Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-12

without consuming more ground space has
grown in these busy times.
y modern foundation is. truly. wonder
full thing. 1t differs from the Old-time fOun-
datian as fully as the new building in Its
scientific completeness differs from the
comparatively uncomfortable, incomplete
makeShift housing Of few decades ago
Necessity grown from a characteristic ten
dsnCy Of the times has evolved new means
Of SO placing building upon the earth that
it will uO- settle, that it will not fail apart,
that il will withstand all the strains Of the
storm and stand forever d monument TO
mans thuroughness-
ThOrbUGhness.
For the watchword of success in estab-
fishing solid base for a modern construc
ton is 'thoroughness." 1t does not suffice
TO dig carelessIy into the soil, set few nat
stones around the edge of the structural
limits, build thereon a brick or masonry
wall. and then expect the house to stand
solidly for the years to come. Upon such
foundation three or four or with good work
manship ana good luck five stories might be
confidently erected. But nine ten stories,
or the twenty, twenty-five or thirty, of some
of the latest products of the sky-scraping
architect would never rest content upon so
fiimsy q basis. Their weight would soon
send the stones down into the earth, the
masonry or brick walls would disintegrate
and soon the great pile would collapse, per
maps even before fully completed.
Particularly is il necessary for the foun-
dalton maker to work with extreme care
and thoroughness when his site lies upon
low ground The rock then occurs many
feet below the surface. In the geologic
ages of steady accommodations various stra-
ia of soil. sand. clay and gravel have piled
ever the rock. and these must be penetrat-
ell to reach the solidity which only the
ROCK or hdFd pan can give. But digging
is costly, and in the great majority of
cases it would be extrdvagdnt folly to at
tempt TO bare the rock and TO built up
IL ON that basis Hence an elaborate sys-
tenn of foundation making is evolved for
use in cases when the bed rock is deep
when the building is to be too large for the
old-fas hOned bed. when the first thought
Is for stability and endurance of the struc-
tJre- Such foundation is in its details
ana the processes assembled to create it
marvel 2f modern architectural science
The thrCrgs of people who daily stop to
peer over the edge of the great excavation
which is to be filled in season by The Stars
new nome have had an excellent oppor-
tunity during the past few weeks 10 note
the various processes of this work 1t is
the intention of The Star to erect a build
ing " hlch shall stand as long as the struc-
lures Of man can be expected to endure
anu therefore Its foundation is planned and
the work is executed with the care required
for such a purpose. The margin of safety
Is large and the foundati ton a it will in a
few days stand would support a structure
very much larger than that which is about
TO rise upon it.
Preliminary BOrings.
In the early work of preparing for the
construction borings were made through
the earth at various points about the pro-
posed site to ascertain the depth at which
the bed rock lies beneath the surface. These
showed an average of thirty-five feet In
each case the boring tool seemed to strike
solid, homogeneous rock. of a substantial
Character When the old structure was re-
moved the digging force excavated pit
sixteen feet below the street surface to
form the basement space of the new build
ing Inc bed rock, therefore lay nineteen
10 twenty feet below this dirt floor II must
be reached in some way. The easiest way
was 10y piling- Accordingly 315 sticks OF
Virginia PIN were driven into the earth
and clay until they struck hard and solid
and could be sent down no farther They
went down easily through a deep stratum
OF compact blue clay. which held together
In great Jumps when dug.
1t was an easy matter to drive niles at
proper intervals throughout the site, lust
as easy, comparatively, as it is for a child
to stick pins symmetrically into a soft nine
board to represent toy forest. But IL
was not easy 10 provide for the foundation
along the west and north sides of the site
for there the walls of two large buildings
each four stories high. rose to demand sup
port Piles could perhaps have been driven
close to these walls to give bearing space
for piers, but it was deemed necessary. in
of the structure. to provide joint piers for
the new and the old walls at proper inter-
walls. How to provide such piers is a prob
lem which modern science has readily
solved.
UnderpinnIng.
Inasmuch as the pile driver could not
work under an overhanging wall giant
piles Of concrete were driven into the clay
TO bed rock. That in simple terms is
what was done. But meanwhile the walls
must be held up to prevent them from fall
ing. So. at an early stage of the work
holes were cut about seven feet apart in
the west wall, that Of the Gait building
and through these sturdy iron beams tech
nically known as needles" We're thrust
in groups of two. three. four and five
They were supported on either end by cribs
built up of square timbers Along the tops
of these cribs ran series of strong planks
so placed that no two joints conceded
From these planks rose q series of iron
screws, which bore alsft another line of
planks, upon which finally rested the hort
Eontal needles. The cribs and their plank
runners on the inside Of the wall had been