192 .0915

. 0985

. 1205 .113

No.

0. 1148

Finish

Cement-coated.

Bright. Cement-coated.

Bright. Do.

Do.

Do.

Blued. Galvanized.

5. Plaster

The plaster was applied in two coats. The

base coat was approximately 1 part of neat

gypsum plaster and 2 parts of dry Potomac

River building sand, by weight. The finish coat was 1 part of gaging plaster and 3 parts of

hydrated finishing lime, by volume. The neat

gypsum plaster, the gaging plaster, and the

finishing lime were United States Gypsum

Co.'s "Red Top." The plastering contractor was instructed to apply the plaster to the

specimens as he would to the walls and ceilings

of a house.

The following properties of the plaster were

determined in accordance with Federal Specification SS-P-401, Plaster; Gypsum. The time

of set of the neat gypsum plaster was 15 hr

and the average tensile strength of six samples was 270 Ib/in^. The neat gypsum plaster

complied with the requirements of the Federal

specification for time of set and tensile strength.

A sample consisting of 1 part of neat gypsum

plaster and 2 parts of sand, by weight, at a

185264°—.'59 2 [7]
consistency of 18 (18 g of water to 100 g of

sanded mixture at ji-in. slump), had a time of

set of 8 hr and a tensile strength of 155 Ib/in^

Accelerator was added to the sanded plaster by

the contractor to decrease the time of set to 4 hr. The tensile strength of the sanded plaster

for some of the specimens was determined on

samples taken on the job from some of the

batches of the wet plaster. The plaster was

cast in briquet molds and cured in accordance

plaster which has been sanded on the job.

The tensile strength of each batch tested ex- ceeded the specified minimum tensile strength

for ready-sanded, scratch-coat plaster.

The proportions of plaster and sand in the

set plaster were determined in accordance with

the proposed revision of C26-33/ Standard

Method of Testing Gypsum and Gypsum Products. The proportions for sanded plaster, by

weight, were 1 part of plaster to 1.79 parts of

Figure 5. —Typical cracks in the base coat of the plaster.

with paragraph F-2f(l), Federal Specification

SS-P-401. The tensile strength of the sanded

plaster is given in table 5.

Table 5. —Tensile strength of sanded plaster

[Determined when weight was constant within O.l percent]

Batch No.

1.2

3

4

5.6

Specimens

BQ-Cl, C2, Tl DQ-CS, T2, T3... BQ-Ti, T5, m

BQ-T6, H,I5

BQ-Rt, R3; BR-I3, PS

BQ-I3, P3; BS-Tl, T2, T3, II, 72, IS

Tensile

strength

Ihlm.]20

155

165 US

115 175

The tensile strength of the different batches

of the sanded plaster varied principally with

the quantity of water in the plaster mix.

There are no requirements in the Federal

specification for the tensile strength of sanded

sand for batch 5, and 1 part of plaster to 1.93 parts of sand for batch 6. Before the finish coat of plaster was applied,

it was observed that the base coat was cracked

along most of the bituminous-coated edges of

the lath. Since the plaster did not adhere well

to this bituminous coating, there was also a tendency for the plaster to bulge outward

prior to the cracking at the jomts. This was

especially noticeable in the floor and roof speci- mens. Because these specimens were horizontal and the plaster was applied to the lower

face, the force of gravity accentuated the bulging of the plaster. Typical cracks in the base

coat of the plaster are shown in figure 5. Although the finish coat of plaster concealed the

cracks, the bulges at the edges of the lath were

still noticeable.

• Proc. Am. Soc. Testing Materials 38, pt. 1, 1323 (1938).

[8]
6. Sheathing Paper

Red-rosin paper, weight 40 lb/108 ft^ 36 in. width of roll. Bird & Son, Inc.

7. Tacks

BUl-poster tacks, }^ in. long, diam of head

% in., size No. 6.

8. Size

Decorator's size, alum-treated animal glue

and mineral fillers. Recommended mixture

for plaster, 1 lb to 6 qt of water. M. Ewing

Fox Co.'s "Fox Decorator's Size."

9. Paints

(a) Outside

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co.'s "Dupont Outside White No. 40."

The outside paints were prepared as follows:

Primer—a mixture of 1 gal of outside white,

3 pt of raw linseed oil, and 1 pt of turpentine.

Undercoat—a mixture of 1 gal of outside

white and 1 pt of turpentine.

Finish—a mixture of 1 gal of outside white

and 1 pt of linseed oil. The formula for the outside white paint is given in table 6.

Table 6.Formula for paini: outside white

[Composition, by weigiit: pigment, 63 percent; vehicle, 37 percent]

Pigment Vehicle

Ingredient Content, by weight Ingredient Content, by weight

Titanium maenesium"

White leadb

Zinc oxide_ _ . Titanium dioxide .

Total

Percent

32

33

3(15

Linseed oil . Japan drier Mineral spirits.

Total

Percent

89

56

100 100

» Mixture of 30 percent of titanium dioxide, 70 percent of magnesium

sulfate

t Basic carbonate, 51 percent; basic sulfate, 49 percent.

(b) Inside

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co.'s "Dupont

Interior, Semi-Gloss, Ivory." The formula is given in table 7.

Table 7.

Formula for paint: irderior, HemiglonH, ivory

[Composition, by weight: pigment, 45 perceni; vehicle, 55 percent]

Pigment Vehicle

Ingredient Content, by weight Ingredient Content, by weight

Percent

li

511036

100

Titanium calcium

pigment Titanium oxide Tinting colors (zinc yellow; french ocher)

Total

Percent

77

19

4

100

Resin

Processed linseed and

china-wood oils Drier... Mineral spirits

Total -.

10. Shellac Varnish

White shellac, a mixture of 4 lb of guin shellac

and 1 gal of alcohol. A. L. Webb and Sons'

"Webb."

11. Roofing

(a) Asphalt

Asphalt-saturated rag felt 36 in. wide; two

weights, 30 lb/100 ft^ and 15 lb/100 ft^. The

Barrett Co.

(b) Caps

Sheet-steel, No. 31 U. S. Std. Gage (0.0109 m. thick), iKe-hi. diam, tinned and lacquered.

V. WALL BQ

1. Description, Sponsor's Statement

Wall BQ was a conventional wood frame wdth

diagonal sheathing, sheathing paper, and wood

bevel siding as the outside face, and lath and

plaster as the inside face. The price of tlds construction in Washington,

D. C, as of July 1937, was §0.37/ft2.

(a) Four-Foot Wall Specimens

The 4-ft wall specimens were 8 ft 0 in. high,

4 ft 0 in. wide, and 5% in. thick, as shown in

figure 6. Each specimen consisted of a wood

frame to which the faces were fastened. The

frame consisted of three studs, A, fastened to a

floor plate, B, and a top plate, C, by nails. The outside face consisted of wood sheatliing,

D, sheathuig paper, E, and wood bevel siding, F. The inside face consisted of lath, (?. and plaster,

H. The overhanging edges of the lath were

supported by spacer blocks, /. The faces were

covered with paint.

