The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-08-20
Inquiry by Government Into
Collapse of Concrete
Constructions.
EVIDENCE THAT THE TROUBLE
IN ALL SUCH TRAGEDIES TO
DATE HAS BEEN HASTE AND
CARELESSNESS ON THE PART
OF THE WORKMEN.
BY Associated Press.

for an immediate revision of the build |
ing regulations of the great cities of
the country. 1t is declared that mat
tention to this new material on the !
part of officials of municipalities and
the haphaZard manner in which it is
being handled by some contractors
will result in more disasters unless
there is remedy at once.
! Richard l.. Humphrey, expert in
charge of the United States geologi-
cal surveys structural material labo-
ratOries in st. Louis and Norfolk, de-
clares that the danger of collapse of
every important city in the United
States.
CareIessness.
Il have examined carefully nearly
every one of the buildings that have
collapsed within the last year" says
Mr. Humphrey, and in every instance
the fall of the structure has been due
to carelessness of construction. From
what l have seen of other concrete
buildings in course of construction,
am satisfied that the same errors are
being repeated, and that further col
lapses will surely come unless the Off
Gals of the cities take the question
in hand now. This danger of careless
construction cOnfronts nearly every
city of the country, and il is. a miracle
to me that more concrete buildings
have not collapsed.
In order 10 meet this problem
sQuarely. every CITY in the United
States should revise its building laws
in such a manner that either the own
er or the contractor of concrete
building shall, be compelled to employ
incnontnp yUE
it shall be to follow every detail of
the construction from the beginning
of the foundations to the completion
of the roof New York, St. Louis,
Boston and Philadelphia have either
prepared or are now preparing new
regulations governing concrete con-
struction.
Need of Care.
The science of concrete construc-
ton is not yet thoroughly settled, and
until it is the greatest care should
be taken in the use of the material.
| Concrete, by reason of its superior
qualities, especially its resistance to
| fire and its cheapneSS, is being used
extensively in these days and VIII be
employed still more in the future. 1t
| is a comparatively new material, and
until its properties are fully known
! >
guards should be thrown about it.
| There is a prevalent idea that it can
be used by unskilled labOrers. That is
| the error which has led to serious
| consequences While it is true that
unskilled labor can be employed to a
large extent, concrete construction re-
quires the same care and attention to
detail that is demanded by first-class
construction with other materials.
Some of the causes that have pro-
duced failures are, carelessnesS in
proportioning and mixing the con-
crete; poor or unsuitable sand, stone
| or gravel: poor joints in the form
and insufficient bracing, and often a
too early removal of these forms;
insufficient and incorrectly placed re-
enforcement, and bad alignment of the
| work.
Each failure tends to discourage
the use of concrete, for the reason
that it is almost universally attrib-
uted to the material rather than to
the improper conditions under which
il is used. The failure of q reinforced
concrete structure by reason Of i'm
proper design, poor materials, Or bad
Workmanship. is no more an argu-
mentment against its use than the col
laDsa of a steel structure under sim
liar conditions is an argument against
the use of structural steel in con-
structiOn.
Recent ColIapses.
THE geological survey, in connec-
ton with its experiments, has made
it a point to investigate promptly
the failure of concrete structures, and
the collapse of those already eXar:
ined has been due to carelessnesS on
the part of the contractors or de-
fectiye design or forms, and not to
the material used.
I'm the last ruined concrete build
ing / inspected, l found many evil
dences of carelessness in construc-
ton. The forms used were the bad
feature; the joints were not tight, its
supports were light and TOT the roof
had to be spliced- The alignment of
the work was very bad; the columns
did not center over each other, and
the lower sides of the beams and cir
ders were not only not level but had
also sagged, indicating that their
forms were not of sunlclent stlnness-
Further carelessness was shown in
nIacinq the reinforcement: the rods
were too close in the girders and
beams. and the splice of the sheets
of exnanded metal in the floor slabs
did not appear to he sufficient. Little
attention appears to have been paid
to the cOlrmn connections
while there were many points In
the construction which we're not as
they should be. and certainly not In
accordance with good practice, none
oP these can be regarded as the cause
of the failure There were indications
that the building was being rushed
to completion, with little attention
to vitality important details. The eVl'
dence shows that the contractor was