The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-02-12
THOUGHTS FOR BUILDERS.

|
som" Practical Suggestions Concerning
| Foundations by II Practical Builder.
7oMe Eater Of Zee {attRf2tnctr.
SlE:--l would like to call the a,ten
lon OF your many readers, especially
the builders Of Wheeling, to the cos,
and how certain work to buildings shall
DO performed. The reason for doing
this is simply TINT ! have noticed some
almost new buildings and in fact, some
not even completed, showing cracks
from settling somewhere. Let me earn.
estly recommend builders to pay par.
tlcular attention in all cases TO the Law.
Ing OF foundations, MS these arc parts
which, il defcCtively or carelesslv per.
termed, can never DO taken out, altered
or repaired, without mourning enormous
trouble and expense. And the differ.
ence in cost between doing this in the
best manner and in Il way barely
sufficient to stand, will amount to /.
mere lfiile compared with its great i'm.
portance to the stability OF the structure,
The best foundations are rock, gravel,
and very still, dry clay. Those to to
guarded against are quicksand, soft clay,
and made earth, (no matter how hard. ]
II tho projected building is TO have
under cellars beneath the basement
story, as is now the general practice
about Wheeling, Il sufficiently firm bot.
tom TO build on ismost commonly tuusd,
provided tho lot be not on ground that
has been filled up. but il this be the cuse,
and the intended structure he OF any
considerable magnitude, the greatest
possible care will be necessary to prevent
settlements that may cndauger not only
The b"aniy, but even the safety OF the
building.
When tirmncss and durability of thu
work are, rs they ought to be, principal
objects, the best remedy for made ground
Is 10 dig down to the original gravel in
several pieces along the foundation, and
carry up piers OF sufficient size to sup
port the building, by throwing arches
across from one to the other, ut the pro-
per height for the first story, with but.
tresses at the angles to withstand the
thrust OF the arches. II the depth be SO
great rs to render this impracticabie, the
trenches for the iootincs OF the building
should be made perfectly level all round
and not less than two feet wider than
The thickness OF the baseinen. walls,
The bottom should be rammel down as
hard lis possible the whole width Of the
trench, to compress aud render the
ground as uniformly hard in Nil parts, AZ
the nature OF il will admit. This should
not be careiossly done, as it is known
that few heavy blows with rammcr
will compress the ground much more
than 4 weight of some tons laid quietly
upon the same surface. The sidcs
OF the trench should be rnt AZ
straight and even rs possible; sion.
ing, or inclined from the bottom.
80 that when the footing is laid with
large flat stones, and the remainder OF
the trench to the height Of eighteen
inches or Two feet filled up with mas
onry, the walls will not be so likely TO
sink from the footing, fitting tightly be-
tween the sides in the form of wedge.
a foundation composed Of concrete has
been used with great success in partly
made ground and partly interscctei with
old sewers and cess pools and partly on
clay. Our lime here, when used with
clean sand, is ola superior quality. The
manner OF proceeding to use it for con-
crete is this: The lime should be taken
IRON. the kiln fresh burnt and Stacked
with all possible speed and immediately
mixed up with about eight times the
quantity OF clean, coarse gravel, and rs
one set OF men make up the stuff pretty
soft another set carry IN to the trench
aud let it fall to the bottom, filling the
trench to the depth OF about
eighteen inches al around the
foundation. When this course
becomes get, which requires about three
days, another course is laid on in the
same manner. As this composition sets
quickly, and, like plaster of paris,
possesses the property OF swelling as it
sets, it acts with considerable force
against the sides OF the trench, and that
forms two continued courses nil around
the foundation three feet deep, ms hard
as stone, and more firmly fixed in the
trencs. than the foundation could be ii
built OF any other material.
The cost OF this composition would, il
applied right here, be US follows:
One loud 30 bushels fresh lime ut l2c..,,..s > co
Eight loads Of coarse gravel. q 90
Two labHers mixing and putting iuto the
trench one day, 81 ............... e. 3 %
iot3i".."'... ....."".........."...""si 60
This will produce about ten perch OF
concrete at 81 40 per perch, little more
than one.third tho price OF rough stone
work. II.
1IHestiuU EsL IN