[9]
Studs.—The studs, A, were Douglas fii-, \% by

3% in. (nominal 2 by 4 in), 7 ft 7)i in. long,

spaced 1 ft 4 in., on centers. The lower end of each stud was fastened to the floor plate by two

16d common nails driven from the bottom of the plate (not toenailed), and the upper end

of each stud was fastened to the top plate by

Figure 6.

Four-foot wall specimen BQ.

A, studs; B, floor plate; C, top plate; V, sheathing; E, sheathing paper;

F, bevel siding; 6, lath; H, plaster; /, spacer Ijlock.

two 16d common nails driven from the top of

the lower member of the plate.

Floor plate.—The floor plate, B, was Douglas

fir, 1% by 3% in. (nomhial 2 by 4 hi), 4 ft 0 in. long.

Top plate.—The top plate, C, consisted of two pieces of Douglas fir, l'% by 3% in. (nominal

2 by 4 in), 4 ft 0 in. long, fastened by three

16d common nails, one in each stud, driven

from the top of the upper member of the plate.

Sheathing.—The sheatliing, D, was shortleaf

southern pine, -fzi in. thick by 5}^ in. face

width (nominal 1 by 6 in), tongued-and-grooved,

fastened at an angle of 48° to the studs by 6d

cement-coated box naUs, two nails through each

piece into each stud and into the top plate and

floor plate for those pieces which were ui contact

with them.

Sheathing paper.—The sheathing paper, E, was laid transversely (across the specimen)

over the sheatliing and consisted of two sheets

3 ft 0 in. wide and one sheet 2 ft 6 in. wide,

having two laps with the upper sheets lapping

3 in. over the lower sheets. The paper was

fastened by one tack at each corner of each

sheet, one tack serving for two sheets at over- lapping corners. Bevel siding. —The bevel siding, F, was 22

pieces of red cypress, by hj 5K in., 4 ft 0 in. long, laid 4% in. to the weather, and

fastened through the overlapping edges by 6d

bright box nails, one at each stud.

Lath.—The lath, G, consisted of six courses

of "Ked Stripe" lath, each course 1 ft 4 in. high, with a small clearance between courses. There was a vertical joint in most courses, centered on a stud, with no clearance between

boards at the joint. The lath was fastened to the studs by l^-in. plasterboard nails, five nails to each piece of lath at each stud; and to each plate by five nails, one at each stud and

one at each end of the plate.

Spacer blocks.—The spacer blocks, /, were

shortleaf southern pine, by Sji in., 6 in. long, and supported the overhanging edges of the lath. Each block was centered at a joint

between lath courses and was fastened to the

sheathing by one 6d finishing nail driven from

the sheatliing into the block and to the lath by

four l)4-in. plasterboard nails driven through

the lath into the block. These spacer blocks

are not used in a house.

Plaster.—The plaster, H, was % in. thick and

consisted of a base coat and a finish coat. The

lath was dry when the plaster was applied.

Paint.—The outside face was painted with

one primer coat, one under coat, and one finish coat of outside paint. The inside face was pre- pared for painting by the application of one

coat of size and finished with one coat of inside

paint. Paint and size were applied with a

brush.

(6) Eight-Foot Wall Specimens

The 8-f t wall specimens were 8 ft 0 in. high,

8 ft 0 in. face width, and 5% in. thick. The

specimens were similar to the 4-ft. specimens

[10]
except that there were seven studs, spaced 1 ft 4 in. on centers, and no spacer blocks. There

was a stud at each edge extending one-half its thickness beyond the faces, width over-all 8

ft 1% in.

2. Compressive Load

The results for wall specimens BQ-Cl, C2,

and C3 are shown in table 8 and in figures 7 and 8.

Table 8.Structural properties of wall BQ

[Weight, 8.94 lb/ft«]

Load

Compressive.

Load applied

Upper end, one- third the

thickness (1.21

in.) from the

inside surface

of the studs

(see section ni).Average

Transverse.

Do.

Concentrated

Impact.

Do.

Racking.

Inside face;

span, 7 ft 6 in.

Average .

.

Outside face; span, 7 ft 6 in.

Average.

Inside face.

AverageOutside face-.

Average..

Speci- men

desig- nation

TlTB

nTBT6

PI

Inside face;

span, 7 ft 6 in.

Average...

Outside face; span, 7 ft 6 in.

Average..

Upper end

Average.

Fail- ure of loaded

face, height

of drop

Fail- ure of oppo-

.site face, height

of drop

RlR2

RS

4.5

5.5 4.0

4.7

(0)

Maxi- mum

height

of drop

Maxi- mum

load

» Kips/fl

10. 87

9. 02

7. 55

(")

(°)

(«)

(<=)

4.0

5.5

4.5

4.7

d 10.0

•i 10.0

<J 10.0

i 10. 0

<> 10.0

d 10.0

d 10.0

i 10.0

lb/ft

' 227 230

205

221

240

233

167

213

275 275 300

i» 1, 000

!• 1,000

b 1, 000

i» 1, 000

•'Kips/fl

2. 12 1.38

1.58

1.

»A kip is 1,0001b.

^ Test discontinued. Specimen did not fail. "Face did not fail.

"i Test discontinued. Specimen damaged.

10

•I ^

COI^ 2

(

• r-O

1

'

D o

—-•-< >—

<

>—

c

rh-CH

—o4

• /

1 O

• T

\ C

o L

-o—

11

u

—oBa

0 0.1 O.Z OJ

shorfening in. Figure 7.

Compressive load on wall BQ.

Load-shortening (open circles) and load-set (solid circles) results for

sp(H-iTni'n,s liQ-Cl, C2, and C3. The load was applied 1.21 in. (one- third the thickness of the frame) from the inside surface of the studs. The loads are in kips per foot of actual width of specimen.

I

\—

c

o V « r

D i

>

o —Vc

1 D

J —0

3^

'-0.8 -OA 0 04 0.8 lateral deflecfion in.. Figure 8.

Com-pressive load on wall BQ.

Load-lateral deflection (open circles) and load-lateral set (solid circles) results for .speciraons BQ-Cl, C2, and CS. The load was applied 1.21 in. (one-t liinl I hr thickness of the frame) from the inside surface cf the

studs. Thr luiids irr in kips per foot of actual width of specimen. The deflections and sets are for a gage length of 7 ft 10 in., the gage

length of the deflectometers.

