New-York tribune., 1905-07-09
HOLLOW TILE DISCUSSED.

Disinterested experts, OF the stamp of Professor
C. l. Norton of the famous Massachusetts Insti-
tute OF Technology. fully agree with the arehi-
tects who advocate and specify and the engineers
and construction people engaged in concrete-steeI
thar hollow tile is brittle irregular and difficult
subject to disintegration under heat: that it ex-
pands and contracts in different ratios from stee
that its top and bottom mem bers are subject TO
di1erential expansion; that if. as suggested by
some terra Gotta adherents, ;he lower webs are
increased to ~ inches, TO avoid oreekage from
eXpanSiOn-which destroyed the tile floor arches
they are contained would suffer as something
would have to give under the irresisi2e ] pressure
that il is strong enough TO hold itself In place
will reveal its weakness when centres arc pulled;
that it gives no warning before succumplng TO
portunity for bad workmanship for II workmen
break tiles or lay them carelessly the faults can
It may be added that. as Guy B. Waite. C. 4.
points out:
Hollow tile does not accommodate itself readily
to curves eccentric lines"
Ross F Tucker, c. E.. adds TO the list OF It's
tile construction had 10 put in the kind of floor
arches with which they pass department fre, water
ness; they could not compete with concrete-steel.
F c. schmitz c. E. calls attention TO another
the concrete-steel floor arch enables the architect
to carry more stories with the latter in the same
height OF building"
Thomas NJ vinton Assoc, NJ Am. soc C. E,
thus described the hollow tile floor arch:
r
arch: knock out block. and you efectually de-
Again if there is any lateral give in Ibeams. there
will trouble with the tile arch Suppose factory
owner wishes TO divide a story, and has 10 cut
star-well IL cannot be doubted that the lateral
pressure of the remaining tiles would so spring
the I-beamS to weaken the entire floor.
F z. Townsend, architect. says:
The worst fault OF terra Gotta as freproodng
material is that. when heated and water is applied
to IL il flies in pieces like glass and r. F. Eastnn,
the building expert cites in support of the above the
Of the fire in the upper floors of Hacket+ Car
hart & Co.'S store, at 13th-st. and Broadway,
where, when water thrown them, the tile
arches burst apart and came down. leaving ex-
posed and warped ir Inwork
Albert Oliver. an acknowledged building expert,
makes this terse comparison between terra Gotta
and concrete floor arch work:
The concrete man knows that his arch depends
on the material used and on careful workmanship,
but the hollow tile depends on his key is
usually careless about filling joints flush, and too
often attempts TO tntroduce-tnstead OF cement NOR
tara common grade Of lime mortar. II is beyond
question that in building where the steel struct
has not been first tncased in cement mortar be-
fore the hollow tile has been Put in, can there be
found twenty consecutive feet Of steel I-beams
covered according to the architects specifications
no building in which 70 per cent Of the blocks
next the steel supposed TO be filed behind soIly
and in many cases. have not particle Of NOR
tar filing protect the steel This accounts for
the statement OF the noted engineer, Sooy Smith,
that there was not properly nreproofed build
ing, with hollow tile arches, in the city of Chi
cago.''