The San Francisco call., 1906-05-23
REVIEWS NEW
BUILDING LAW
Engineer Galloway Makes a
Synopsis of Recommends
tiOns of Committee.

resist wind: walls. which may be of
stone. brick. concrete, terra-cotta or iron:
doors. roofs, fireproofing. partitions and
ceilings. in all of which brick. terra
Gotta iron or concrete may be used, and
miscellaneous items Only metal cor
nices can be used. At least two differ
ent stairways must be provided. and in
buildings of over 10.00l square feet area
three stairways must be provided
As far as the ordinance goes there
IS nothing different from the construc-
ton OF our best buildings. among which
may be mentioned the Merchants Ex
change. the Kohl. the Fairmont, the new
Chronicle. the Call. the Atlas. the Mn
rual Savings Bank. the Butler and the
St Francis Hotel buildings.
Theaters Under Class A.
All theaters are included under class
4 buildings as regards construction. The
old ordinance regarding thearers was
very complete and but little was added
TO il.
Class b Buildings.
Persons familiar with the Old ordinance
whore class b meant a building with
wooden interior must transfer their con
cepiions Of the old class TO the new
class &. The new class Il is really
puilding butt Of incombustible material
.-nd rNlch nearer in construction TO class
than 10 the old class b. As build
ng must have sidewalks il was realized
that they could bear some Of the weight
Of the floors if made thick enough. So
class r is limited in height 10 l6e feet.
and the walks carry themselves and also
some OF the floor loads 1t Was these
sidewalks that caused the limitation III
height Of the buildings
In other respects the class p building
ffTrsz tod .rfa A
aept that east iron columns may be used
IL must have fireproOf floors. partitions.
etc. and will be rated as fireproof
building the same as class 4.
Another division OF class 3 IS the re-
nforced concrete building. TO many this
: rather mystifyinsf term. Concrete is
4 material composed OF sand and rock
made into an artificial stone by Portland
u hydraulic cement 1t is an excellent
material TO Withstand 4 crushing force
but does not very well resist a force tend
~ 10 tear il apart AS both these forces
aNist in the parts OF a building. paTtie-
Elarly in beams and girders, engineers
have hit upon the eXpedient OF placing
steel rods OF various forms in the concrete
IA those places whore there is a tendency
10 tear the material apart. Thus. the
tearing IS resisted by the steel. which is
n excellent material 10: the purpose and
the compression is resisted by the con-
.rete. which also protects the steel from
-us:. This is Reinforced concrete, or ar
norcd concrete. or concrete steel. or the
many other names that have been applied
% i.
some Of the fest work OF the kind was
lone in san Francisco. where in the rear
part of the Academy Of Sciences. the
cams. s.rders ana floors are all OF re-
-ntorced concrete, II the reader cares TO
limb over the fallen walk of tile front n
NAY see the concrete floor still standing
IN good urder. \ warehouse can be seen
y Mission and thirteenth streets. the
Interior 81 which is OF re-enf0rced con
~vete. The floors OF the Mutual Savings
Rank. the MonadnOck the Merchants
exchange and others are OF this material.
;i-veTal buildings at Stanford University
u re-enfOrced concrete are standing
good rs ever in the presence OF the
wrecks 0E other forms Of construction.
The building ordinance allows this
'8rm Of construction as n class b build
ng. the ordinance being based largely
upon taat OF Baltimore and Chicago. mol
fed By the opinions OF local engineers in
.he Line of work.