[11]
Although the load was eccentric toward the

inside face, each of the specimens deflected

toward the inside face under loads up to the

maximum load, probably because the stiffness of the plaster counteracted the effect of the

eccentric load. After the maximum had been

reached, specimens CI and C2 deflected in the

240

ZOO

160

120

80

40

• a •

/ -T'f I-1

1t—

r

• Jex

la

I 2

deflecfion in. 3

Figure 9.—Transverse load on wall BQ, load applied

to inside face.

Load-deflection (open circles) and load-set (solid circles) results for specimens BQ-Tl, T2, and T3 on the span 7 ft. 6 in.

opposite direction, that is, toward the outside

face, whereas specimen C3 continued to deflect toward the inside face. The change of direction of the deflection curves of specimens CI

and C2 indicated local failure of the inside

faces. At loads of 6.2 and 4.0 kips/ft on specimens

Cl and C2, respectively, the plaster at the

bottom of the inside face began to crush. At

the maximum loads on these two speciBiens

the top plate crushed iocaUy at the inside edge

of the studs, the lath at the bottom of the

specimen separated from the floor plate, and

the plaster continued to crush. In specimen

C3 at a load of 7.0 kips/ft the lath separated

from the studs near the floor plate; at the

maximum load the sheathing boards separated

from each other and the top plate crushed

locaUy at the outside edge of the studs, whereas

the floor plate crushed at the inside edge.

After the maximum load had been reached, the

studs cracked near midheight and continued

to crush into both top plate and floor plate,

the plaster cracked transversely and diagonaUy, and the joints in the sheathing boards

opened wider.

3. Transverse Load

The results are shown in table 8 and in

figure 9 for wall specimens BQ~T1, T2, and

T3, loaded on the inside (plastered) face, and

in figure 10 for wall specimens BQ-T4, T5, and

T6, loaded on the outside face. In specimens Tl, T2, and T3 the plaster

cracked longitudinally along each outer stud

?40

200

I

160

120

80

( ) c y

-••

c » c^ —o— -o

•

1 •

1•

\f

BQ-4

I 2

deflecfion in. Figure 10. —Transverse load on wall BQ, load applied

to outside face.

Load-deflection (open circles) and load-set (solid circles) results for specimens BQ-Ti, T5, and T6 on the span 7 ft. 6 in.

and trans\' ersely across the specimen in several

places. The first longitudinal cracks occurred

at loads of 120, 120, and 90 Ib/ft^ and deflec- tions of 0.82, 0.71, and 0.61 in., respectively.

The first transverse cracks occurred at lath

joints at or near midspan at loads of 180, 195,

and 195 Ib/ft^ and deflections of 1.57, 1.73, and

2.03 in., respectively. At loads of 195 and

135 Ib/ft^ for specimens Tl and T2, respec-

[12]
tively, one outer stud of each specimen ruptured under a loading roller. At the maximum

load specimen Tl failed by rupture of the two

remaining studs between loading rollers, the

plaster was broken in several places, but the

hxth, the sheatliing, and the siding were un- damaged. Specimen T2 failed by rupture of the center stud and partial rupture of the

remaining outer stud under a loading roller. The plaster was broken in several places, one

siding strip was split near midspan, and the

siding and sheatliing were separated from the

studs under the ruptured outer stud. Specimen T3 failed by rupture of the center and one

outer stud, and by partial rupture of the other

outer stud between loading rollers. The plaster was broken in several places, but the lath,

sheathing, and siding were undamaged.

250

'\200

150

I

1 100

50*

m • —

— r

r

1

1•

L

1»

1

>

>—

n1 0

indenfafion in. Figure 11.

Concentrated load on wall BQ, load applied

to inside face. Load-indeQtation results for specimens BQ-Pl, P2, aad PS.

In specimens T4, T5, and T6, loaded on the

siding, the plaster cracked transversely in

several places, about half the cracks occurring

at lath joints. The first transverse cracks oc- curred between the loading rollers at loads of

60, 58, and 50 lb/ft" and deflections of 0.24,

0.28, and 0.24 in., respectively. At loads of 217 and 157 Ib/ft^ on specimens T4 and T6,

respectively, one outer stud of each specimen

ruptured between the loading rollers. At the

maximum load specimen T4 failed by rupture

of the two remaining studs between the loading

rollers, specimen T5 failed by rupture of ail the

studs between the loading rollers, and specimen

T6 failed by rupture of the center stud and

mo

I

o

o

800

600

400

200

0

1 •

• • •

<

• ./

•

• • •

1A

m

1m

1

<

1 BQ-4

0 0.05 0.10 0.15 inden/a/ion in. Figure 12.

Concentrated load on wall BQ, load applied

to outside face.

Load-indentation results for specimens BQ-Pi, PS, and PS.

partial rupture of the remaining outer stud

between loading rollers. The plaster was se- verely cracked, but the lath, sheathing, and

siding were undamaged.

4. Concentrated Load

The results are shown in table 8 and in

figure 11 for wall specimens BQ-Pl, P2, and

PS, loaded on the inside face, and in figure 12

for wall specmiens BQrP/i., P5, and P6, loaded on the outside face. The concentrated loads were applied to the

inside face of specimens PI , P2, and PS on the

plaster midway between two studs, over a lath

joint 2 ft. 8 in. from one end. Each of the

specimens failed by punching of the disk

through the plaster into the lath. Also, in

specimens PI and P2 the plaster over the two

[13]
adjacent studs cracked for about 1 ft along the

studs on each side of the disk.

The concentrated loads were applied to the

outside face of specimens PJf., P5, and P6 on the

wood bevel siding midway between studs and

from 3 to 4 ft from one end. At loads of

900, 400, and 529 lb on specimens PJ^, P5, and

P6, respectively, the siding split along the grain

10

8

4

2

0

r-« 1

1

1

1

O £

>j—o

J O

1

1

LJ\J \J

1•

1

1 T

c/o •

» CO

0 0.5 1.0 1.5 deflecfion in. Figure 13.

Im-pact load on wall BQ, load applied to inside face.

Height of drop-deflection (open circles) and height of drop-set (solid

circles) results for specimens BQ-Il, 12, and IS on the span 7 ft 6 in.

at one edge of the disk. For specimen P4 at a

load of 1,000 lb the indentation was 0.084 in., and no other effect was observed. For speci- mens P6 and P6 at a load of 900 lb the wood

crushed locally imder the disk, and at the maximum load the specimens failed by punching

of the disk through the siding strip.

