Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-10
Mr.. ASHFORD REPLIES
TAKES UP QUESTION OF FIRE.
PROOF CONSTRUCTION HERE.
Great Care and pM&nce Exercised
The Severe Tests Applied to
Concrete Work.

Mr.. Snowden Ashford, inspector of build
ings for the DISTRICT Ia communication
to Col John BiddlA Engineer Commission
er. makes reply to an Article which appear
ed in The Star recently. under the caption,
Local Traps" and signed by Mr..
F. w. Fitzpatrick Mr.. Ashford makes his
report in order to allay any unnecessary
alarm which may have been occasioned
among residents of the city with regard to
lack of precautions on the part of the Dis
trict authorities in the matter Of firepro0
buildings.
In his Endorsement of the report Col. Bid
die says: 1.-The article as it appeared in The
Star might lead residents in this city to
think that those large apartment and other
houses referred to by the writer of the ar
ticle have not been thoroughly and severely
tested by the building department. A read
ing of the report of Mr.. Ashford, inspector
OF buildings, Will show that the regulations
in this city are strict, and that they are
carried out"
Mr.. Ashford says:
"A signed communication in The Star of
Decembed on the subject Of fireproof
buildings In Washington contains SO many
misleading statements. especially regarding
the local inspection Of buildings, that feel
1t Is important to correct the erroneous
impression as far as it relates to the build
ing department.
1.-The Commissioners realized several years
ago that many fireproof buildings would be
erected in this city, and to properly prepare
for careful and effectual Inspection, directed
Capt. y. d. Gaillard, corps of engineers,
U. g. A., and myself to proceed to Phila-
delphia, New York and other cities, for the
purpose OF consulting with the heads Of the
building departments and engineers under
their charge, with a view to formulating
further regulations to govern the erection
of such buildings in this city.
The Investigation.
After inspecting f1reproof buildings OF
all kinds in the several cities above referred
to, and especially of buildings constructed
of cement or concrete material, report was
made to the Commissioners, whereupon
permit was issued for a large office build
ing to be constructed almost entirely of
concrete. This was in July, 1901. This being
the first building OF the kind erected In
Washington it was subjected to the sever
est tests, the floors being loaded with tre-
mendous weights Of from five to eight
times the working load that will ever be
placed upon them. and amounting to from
400 to 800 pounds to the square foot.
Other severe and unusual tests were APP
piled, such as dropping a great weight
distance OF six feet on arches with span
of eight feet. The next building construct
ed was a fireproof manual training school,
with concrete spans of IL feet, and follow
ing rapidly thereafter hundreds OF apart
ment houses and private structures have
been constructed with concrete foors and
In one instance q stable with floors OF
the same material and horses stabbed on
the second floor, which needs no explana-
ton to show that such heavy weights and
constant stamping would test the security
of any material. ef
In each and every instance the buildings
containing concrete floors have been sub
jected to severe tests, according to the
manufacturers and owners, than apply in
any other city. In some cases the weights
imposed amounted to ten times the load to
be placed the moor In actual use, and
In all cases the test loads amounted to at
least 800 pounds to the square foot, the
test loads being limited only by the
capacity and strength of the steel beams
supporting the concrete arch, besides other
and severer tests, such as dropping or
rolling loads. se
Severe Tests.
"In great many apartment houses, be-
sides the dead load applied to arches
small truck, such as used by hardware
merchants is loaded with a ton of iron or
sash weights and drawn over the concrete
arches before the wooden floors are laid.
Such a test could only be withstood by con-
crete work, as the weight on the four
small wheels amounts to 500 pounds ap-
piled on almost one point under each wheel.
In one instance the owner Of an apart
ment house agreed to permit the in
spector to break through a concrete arch
by ramming it with piece Of timber
x.
a test developed the remarkable tenacity
of cinder concrete. and unexpected
quality or degree Of elasticity not found
in any other form of fireproofing.
Fire tests lave also been made of this
material, and there is an example in the
stack OF a great powerhouse in this city
which Is lined with cinder concrete which
has withstOod the tremendous blast from
the boilers for year or more without
failure or disintegration.
Fires have also occurred in apartment
houses constructed of this material and
have been limited to the destruction Of the
contents Of the room In which they origi-
mated We have never experienced an acct
dent or collapse of any concrete arch after
occurred through failure Of the arch itself
In one instance the centering, or wooden
FORM around the arch used in the process
OF construction. gave way while the work
men were putting in the concrete, result
Ing fatally to one Of the workmen who was
standing on 1t.
Use of Concrete.
'Nine-tenths of the freproof apartment
houses in this city are constructed with
concrete floors and about one fourth of
these apartments were erected under the
supervision Of the same architect, who,
after the enormous and trying tests applied
in every instance by this department, con
tinues to use tina same in all Of his build
ings of this character. I would therefore
say that this material has passed far beyond
the experimental stage both as to strength
and hre-resisting qualities, and the stric-
lures and criticisms passed by the writer in
a recent issue Of The Star are prejudicial
and erroneous. and the material which he
seems to be so deeply interested in would
not Withstand the tests applied in every
instance to concrete floors constructed III
this city
These tests will continue to be applied,
and In the last few days have been applied
at the Foundry Church. where "a weight of
%, 500 pounds was placed on a concrete
span or arch eight feet wide; also at the
Eye. Ear and Throat Hospital. where 1925
pounds to the square foot was loaded on
the floors. At handsome college building
now under construction the enormous load
Of 1900 pounds was placed on a. concrete
floor with a span of twenty-five feet.
MANY sidewalks, or vaults under the
sidewalk, are covered by concrete arches,
and these have been tested by moving
loads aggregating 500 Bounds to the square
foot II s-fot
"These examples have been cited, not in
advocacy Of one material over another, but
simply IN the execution Of our ofiiciaf du-