Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-31
PROBLEM FOR TIE BUILDERS
what's Best Type Of Building to Resist
Fire7
sREFROOf a WORD Of WIDE LATITUDE
Steel Protected By Terra Gotta and
the Reinforced Concrete the
Best Material Yet Discov-
cred for the Purpose.

Architects and builders OF the present
day are much engrossed with the question
whether or not there is such a thing as an
absolutely hreproof building, and II it is
possible to erect building for practical
purposes that will Withstand the ravages
Of flames or intense heat The question is
OF vital interest in Omaha, where buildings
are being erected so extensively and local
architects and contractors are leaders In
the movement throughout the country for
a more substantial class Of buildings.
Lessons OF hard experience were taught
and learned in the partial destruction OF
San Francisco and Baltimore by great
disasters, and the futlity Of steel buildings
IN withstandng the flames was particularly
noticeable at San Francisco where nothing
but the shell of immense "hreproof build
ings were left standing in the path OF the
flames.
Remarkable as the differences Is in the
number and fatality Of railroad accidents
In the United States and Europe Germany
IN particular being immune from such
disasters, the difference is not as marked
as that in building losses from great con-
fagrations. The cause for this deplorable
situation in such a progressive country as
ours is not far to seek and lies principally
I'm the fact Of the comparative cheapness Of
wood in the United States.
Difference in Buildings.
The prmeval forests Of Europe have
long been completely exhausted and the
buildings in those countries are built at
least externally Of incombustible material
The roofs are composed OF tile, and this in
itself reduces the great fire hazard in the
''conhagration districts" Of which so much
has been written lately in this country.
The great majority Of buildings in the
United States are so constructed that they
cannot resist an external heat Of 1000 de-
Rrees or over and therefore we have in
this country what Is known as "conhagra-
ton districts" which are districts in a
city through which great fire could sweep
unobstructed.
Forests in abundance at close range and
the comparative greater expense Of securing
building materials of more heat-resisting
qualities have resulted in the building Of
cities of wood throughout the entire
breadth OF our land.
strictly ireproof building must cover
two essential points-reslstance from with
out and resistance from within.
what Is Really FireprOOf.
Steel is looked to as the only real solu-
ton OF the problem by present day builders
uy reason OF It's KNOWN ana SClentluCally
measured resistance up to 800 degrees of
heat. But steel unprotected is as futile IN
resisting greater heat as brick or wood,
which fact was amply illustrated in San
Francisco and Baltimore.
The next step, therefore, leading to g
completely freproof structure is that the
steel be enveloped and covered with ma
terial which has previously passed through
a melting degree of heat, such as terra
Gotta, proclaim. etc, The question TO be
met in every steel building, in which pro-
lection from fire is the desideratum, is
Has the steel been so protected?"
\ This necessarily leads to investigation as
\ 10 the combustible intensity Of heat thai
may develop in case Of fire or, in Other
words, as to the stock carried in the build
ing which Is the fuel for the FIRE. as terra
Gotta and steel will not burn. Great con
sideration must be given to the combusti
Bile material brought within the building
after its erection
II, therefore, a building should contain
1000 tons of combustible material thu
covering Of the steel and terra Gotta would
have to be enormously heavy to resist sucl
fire, and II would border nearly on tn,
impossible, but II the building was to b.
for office purposes it could be erected, an,
they are. In fact being erected absolutel!
nreproot. III all the furniture In stee
building restricted to Offices was piled OF
one floor and ignited there would be NJ
resultant damage to the building.
External Protection.
With reference to the external protection
Of the steel building, the windows shoul
be OF metal frames and wire glass If an
other building is adjacent It must ais
be remembered that heat reaching 1sC
degrees is as dangerous and harmful as tn
actual flames
The IRE ordinances Of New York an
Chicago require eight inches OF freproo
material covering steel column and thre
inches covering a steel beam, the judG
ment OF most builders being that sue
covering OF proper materials Is sufficient
and the only wood used in a freproof build
ing is for floors and doors and. in the yer