5. Impact Load

The results are shown in table 8 and in

figure 13 for waU specimens BQ-Il, 12, and

13, loaded on the inside face, and in figure 14

for waU specimens BQ-I4, 15, and 16, loaded on

the outside face. The impact loads were applied to the center

of the inside face of specimens U, 12, and 13,

the sandbag striking the plaster directly over

the center stud. In each specimen at the

3.5-ft drop, the plaster cracked locally under

the bag. The plaster cracked longitudinally over an outer stud in each specimen at drops

of 4.5, 1.5, and 7.5 ft, and deflections of 0.97,

0.48, and 1.30 in., respectively; it also cracked

transversely over a lath joint near midspan

at drops of 4.5, 3.5, and 2 ft, and deflections of

0.97, 0.80, and 0.59 in., respectively. At drops

of 4.5, 5.5, and 4 ft, respectively, the inside face

of each specimen failed and the plaster crushed

locally where the sandbag struck. After a drop of 10 ft the sets were 0.118, 0.111, and

0.136 in., respectively; the plaster and lath were broken where the sandbag struck; and

one of the outer studs of specimens II and 12

cracked, but the outside faces had not failed.

10

8

I'

2

7

—^-^ r-O-1

c 0

-ocj

»

-0—

M

-00

c <D-4 )

1

Bei-4

I 2

defiedion in

Figure 14. -Impact load on wall BQ, load applied to outside face.

Height of drop-deflection (open circles) and height of drop-set (solid

circles) results for specimens BQ-IJ,, IS, and 16 on the span 7 ft 6 in.

The impact loads were applied to the center

of the outside face of specimens 14, 15, and 16,

the sandbag striking the wood bevel siding

directly over the center stud. In each specimen at drops of 1.5, 0.5, 1.5 ft and deflections

of 0.51, 0.24, and 0.52 in., respectively, the

plaster cracked transversely at a lath joint near midspan. At drops of 4, 5.5, and 4.5 ft, respectively, the inside face of each specimen

[14]
failed by further cracking of tlie plaster. In

specimen 14 the center stud ruptured at a drop

of 5 ft, and at a drop of 6 ft one outer stud

ruptured. At a drop of 6.5 ft there was

noticeable separation of the lath from the

studs, and after the 8.5-ft drop there was

6. Racking J^oad

Wall specimen BQ-Rl iinder racking load is shown in figure 15. The results for wall sj)eci- mens BQ-Rl, R2, and R3 are shown in table 8

and figure 10.

• V.J Figure 15.—Wall specimen BQ-Rl under racking load.

noticeable separation of the siding strips at midspan. After the 10-ft drop the set was

0.835 in. and several sections of lath had fallen from the specimen. In specimen 15 at a drop

of 8.5 ft tliere was noticeable separation of the

lath from the studs and at a drop of 9.5 ft the center stud cracked at midspan. After the

10-ft drop the set was 0.067 in. and most of the

sections of lath had fallen from the specimen.

In specimen 16 the lath separated noticeably

from the studs at a drop of 8 ft and one outer

stud ruptured at midspan at a drop of 9 ft. After the 10-ft drop the set was 0.133 in. and

two sections of lath had fallen from the specimen near midspan.

The racking load was applied to the top

plate only, and the stop was in contact only

with the floor plate at the diagonally opposite corner of the specimen. The specimens were

loaded so that the diagonal sheathing was

approximately at right angles to a line from the

load to the stop. In each of the specmiens the

plaster cracked in one or in several places,

either diagonally parallel to the line from load

to stop, or vertically and horizontally along

lath joints. The first significant cracks occur- red at loads of 1.12, 1.12, and 1.50 Idps/ft and

deformations of 0.38, 1.03, and 2.17 in./8 ft in specimens Rl, R2, and R3, respectively. At

loads of 1.62, 1.00, and 1.00 kips/ft, respec-

[15]
tively, there was noticeable displacement of the top plate with respect to the sheathing and

the lath, the naUs pulling through the edges of the sheathing and the lath. At the maximum

load each of the specimens failed by shearing

of the top plate and studs from the sheathing

and lath and by displacement of the top plate

horizontally with respect to the studs, the nails

2.0

/.6

L2

fO.8

0

w

r*—

O

• O

o

1 C < » o

• o

0

deformation

12^

in./Sff

Figure 16.

Rackinq load on wall BQ.

Load-deformation (open circles) and load-set (solid circles) results for specimens BQ-Rl, R2, and RS. The loads are in kips per foot of the face width of specimen (8 ft 0 in).

pulling from the studs and splitting some of

the studs at the upper end.

VI. PARTITION BR

1. Description, Sponsor's Statement

Partition BR was a conventional wood frame

with lath and plaster as both faces. The frame was similar to that of wall BQ, with the exception that there were girts at midheiglit and

both faces were like the inside face of wall BQ.

The price of this construction in Washington,

D. C, as of July 1937, was $0.29/ft^

The partition specimens were 8 ft 0 in. high,

4 ft 0 in. wide, and 5}^ in. thick. Each specimen consisted of a wood frame to which two

lil^e faces were fastened. The frame consisted of three studs. A, shown in figure 17,

fastened to a floor plate, B, a top plate, C,

and girts, D, by nails. Both faces consisted of lath, E, and plaster, F. The overhanging

edges of the lath were supported by spacer

blocks, G. Both faces were coated with paint.

Studs.—The studs. A, were Douglas fir, 1^

by 3% in. (nominal 2 by 4 in), 7 ft 7K in- long,

spaced 1 ft 4 in. on centers. The lower end

of each stud was fastened to the floor plate by

two 20d common nails driven from the bottom

of the plate (not toenailed), and the upper

end of each stud was fastened to the top plate

Figure 17.Partition specimen BR.

A, studs; B, floor plate; C, top plate; D, girt; E, lath; F, plaster; G, spacer block.

by two 20d common nads driven from the top

of the lower member of the plate.

Floor plate.—The floor plate, B, was Douglas

fir, 1% by 3% in. (nominal 2 by 4 in), 4 ft 0 in. long.

Top plate. —The top plate, C, consisted of two pieces of Douglas fir, 1% by Zft, in. (nominal

2 by 4 in), 4 ft 0 in. long, fastened by three

[16]
20d common nails, one in each stud, driven

from the top of the top plate.

Girts.—The girts, D, were Douglas fir, 1% by 3% in. (nominal 2 by 4 in). The two

inner pieces, 1 ft 2% in. long, were fastened at midheight to the outer studs by either two

16d or two 20d common nails driven through

the stud into the girt, and were toenailed to the

center stud by two 6d bright box nails. The

two outer pieces, 6^8 in. long, were placed

and supported the overlianging edges of the

lath. Eiich block was centered at a joint between lath courses, and was fastened to the

lath by four Iji-m. plasterboard nails driven

through the lath into the block. These spacer

blocks are not used in a house.

Plaster.—The plaster, F, was % in. thick and

consisted of a base coat and a finish coat. The lath was dry when the plaster was applied.

Paint.—Both faces were prepared for paintFiGURE 18.

