Arizona republican., 1907-07-27
CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION.
WORK ON NOBLE BUILDING,
A Description of the Process for The
Raising of That Monolithic Struc-
t.re.

The construction on the Noble
building has reached a point, where
great many are wondering what will
come next, and since this is the first
building erected in Phoenix of REIN
forced concrete, ii is a matter of in
terest to the uninitiated upon what sci
entific principles the builders base
their assurance that a structure set on
stills, with a three inch floor slab and
a six inch wall will stand up in wind
and rain.
Those in charge of the work are ev-
cry day beseiged with questioners who
want to know all about concrete con-
struction and what the various
''troughs" and cages" are for. A re-
porter for The Republican was one of
the curious and Engineer Roger and
Jack Greville, the superintendent of
construction obligingly consented to
take away the veil of mystery that
hung about the great building. that is
to be solid as one enormous stone.
Perhaps the most interesting thing
. is Mr.. Rogers laboratory, where vari-
Gus tests are made of the cement. But
a general discussion of the scientific
and mechanical details of concrete
construction will be given attention
first
In the beginning this immense build
ing is literally supported by Sc coll
umns, most of them is inches SQUARE
and these columns do not end with the
first floor, but extend to the top of the
building, being then SO feet. high. At
the level of the first floor, and all
floors, will be the same in principle of
construction, the visitor sees before
him, the Sc upright wooden forms for
the columns, and thereon what appear
10 be troughs, extending in both di-
rections from one side of the building
to the other, which are the forms for
the Orders and cut the plane into
checkerboard. other forms are being
placed, cutting each individual square
of this checkerboard which rests on
the columns, into four panels These
are the troughs, in, which will be
nodded the beams, which will be
smaller than the Orders. Upon this
CROSSWORD of girder and beam is being
laid a temporary floor of lumber to
support the concrete while il hardens
1t would appear that they are con-
structing a frame house, and that is
exactly what is being done. but when
the rods have been placed in the grid
er and column forms. and a network
of rods is laid over the floor, the con-
crete will be poured and the first or
basement part of the building will be
nodded, and when the concrete is hard
ened the forms will be removed and
the concrete. column, grder, beam
and floor will remain to view After
that, another story will be nodded up
on the lower by the same routine of
labor.
How thick will this first floor be-"
Mr.. Roger was asked.
This floor will be a 3-inch slab of
reinforced concrete" he replied. THE
upper floors will be . 1-2 inches. Most
people conceive of this concrete slab,
which is the size of the entire building,
as something unsubstantial anti break
able. You must remember that this is
reinforced with 3-S inch twisted steel
rods running through the lower half of
this 3-inch slab, inches apart, making
a steel network capable of great strain,
when the concrete is laid over and
around it. You may wonder where
this construction obtains its great
strength, carrying 10 tons to the
panel. As the principles involved are
the same with floor. girder beam and
column. let us look over the drawings
of a girder and understand the gem
eral Dlan."
"Al strains may be reduced to four"
explained Mr.. Roger, tension. COM
preston, shear and torsion. The lat
ter is met with but little in build
ings of this nature. A girder or beam
must be strong in~these requirements,
and by combining materials that pos
sess these vital qualities we have a
resultant that is capable of bearing
great strains. Weight upon a beam
will necessarily cause a tendency to
bend in the center. The upper part