Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-03
BUILDING METHODS IN CHINA
HOUSES FLIMSY AND BADLY AZ.
FECTED By RAIN.
Posts Built Into Walls to Prevent
Whole Structures Collapsing.
No Sand in Mortar.

From Architects and Builders Journal.
The manner of building In China is very
interesting. The Chinese get along with
very little and have few desires. espe-
cially when it comes to a house to live
In. It must be admitted that the native
architects can put up solid and to a GER
tain extent. beautiful structures. but these
are the rare exception, and not the rule
The dwellings generally are primitive and
not durable. The Chinese do not under
stand the building of arches. The most
they attempt is simple arch in bridges
OR doors, but even here it is necessary
for them first to erect a mud brick sup
port for the arch. the former being torn
away when the latter is completed
The great mistake made in walls is the
poor binding between the outside layers.
there often being hollow spaces in the
middle which are only filled with loose
dirt or crushed rock, IL they are filled at
gets wet. 1t settles. and the wall is wedged
apart at the bottom. 1t thus often hap
pens that the outer walls of a house col
lapse, while the inner ones. which have
not been wet. remain standing. The
usual preventive for collapsing houses is
to rest the beams and roof timbers on
wooden posts. which are built into the
walls and completely surrounded by the
masonry. Thus. when the walls give way
these pillars hold up the roof and keen
the whole house from coming down on
the occupants.
Frame Built Before Walls.
In the case of two-story buildings
these wooden frameworks are always
built before the masonry work Is start
ed. The use Of mortar is also very
faulty. The commonly used mortar
consists OF finely slaked lime, with no
addition whatever of quartz sand, but
for economy the lime is often adulter-
ated with very fine river sand
The mason tests the soundness Of
every brick by hitting it with his knife
shaped trowel. and. like every oriental
tradesman, works slowly. Where stones
are used they are always fitted into
proper place on the outside and are
brought to rest in the proper place by
having little stones put undernea tn
them. AS In the case Of a mud wall
side layers Is filled with stone chips
Only the outside edges are filled with
mortar, and the danger of collapsine
in time is always present. Solid houses
the country, but in the cities and larger
market villages, because only the
wealthy can afford them. The great
masses are content in stable-looking
dwellings,, whose floor is the earth,
whose walls are mud and whose roofs
are straw. The usual house is divided
into three equal parts by two beams
crossing it horizontally on top of the
masonry walls. In the case of houses
with straw roofs light framework is
placed on these beams. To protect the
roof from wind it is often weighted
down with large stones.
Country Houses Made Of Mud.
In the great plains the farmhouses
are made entirely of mud, with fat
roofs. Here the crOss-beams rest on
two main dividing beams. .On top Of
this is placed layer of sorghum straw.
and that is then covered with loess.
Such roofs need yearly renewing They
are built so that they can be used to
defend the farms, the walls being some
three feet higher than the roof. so in
times of need the men can go into them