Partition specimen BR-P2 under concentrated load.

between the outer studs and the edge of the

specimen. They were toenailed to the studs

by two 6d bright box nails. Lath.—The lath, E, consisted of six courses

of "Red Stripe" lath, each course 1 ft 4 in. high,

with a small clearance between courses. There was a vertical joint in most courses, centered on a stud, with no clearance between boards at the joint. The lath was fastened to the studs

by 1/^-in. plasterboard naUs, five nails to each

piece of lath at each stud ; and to each plate by

five naUs, one at each stud and one at each end

of the plate.

Spacer blocks.—The spacer blocks, G, were

shortleaf southern pine, by d% in., 6 in. long,

mg by the application of one coat of size and

finished with one coat of interior paint. Paint

and size were applied with a brush.

2. Concentrated Load

A steel disk, 1-in. diam, was placed on the

face of the specimen and the concentrated

loads applied to the disk. Partition specimen

BR-P2 under concentrated load is showm in

figure 18. The results for partition specimens

BR~P1, P2, and PS are shown m table 9 and

in figure 19. The concentrated loads were applied to one

face of each specimen on the plaster midway

between two studs over a lath joint. Each of

[17]
280

240

200

ISO

120

80

40

«• •

• • • .J

1 •

1

> • •

/

' WW

•

1•

BR

^0 0.02 OM 0.06

indenfah'on in.

Figure 19.

Concentrated load on partition BR.

Load-indentation result fur specimens BR-Pl, P2, and PS.

10

8

I'

0

[-•— pO

• —•- -o

—

a

—

c

/

•

•

1•

1»

y BR

0 12 3

deflecfion in. Figure 20.

Impact load on partition BR.

Height of drop-deflection (open circles) and height of drop-set (solid

circles) results for specimens BR-Il, 12, and IS on the span 7 ft 6 in.

the specimens failed by punching of the disk

through the plaster. Also, on specimen PS the

plaster over the two adjacent studs cracked for

about 1 ft along the studs on each side of the

disk.

Table Si.— -Structural properties of partition BR

(Weight, 9.16 lb/ft 2]

Load Load applied

Specidesig- nation

Fail- ure of loaded

face, height

of drop

Fail- ure of

site face, height

of drop

Maxi- mum

height

of drop

M!axi- miim

load

Concentrated.

Impact

One face.. .

f PI

\ P2

\ PS

ft ft ft lb 190 295

225 Average 237

/One face; span,

\ 7 ft 6 in \ 12

{ IS

6. 5 6.5

5.0

5.5

6.5

5.0

a 10.0

8. 5 10.0 Average 6.0 5.7

' Test discontinued. Specimen damaged.

3. Impact Load

The results for partition specimens BR-Il,

12, and IS are shown in table 9 and in figure 20. The impact loads were applied to the center

of one face of each specimen, the sandbag

striking the plaster directly over the center

stud. In each of the specimens the plaster on

both faces cracked longitudinally along the

studs and transversely across each specimen in

several places. The fii-st transverse cracks in

the face not struck occurred at lath joints near midspan at drops of 0.5, 1.5, and 2.5 ft and

deflections of 0.30, 0.52, and 0.86 in. for speci- mens II, 12, and IS, respectively. The first transverse cracks in the face struck occurred at lath joints near midspan at drops of 3.5, 4.5,

and 4 ft and deflections of 1.02, 1.17, and 1.17

in., respectively. At drops of 6.5 ft for speci- mens II and 12 and 5 ft for specimen 13, the

face struck failed and the plaster crushed

where the sandbag struck. At drops of 5.5,

6.5, and 5 ft for specimens II, 12, and IS,

respectively, the opposite face failed and the

previous cracks widened. At a drop of 10 ft, the set for specimen II was 0.229 in., and no

studs were broken. In specimen 12 both outer studs ruptured at a drop of 6.5 ft, the center stud ruptured at a drop of 7 ft, and the specimen broke into two pieces at a drop of 8.5 ft. In specimen IS the center stud ruptured at a drop of 8.5 ft, and at a drop of 10 ft the sand-

[18]
bag broke completely through the specimen;

the two outer studs were undamaged.

VII. FLOOR BS

1. Description, Sponsor's Statement

Floor BS was a conventional wood frame

with diagonal subflooring and finish flooring as the upper face, and with lath and plaster as the lower face. The lower face was similar to the inside face of wall BQ.

Joists. —The joists. A, were longleaf soiitliom

pine, lYs by 7% in. (nominal 2 by 8 in.), 12 ft 2% in. long, spaced 1 ft 4 in. on centers. The

ends of each joist were fastened to the end

members, B, by four IGd common nails driven

th]-ough the member into the joist.

End members.—The end members, B, were

longleaf southern pine, 1% by 7% in. (nominal

2 by 8 in.), 4 ft 0 in. long.

Bridging.—The bridging, C, was shoi-tleuf southern pine, 1 by 3 in., 1 ft 5}^ in. long. Two

Figure 21.

Floor specimen BS.

A, joist; B, end member; C, bridging; D, subflooring; E, sheathing paper; F, finish floor; G, lath; H, plaster; 7, spacer block; J, ground strip.

The price of this construction in Washington,

D. C, as of July 1937, was $0.43/ftl

The floor specimens were 12 ft 6 in. long,

4 ft 0 in. wide, and 9% in. thick, as shown in flgure 21. Each specimen consisted of a wood

frame to which the faces were fastened. The

frame consisted of three joists, A, fastened to end members, B, at each end by nails and

braced at midlength by bridging, C. The upper

face consisted of diagonal wood subflooring,

D, sheathing paper, E, and finish flooring, F. The lower face consisted of lath, G, and plaster,

H. The overhanging edges of the lath were

supported by spacer blocks, /, and ground

strips, J. The upper face was covered with

shellac A^arnish. The lower face was covered

with paint.

pieces were placed crosswise, diagonally between the top and the bottom of adjacent

joists at midlength, and fastened to the joists

by three 8d box nails toenailed through the

bridging into the joist.

Subflooring.—The subflooring, D, was shortleaf southern pine, in. thick by 5^ in. face width (nominal 1 by 6 in.), tongued and

grooved, and fastened at an angle of 48° to the

joists by 8d box nails; either one or two nails were driven through each piece into each joist

and into the end members for those pieces

which were in contact with them.

Sheathing paper.—The sheathing paper, E,

consisted of two sheets, 3 ft 0 in. wide and

1 ft 7 in. wide, laid longitudinally to the

specimen over the subflooring with a 7-in. lap,

[19]
and fastened to the subflooring at each end of the specimen by nme tacks.

