New-York tribune., 1873-01-16
CHEAP FIRE-PROOF BUILDING.



To the Fdftor Of The Tribune.
SIR: The question is often asked by those
interested in the subject of style OF build
ing Is there need of the great additional cost IN order
TO make building against fire, when structures
OF the kind hitherto erected among us have been maue
m tnvolveq" Cannot some mode OF building be
devised by which edihces shall be reasonably sale
without mourning the heavy expense of such structures
for instance as those Of Messrs Brown Brothers, wall
ST.: Duncan Sherman Co.. Nassau-st, or the Mutual OF
Equitable Life Insurance buildings, ON BroadWay' !
What would be the percentage Of extra cost involved IN
making the ordinary buildings OF our business streets as
indestructibc the generality OF Partisan buildings
have been shown to be And can buildings OF Such
class be eleoted such scale OF expense as SHAH ao"
of fairly romuneratve rental for general business
purposesl
The present mode In use among for reproof build
ings and which is fairly exemplhed in either OF the
structures above named consists in the use of heay
rolled iron beams say from 10 to 10 Inches IN WIuth anu
weighing from to 200 pounds to the linear yard se1
from three to five feet apart according the length or
span and carrying heavy brick arches laid sOd III &C.
ment with OF four to five inches from the launches
NJ the arch TO the crown In addition to all this weight
the andrs or spaces left each side by the curve OF
the arches are generally filed up with concrete TO
level line with the top Of the beams-the whole being
immensely strong and solid and weighing about 2OS
load ia put on the floor above Now this mode OF con-
str1lction is without doubt most admirably strong and
secure but 1t also very costly because of the quantity
and weight OF the and the accompanying brick
work The walls and foundations have, OF course 10 DC
made much more solid, IN order 10 carry the extra
weight and the whole building is generally carried out
on scale of expenditure which only the weahest pro
preors building for themselves. feel JUSTIFIED IN incur
ring And If all hre-proof buildings were to be built
after this method alone it would probably be very many
wears before moety city structures were erect
cd in this liberal way.
The French architects on the other hand in the gen
era run Of their buildings have come down in practice
10 very different method The style described above
NAV indeed be in vogue among them for palaces,
courts halls and other public structures. But in
ordinary practice the OF stores offices ana
dwelng-houses their usual methods might more nearly
be initiated here, and with the material FOUND IN our
markets in something like the following manner:
Take span for example. OF 6 OF II feet between the
BEARINGS length which would abundantly meet most
OF the requirements in buildings. The French
architect would consider that good freproof floor
might be constructed this space follows; Four
inch rolled iron beams, weighing 2i pounds to the linear
foot or 81 pounds the yard would set the walls at
distances of q feet apart beam 1G feet long OF this
size would weigh only 1877 pounds The aquets. or bent
strips of wrought described in former letter as
crossing the tops of the beams, and binding them to-
gether would next put in at intervals OF every feet
transversely with these beams-these taQuets being
strips OF iron ! OF an inch thick by u inch wide
Lastly the Sobos or straight longitudinal strips be-
tween the beams would be laid down, three OF them In
each nterpsce OF ~ feet between the beams, or tre
over inches apart-each sabot being "a strip Of iron
1-l6th Of an inch thick by inch wde All these sizes
can readily be had of any IRON house in the country
The result of the whole operation would be the produc
ton OF a light and flexible, but strong network OF
wrought iron capable OF standing immense tensile
strain and fitted receive the gypsum flooring which is
easily and rapidly put in all over the required and
setting in solid between each Of the beams OF
the whole floor.
floor OF this kind at the present exceptionally high
prices OF and labor. could be put at fair profit
TO the contractor for rs cents per square foot 81 80 for
each square yard Of floor the gypsum filling between
the beams and the finishing the under side. ceiling
line with thin coat OF hardnlsh plaster, costing 81
per square yard, in addition The tubular gypsum fire.
proof partition under the patent OF Messrs. Van
Zand Tartere the only makers yet IN this country.
about s. 25 per square YARD Of PARTITION including both
sides The Of this form OF partition with the hollow
construction Of external walls alluded 10 In a former
communication 10 allow OF plastering directly on
the briok-wOIk without the intervention Of any wooden
furrng lahs whatever leaves only the top floor
the solid gypsum, and the finish Of doors and windows
10 be constructed OF wood These features are Of them
selves so inconsderable in bulk and separated in their
location as present very innitesimal chance of
danger. The result OF the whole calculation, COM
pared with the usual and ordinary mode Of wooden
floors, ath and plaster partitions, and combustibe fur
rings forming upward draft ues everywhere for the
spread of fire. in ordinary buildings, will not show
an alarming increase of cost The conclusion Of compe
tent experts Is that increase Of about Is per cent
and above the expense Of present highly dangerous
mode of construction will very fully the additional
cost Of all the details described in this article. spec
floor Of the construction described above is about
to constructed under my auspices, at central
location in the city. AS completed, will ac-
quaint your readers with the result the builder will
no doubt be entirely willing to exhibit it for limited
period to all those who may feel sufficient interest in
the subject 10 give it a critical examination.
6ec York, Jan. Q, 1873. ARTHUR GILMAN, Architect.