Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-05-09
SHAKING DOWN A DWELLING.
Effect on Houses of the Vibrations Caused
by Passing Trains,

Effect on Houses of the Vibrations Caused
by Passing Trains.
The examination of house built about six
years ago on one of the uptown streets, be-
tween Fourth and Madison avenues, shows
how sensitive structure can be to the effects
of vibration when its component parts are
small and the structure Is unprovided with
safeguards against this unusual agent
The serious injury about to be described
can only be attributed to vibration, because
the house--a five story double fiat-was we'll
built of bricks and fair mortar, with brown
stone ashlar front, the whole having rubble
foundation resting on sound rock, and in
terror brick piers supporting the timber
girders, which carried tho main stud parti-
lions, in the usual manner. 1t is then reason
able to suppose that had the structure not
been subjected to unusual forces differently
applied to its foundation, the settlement
would have been uniform, and the interior
would not have shown the following evidence
of unequal settlement and strain.
Commencing the examination in the cellar,
the foundation wall evinces no sign of ex-
terror fracture but it is depressed in several
places from front to rear, showing that the
bed on which it rests has been displaced The
eastern wall next to Fourth avenue is about
six inches lower on the footing in the center
of its length than the west wall, and the
piers supporting the partitions are bent
about two inches in the height, about five feet
six inches, seemingly from the pressure of the
beams as they subsidized with the eastern
foundation WALL The floor concrete, how
ever, is unbroken round the PIERS though it
is broken at the wall and sunken in many
places throughout the entire surface.
The consequences of this are shown through
out the partition walls. set at right angles to
the eastern WALL and on all door jambs and
window frames. Having settled So much at
the foundations, it follows that all square
openings are thrown out by pulling down the
eastern side to more or less degree in each :;
for instance, some are II inches out of
square, some one inch, three-fourths of an
inch and so on. Needless to say, the doors
and sashes have al been pieced and cut to
suit and fit into the present shape of the
openings. ali the joints are open, and it is
fortunate circumstance that the walls set
tied plumb, or the doors and sashes would
have required more fitting.
The plaster is in worse condition, being
parted at the functions and traversed over
by large cracks running diagonally from the
top eastern side to the bottom on the western
side, and in many places it threatens to fall
off. So distinctly is the settlement shown,
that the picture mold in the dining room Is
bent into curve, and the floors are sagged
to such an extent that when a table is placed
against the west wall ball of wool will roll
off its top to the floor.
Summed up, the building is in poor con
dition and shows too early dilapldation. As
to- the cause of this it is evidently attrib-
utable, as stated before, to vibration COM
municated, in this case, by the frequent
trains on Fourth avenue and by the concus-
sion in blasting out cellars on the adjoining
street. The percentihle effect qf the yihra-
ton caused by the trains varies with their
different speeds and weights, but it is always
SO noticeable that a glass Of water placed on
the floor when the train is passing will raise
wavelet on the surface of the Wateg, and
the heavier trains oftsn waffle, the sashes in
their frames. This vibration is felt all along
the avenue and the buildings suffer more or
less-The Manufacturer and Builder.