Finish flooring.—The fuiish flooring, F, was

white oak, in. thick by 2% in. face width,

tongued-and-grooved, bhnd-fastened to each

joist by one 8d cut flooring nail driven into

each piece through the subflooring and into tiie joist. The flooring strip at one end of the

600

m

I 300

^ 200

\^ 100

0

1

[—o- • —o-

•— D

•

T

—o- o

/ —

o

r

o

1

0 r»

i u

35

0 I 2 5

def/ec/ior? in. Figure 22.—Transverse load on floor BS.

Load-deQection (open circles) and load-set (solid circles) results tor specimens BS-Tl, T2. and IS on the span 12 ft 0 in.

specimen was also fastened by tluee 8d finish- ing nails driven from the face of the strip into

the end member. At the other end of the

specimen a half strip was used to cover the ex- posed tongue of the preceding strip, and was

fastened to the subflooring by three 6d cementcoated box nails toenailed from the exposed

edge of the strip into the subflooring.

Lath.—The lath, G, consisted of "Red Stripe"

lath, nine full courses and one course cut to 6

in. The lath was applied with a small clear- ance between courses and with a longitudinal

joint in most courses, centered on a joist, with no clearance between lath boards at the joint.

The lath was fastened to the joists by l^-in.

plasterboard nails, five nails to each piece of lath at each joist; and to each end member by

five nails, one at each joist and one at each end

of the member.

Spacer blocks.—The spacer blocks, /, were

shortleaf southern pine, ^^^2 by 6^%2 in., 6 in. long, and supported the overhanging edges of the lath. The blocks were centered at the

joints between lath courses, and rested on

ground strips. The blocks were fastened to the

ground strips and subflooring by 6d cementcoated box nails, two nails toenailed through

each block mto the subflooring and two nails

driven through the ground strip into the block.

Ground strips. —The ground strips, J, were

shortleaf southern pine, %i by 1% in., 12 ft 2% in. loiig. The lath was fastened to the

ground strips by l}^-in. plasterboard nafls, five

1000

o

800

600

400

200

0

"1

11 .

1

1

1

1•—

1•

1<»

I

BS

0 0,0f OM 0.06

indenfafion in. Figure 23.

Concentrated load on floor BS.

Load-indentation results for specimens BS-Pl, P2, and PS.

nails for each course driven tlu'ough the lath

into the strip. The gi-ound strips were cut at each lath course just before the specimen was

tested, so that they did not aft'ect the strength

of the specimen. These ground strips and

spacer blocks are not used in a house.

Plaster.—The plaster, was % in. thick and

consisted of a base coat and a finish coat. The

lath was dry when the plaster was applied.

[20]
i

Paint and varnish.—The upper face was

finished with one coat of shellac varnish. The

lower face was prepared for painting by the

application of one coat of size and finished with

one coat of inside paint. Varnish, size, and

paint were applied with a brush.

2. Transverse Load

j The results for floor specimens BS-Tl, T2,

j and T3 are shown in table 10 and in figure 22.

Table 10.

Structural properties of floor BS

[Weight, 13.0 Ib/ft^]

Load Load applied

Speci- men

desig- nation

Fail- ure of loaded

face, height

of drop

Fail- ure of oi)posite face, height

of drop

Maxi- mum

height

of drop

Maxi- mum

load

Transverse

Concentrated.

Impact

(Upper face;

\ span, 12 ft 0

[ in. Average

I Tl

\ T2

[ TS

ft ft ft lb/ft'640

412

448

500

Upper face.- ... i P2

[ PS

lb

" 1,000

« 1, 000

" 1,000 Average » 1, 000 (Upper face;

\ span, 12 ft 0

I in. Average

\ a

{ IS m

m

(")

10.0

6.0 8.5

'lO. 0 '10.0

» 10.0

(") 8.2 a 10.0

» Test discontinued. Specimen did not fail,

k Face did not fail. On specimens Tl , T2, and TS the plaster

cracked transversely at most of the lath joints.

The first cracks occurred at loads of 35, 50, and

50 Ib/ft^ and deflections of 0.07, 0.14, and 0.17

in. in specimens Tl, T2, and T3, respectively.

At a load of 575 Ib/ft^ one outer joist of specimen Tl cracked between loading rollers, and at the maximum load the specimen failed by rupture of all the joists between the loading rollers. In specimen T2 at a load of 350 Ib/ft^ one outer

joist cracked between loading rollers and at the

maximum load the specimen failed by rupturing

of the other outer joist and crushing at the top

of the center joist under a loading roller. At

the maximum load specimen T3 failed by rupture of an outer joist and the center joist between loading rollers. Neither the lath nor the

flooring separated appreciably from the joists

and no large pieces of plaster fell from the lath.

3. Concentrated Load

The results for floor si)ecimens BS PI , P2,

and PS are shown in table 10 and in figure 23. The concentrated loads were applied to the

upper face midway between joists over an endmatched joint in the finish flooring from 2 to 3 ft from one end. The indentations after a load of 1,000 lb had been appUed were O.OOS,

0.011, and 0.013 in., for specimens PI, P2, and

PS, respectively, and no other effects were

observed

4. Impact Load

Floor specimen BS-Il during tlie impact

test is shown in figure 24. The results for floor specimens BS~I1, 12, and IS are shown in table 10 and in figure 25. The impact loads were applied to the center

of the upper face on the flooring over the center

joist. In specimens II, 12, and IS the plaster on the lower face cracked transversely at lath

joints at one or two places. The first crack

occurred near midspan at drops of 3.5, 3, and

1.5 ft and deflections of 0.39, 0.33, and 0.28 in. for specimens II, 12, and IS, respectively. At

drops of 10, 6, and 8.5 ft, respectively, the faces

not struck fafled by opening of the plaster cracks.

After the 10-ft drop the sets were 0.047, 0.046,

and 0.050 in., respectively, and no other effects were observed.

VIII. ROOF BT

1. Description, Sponsor's Statement

Roof BT was a conventional wood frame

with wood sheathing and asphalt roofing as the upper face, and with lath and plaster as the lower face. The frame was like that of

floor BS, with the exception that it was 2 ft longer; and the lower face was similar to that

of floor BS.

The price of this construction in Washington,

D. C, as of July 1937, was $0.38/ft^

The roof specimens were 14 ft 6 in. long, 4 ft 0 in. wide, and 9% in. thick. Each specimen

consisted of a wood frame to which the faces were fastened. The frame consisted of three

rafters, A, shown in flgure 26, fastened to end

members, B, at each end by nails and braced

at midlength by bridging, C. The upper face

consisted of wood sheathing, D, and buflt-up

[21]
Figure 24.

Floor specimen BS~I1 during the impact test.

0 0.2 0.4 0.6

deflecfion in. Figure 25.

Impact load on floor BS.

Height of drop-deflection (open circle'i) and height ol drop-set (solid circles) results for specimens BS-Il, 12, and IS on the span 12 ft 0 in.

asphalt roofing, E. The lower face consisted

of lath, F, and plaster, G. The overhanging

edges of the lath were supported by spacer

blocks, H, and ground strips, /. The lower

face was covered with paint.

