The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-03-27

II loves continually to make changes
in that end Of the work. AS soon as we
have the ground plan we can tell by
the shape Of the future building Just
where the uprights are to go and so
where we shall have to sink our cais-
sons. Meantime we have found what
load each upright will have to carry
and thus know the sort of foundation
and structure each will require. BY
the time We get the final ground plan
the excavation is so well under way
that caissOn work may begin. and we
can also set our craftsmen to making
detail sketches for the guidance of the
rolling mill man. This is what meant
by saying that the real construction OF
a modern big building is done In the
Office. We make a drawing Of every
beam, girder and upright to be used,
with every dimension calculated to the
sixteenth OF an inch and every rivet
hole indicated as to place and size to a
nicely. There Is a separate drawing
for each one Of these members and
each is numbered. The drawings are
sent to the rolling mill and there repro
duced in steel. When a member 10
shipped from the rolling mill 1t is num-
bered to correspond with the drawing.
For instance, we want a beam with
a cross section like the Roman letter !
twelve feet long and thirty inches
wide. 1t is to be three and q half inch
es thick, and the fanges are to be sew
HnE.+ ~ nN Il
inches wide. 1t is to have a transverse
brace supported by L shaped brackets
three inches each way, and the rivet
holes are to be in the places indicated
and are to be three-quarters Of an inch
In diameter. When shipped to us the
beam is to be marked NJ 4. ia"
THAT shows were 1t goes m th8
OuIlding, OF course" ventured the 10
poEtar, with a CLEAN of intelligence.
Exactly. We work by floors. For
each floor we make a ground plan
showing the position of every bit Of
lronwork, with each bit numbered.
Now, when that beam comes to US
numbered II 4, ia, we look at the N
ground plan, find member ia, and
that's where the beam goes"
"And 'M'-how about Ny"
"That shows the floor. We number
the members and letter the floors, so
that " means the thirteenth door"
The reporter was about to comment
frivolously on the regrettably small
number Of letters In the alphabet and
its effect on the future Of tall build
lngs, but the superintendent continued:
$50 far the system seems perhaps
comparatively simple, but 1t IL when
Ve come to consider the aesthetic va
carries in the way Of outside stonework
which the architects sensitive soul
demands that many complex problems
have to be solved. 1t is when we are
confronted with turrets, towers. bal
comics and bow windows and gargoyles
and ponderous copings and cornices
that delicate figuring must come into
play. While 1t Is easy enough to cal
culate the weight Of the sheer walls
the uniform blocks OF stone between
stories-the carved stones forming or
nate projections must be considered
individually, so that each win rest up
on ironwork Of proper strength to sus-
tain II and Of proper construction to
hold II in place. and this. too. must en-
ter into the computation Of the load to
be carried on its particular floor. In
this way many iron members win en-
ter into the support Of a single stone
whose only use is to satisfy the artistic
cravings OF the architect"
swhy Is # that one often sees the
stonework going forward on. say. the
fourth story. while the floors below
show only the iron skeletonT"
ssThers are various reasons for that
NsAEly alWags thsrs are huge bolerH.