The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-12-10
High Engineering Authority DerIdes
Practice.
RADICAL REFORM IS NECESSARY
REINFORCED CONCRETE WORK
coLLAPsEs ON ACCOUNT OF
NEGLIGENCE.

NEW YORK, Dec. 1O.-"Carelessness.
incompetence and INSCRIPTIONS skim
ming have about reached the limit in
reinforced concrete construction" This
Is the opening sentence of an article ap-
pearing in the current issue of The
Engineering News on recent failures
OF this form Of building The article
is considered all the more significant
because this high engineering authori-
ty has been one of the most positive adj
vocates of concrete. The Engineering
News says:
The failures of large buildings un-
der constructor, occurring within a
fortnight of each other, both of which
had their harvest of dead, is a serious
blemish on the record of reinforced
concrete. A radical reform is neces-
sary. The gray Of our concrete struct-
ures is alrady too much stained with
blood. Shall we allow that stain to
spread and grow still darker?
Where are We to find relief? The
events Of recent years show no case,
in the scores and scores of building dis
asters, where the law has laid its hand
on the guilty and enforced it's penalties
Public assignment Of blame or GRIM
inal convection have not been obtained,
We know of no one case in this coun-
try, where the public investigation Of
reinforced concrete failure involved
serious study of the design. or resulted
in impeaching the sufficiency Of the de-
sign. And the inevitable result has
duly appeared. The INSCRIPTIONS and
negligent have grown holder and
more confident of security, and ply Their
nefarious business on a larger scale
than ever.
THE practic that constructs build
ings and bridges which collapse must
be eradicated. The interests of every
element of the engineering profession
demand this, no less than public safe
ty. If we do not, or will not design
our structures with ample enough
strength to permit of safe erection by
the commercial grade of labor, then it
is indeed time to call a halt.
1.-The public is observing that alarm
ing numbers of failures of reinforced
concrete work are recorded in the news
Of the day. 1t learns vaguely that each
of these failures has been blamed upon
improper workmanship or disobedience
of workmen. and upon scanty design
or design unsuitable Of safe execution
by the grade of labor employed for
the work.
These observed facts impel the lay
reader to one definite CONCLUSION. That
reinforced concrete is dangerous thing
to use as building material, dangerous
for unknown reasons, among which
may be these; either Cd because safe
methods of design have not yet been
developed, or CD because the COM
mercially- obtainable materials of con-
struction are subject to unknown varia-
lions which may produce fatal weak
ness, or CD because the quality of Ia
Dor employed is not high enough to
ensure the safe construction of the
design, even though design and ma
terials be satisfactory.
ITO this conclusion we are regret
fully forced to subscribe. We make
but one reservation, namely, that If an
Independent engineer be employed to
either work out the design, or to pre-
scribe specifications and verify the de-
sign by them, and If further an inde-
pendent engineer be placed in charge
Of the construction work to see that it
is properly done, then reinforced con-
crete construction is as safe as other
types of construction. Under all other
circumstances, we believe, it involves
so much risk that it must be character
lied as dangerous"