Rafters.—The rafters, A, were longleaf south- ern pine, 1% by 7/2 in. (nominal 2 by 8 in.), 14

ft 2% in. long, spaced 1 ft 4 in. on centers. The ends of each rafter were fastened to the

end members, B, by four 16d common naUs

driven through the end member into the

rafter. End members.—The end members, B, were

longleaf southern pine, 1% by 7)2 in- (nominal 2 by 8 in.), 4 ft 0 in. long.

Bridging.—The bridging, C, was sliortleaf southern pine, 1 by 3 in., 1 ft b){ in. long.

The bridging pieces were placed diagonally

between top and bottom of adjacent rafters and fastened to each by three 8d box nails

toenailed through the end of the bridging into

the rafters. Sheathing.—The sheathing, D, was shortleaf southern pine, in. thick by 5% in. face

[22]
width (nominal 1 by 6 in.), tongued-andgrooved on sides and fastened transversely

acpss the rafters by 8d box naUs; two nails were driven through each piece into each rafter and into the end members, for those pieces which

were in contact with them.

Asphalt roofing.—The roofing, E, was threeply built-up roofing. The first ply was 30-lb

asphalt-saturated felt in strips 36 in. wide, laid over the sheathing across the rafters with a

at the joint. The lath was fastened to the

rafters by l}^-in. plasterboard nails, five nails to each course at each rafter; and to each end

member by five nails, one nail at each rafter and at each end of the member.

Sj)acer blocks. —The spacer blocks, H, were

shortleaf southern pine, ^•^2 by 6^'K2 in., 6 in. long, and siipported the overhanging edges of the lath. The blocks were centered at the

joints between lath courses, and rested on

Figure 26.

Roof specimen BT.

A, rafter; B, end member; C, bridging; D, sheathing: E. asphalt roofing; F, lath; G, plaster; H, spacer block; /, ground strip.

2-ui. overlap, and fastened to the sheathing

by 1-in. roofing nails, with roofing caps under

the heads, spaced 7 in. along the laps and 12 in. along the longitudinal edges of the specimen.

After mopping down with 30 lb of asphalt per

100 ft^, 15-lb felt strips, 36 in. wide, were laid over this ply, with a 19-in. transverse overlap,

thus forming two additional plies. Each 15-lb

strip was mopped down with 30 lb of asphalt

per 100 ft^ before placing the next strip. The

finished roofing thus consisted of three thick- nesses of asphalt-saturated felt, each covered

with an asphalt coating.

iai/i,.—The lath, F, consisted of "Red

Stripe" lath, ten full courses and one course cut

to 1 ft 2 in. The lath was applied with no

clearance between courses and with a longitudinal joint in most courses, centered on a

rafter, with no clearance between lath boards

gromid strips. The blocks were fastened to the ground strips and the sheatliing by 8d box

nails, two nails tlu'ough the groimd strips or sheathing into each block.

Gr-ound strips.—The groimd strips, /, were

shortleaf southern pine, ^^^2 by 1% in., 14 ft 2% m. long. The lath was fastened to the

ground strips by 1%-ux. plasterboard nails, five nads for each course driven through the lath

into the ground strip. The ground strips were

cut at every lath course just before the specimen was tested so that they did not affect the

strength of the specimen. These groimd strips

and spacer blocks are not used in a house.

Plaster.—The plaster, G, was % in. thick and

consisted of a base coat and a finish coat. The

lath was dry when the plaster was applied.

Paint. —The lower face was prepared for painting by the application of one coat of size,

[23]
Figure 27.

UwJ specimen UT-TJ uiakr transverse load.

280

240

\200

CO I

//^

40

0

• o

• —O-

» O

4-

••

I-

^7'

and finished witii one coat of inside paint.

Botli paint and size were applied witli a brusli.

2. Transverse Load

Roof specimen BT-T2 under transverse load

is shown in figure 27. The results for roof

specimens BT-Tl, T2, and T3 are shown in

table 11 and in figure 28.

Table 11.Structural properties of roof BT

[Weight, 11.5 lb/ft 2]

Load

Transverse0 12 5

deflecfion in. Figure 28.

Transverse load on roof BT.

Load-deflection (open circles) aDd load-set (solid circles) results for specimens BT-Tl, T2, and T3 on the span 14 ft 0 in.

ConcentratedLoad applied

Upper face; span, 14 ft 0 inAverage

Upper face

Average.

Speci- men

desig- nation

TlT2

TS

PIPt

PS

Maxi- mum

load

Ib/m

282

218 223

241

lb

» 1,000

' 1,000

» 1,000

' 1,000

Test discontinued. Specimen did not fail. 24
No initial cracks were observed in the plaster

surface of specimen Tl, but on the surface of

specimen T2 there were two cracks at lath

joints 2)^ and 4 ft from an end of the specimen.

In specimen T3 there was an initial crack at a

lath joint under a loading- roller. In each of the specimens under load the

plaster cracked transversely at most of the lath

joints. The first cracks occurred at loads of

30, 45, and 23 Ib/ft^ and deflections of 0.17,

0.36, and 0.11 in. in specimens Tl, T2, and TS,

respectively. In specimens Tl and T2 at the

maximum loads the specimens failed by rupture

of an outer rafter and the center rafter at or between the loading rollers. In specimen T3

at a load of 210 lb/ft ^ an outer rafter ruptured

and at the maximum load the specimen failed

by rupture of the two remaining rafters, all rafters breaking between the loading rollers. The lath sections were separated under the

broken rafters of all specimens, but no lath or

large pieces of plaster fell from the specimens.

3. Concentrated Load

The results for roof specimens BT-Pl, P2

and P3 are shown in table 1 1 and in figure 29. The concentrated loads were applied to the

asphalt of the upper face midway between

rafters, over a joint in the sheathing boards

from 2 to 3 ft from one end. The indentations

after a load of 1,000 lb had been applied were

0.277, 0.389, and 0.446 in., for specimens PI,

P2, and PS, respectively, and no other effect was observed.

IX. COMMENTS BY SPONSOR

There are advantages in decreasing the

transmission of heat and moisture through the

walls of a house. This is particiilarly true if the

house is air-conditioned. Therefore, there has

been an increasing demand from the building

industry for a low-cost lath which provides

heat insulation and moisture resistance and is suitable for plastered walls, partitions, and

ceilings.

Using the experience of 45 years in the

manufacture of chipboard, strawboard, and

jute liner board, "Red Stripe" lath for gypsum

plaster was developed to meeet this demand.

The two corrugated sheets in the lath provide

strength and stifiness and the many enclosed

air spaces decrease the heat transmission.

Resistance to the trnjisinission of moisture

(vapor seal) is provided by the conthiuous

asphalt coating in each corrugated sheet and

by the bituminous coating on the edges of tlie lath. The lath can be fastened to any wood frame

either by lath nails or by "clip strips." It is mo

800

J 600

o

^200

—w

1 J »i / —

—i —

1

»

/

1

•

/

•

—

•

•

—•- —

• L

>

i 7

/ BT

Q 0.1 0.2 0.5

indenfahon in. 04

Figure 29.Concentrated load on roof BT.

Load-indentation results for specimens BT-Pl, P2, and PS.

recommended that the lath be fastened to comply with American Standards Association

A42. 1-1938, Standard Specifications for Gypsum Plastering.

Lath having holes uniformly spaced over the

surface is available. The holes provide a mechanical key for the plaster and are designed

to increase the fire resistance of the wall.

It is estimated that this lath has been used on about 60 houses built during the past 3 years in the region between the Great Lakes

and the Mason and Dixon line, where it has

been subjected to wide variations in temperature

and humidity.

[25]
The physical properties of the plaster were

determined by the Lime and Gypsum Section

of the Bureau, under the supervision of L. S. Wells, with the assistance of W. F. Clark.

The thermal conductivity of the lath was

determined by H. W. WooUey, of the Heat

Transfer Section of the Bureau. The physical

properties of the lath were determined by the

Paper Section of the Bureau under the supervision of B. W. Scribner, with the assistance

of S. G. Weissberg.

The descriptions and drawings of the speci- mens were prepared by E. J. Schell, G. W.

Shaw, and T. J. Hanley, of the Building Practice and Specifications Section, xmder the

supervision of V. B. Phelan, from this information and from the specimens themselves.

That Section also cooperated in the preparation

of the report.

The structural properties were determined

by the Engineering Mechanics Section, under

the supervision of H. L. Whittemore and A. H.

Stang, with the assistance of the following

members of the professional staff: F. Cardile,

R. C. Carter, H. Dollar, M. Dubin, A. H.

Easton, A. S. Endler, C. D. Johnson, A. J. Sussman, and L. R. Sweetman.

Washington, August 18, 1939.

o

[26]
BUILDING MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES REPORTS

On request, the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington,

D. C, will place your name on a special mailing list to receive notices of new reports in this

series as soon as they are issued. There will be no charge for receiving such notices. An alternative method is to deposit with the Superintendent of Documents the sum of $5, with the request that the reports be sent to you as soon as issued, and that the cost thereof be charged against your deposit. This will provide for the maihng of the publications without

delay. You will be notified when the amount of your deposit has become exhausted.

If 100 copies or more of any paper are ordered at one time, a discount of 25 percent is allowed. Send all orders and remittances to the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing

Office, Washington, D. C.

The following publications in this series are now available by purchase from the

Superintendent of Documents at the prices indicated:

BMSl Research on Building Materials and Structures for Use in Low-Cost Housing lOji BMS2 Methods of Determining the Structural Properties of Low-Cost House Constructions.. 10^ BMS3 Suitability of Fiber Insulating Lath as a Plaster Base 10^5 BMS4 Accelerated Aging of Fiber Building Boards 10j5 BMS5 Structural Properties of Six Masonry WaU Constructions 15(4 BMS6 Survey of Roofing Materials in the Southeastern States 15^ BMS7 Water Permeability of Masonry Walls 10^ BMS8 Methods of Investigation of Surface Treatment for Corrosion Protection of Steel 10(4 BMS9 Structural Properties of the Insulated Steel Construction Company's "Frameless-Steel" Constructions for Walls, Partitions, Floors, and Roofs lOji BMSIO Structural Properties of One of the "Keystone Beam Steel Floor" Constructions Sponsored by the H. H. Robertson Co 10(4 BMSll Structural Properties of the Curren Fabrihome Corporation's "Fabrihome" Constructions for Walls and Partitions 10^ BMS12 Structural Properties of "Steelox" Constructions for Walls, Partitions, Floors, and Roofs

Sponsored by Steel Buildings, Inc 150 BMS13 Properties of Some Fiber Building Boards of Current Manufacture 10^ BMS14 Indentation and Recovery of Low-Cost Floor Coverings 10^ BMS15 Structural Properties of "Wheeling Long-Span Steel Floor" Construction Sponsored by

the Wheeling Corrugating Co 100 BMS16 Structural Properties of a "Tilecrete" Floor Construction Sponsored by Tilecrete Floors, Inc 10(4 BMS17 Sound Insulation of Wall and Floor Constructions 100 BMS18 Structural Properties of "Pre-Fab" Constructions for Walls, Partitions, and Floors Sponsored by the Harnischfeger Corporation 100 BMS19 Preparation and Revision of Building Codes 150 BMS20 Structural Properties of "Twachtman" Constructions for Walls and Floors Sponsored by

Connecticut Pre-Cast Buildings Corporation 100 BMS21 Structural Properties of a Concrete-Block Cavity-Wall Construction Sponsored by the National Concrete Masonry Association 100 BMS22 Structural Properties of "Dun-Tl-Stone" Wall Construction Sponsored by the W. E. Dunn Manufacturing Co 100 BMS23 Structural Properties of a Brick Cavity-Wall Construction Sponsored by the Brick

Manufacturers Association of New York, Inc 100 BMS24 Structural Properties of a Reinforced-Brick WaU Construction and a Brick-Tile CavityWall Construction Sponsored by the Structural Clay Products Institute 100 BMS25 Structural Properties of Conventional Wood-Frame Constructions for Walls, Partitions,

Floors, and Roofs 150 BMS26 Structural Properties of "Nelson Pre-Cast Concrete Foundation" Wall Construction

Sponsored by the Nelson Cement Stone Co., Inc 100 BMS27 Structural Properties of "Bender Steel Home" Wall Construction Sponsored by The

Bender Body Co 100 BMS28 Backflow Prevention in Over-Rim Water Supplies 100 BMS29 Survey of Roofing Materials in the Northeastern States 100 BMS30 Structural Properties of a Wood-Frame Wall Construction Sponsored by the Douglas

Fir Plywood Association 100 BMS31 Structural Properties of "Insulite" WaU and "Insulite" Partition Constructions Sponsored by the Insulite Co 150 BMS32 Structural Properties of Two Brick-Concrete-Block Wall Constructions and a Concrete-Block Wall Construction Sponsored by the National Concrete Masonry

Association 100 BMS35 Stability of Sheathing Papers as Determined by Accelerated Aging 100 BMS36 Structural Properties of Wood-Frame Wall, Partition, Floor, and Roof Constructions

with "Red Stripe" Lath Sponsored by the Weston Paper and Manufacturing Co. 100