The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-05-03

The use Of COncrete-a mixture of sand
and gravel and Portland cement in ap-
propriate proportions-for building pur-
poses has long passed the experimental
stage and has entered upon practical
and commercial basis where It rivals
brick and stone in cheapness, if not in
architectural beauty and finish. Solid
concrete is already the accepted material
for foundations, especially of large struc-
lures and is slowly fighting its way to
the front for the construction of the
superstructural walls.
In the latter province. for several years,
there has been a sharp rivalry between
REINFORCED concrete and concrete block.
Re-enforced concrete construction is car
ried on by the use Of the concrete mix
ture, into which are worked twisted steel
rods or wire for the greater stability of
the thin side and front walls. Concrete
block is usually made without the sup
porting steel, in thin layers of the ma
teriai, hollow. the block being laid as
stone or brick in the constructed walls.
The chief difficulty with REINFORCED con-
crete has been the necessity for making
the walls thicker than desirable, the dan
ger from cracking. and dampness. accord
ing to climatic conditions and the loca-
ton of the building.
Concrete Block Criticised.
Concrete block has been criticised be-
cause Of its dark gray color, sometimes,
brown, and a general tendency to damp
ness in walls constructed of il Much
progress. however, has been made to-
ward eliminating the defect Of dampness.
and the makers of concrete block now
declare they are able to produce the ma
terial of almost any desired shade from
the light gray of sandstone 10 the gem
eraI appearance of "old red sandstone or
Indiana limestone. There is as yet, how
ever sort of shining manufactured"
appearance to the best building block.
which causes architects to disregard it as
suitable material for large, handsome,
and costly structures.
There is little doubt that further expert
mentatiOn will bring the made stone
so near the texture and appearance of
that hardened By the processes of nature
that concrete block may in time become
the accepted material in all kinds of con-
struction work.
Examples in Washington.
In Washington ara Tor be found numer-
Gus examples of the use Of concrete, in
all the form to which It has been utilized
in building. All the large buildings con-
structed here in The last seven or eight
years have concrete foundations. The
Union station is the best illustration OF
this use of concrete.
It viii be recalled that the foundations
of this building were constructed by dig
ging about twenty feet into the earth
where solid earth was found, and then
the huge pillars of concrete were built
up about forty feet into the air and filed
in afterWard. the superstructure being
placed upon the heavy foundations whose
tops were from thirty 20 forty feet above
the old grade of Massachusetts, avenue
This foundation work was made of
broken rock. sand. and Portland cement
II was claimed by the architect and en-
gineers supervising the construction that
for solidity, hOmogeniety and cheapness
IL surpassed anything open to their use
In the construction Of the viaduct walls
and the tunnels approaching the station
the walls were faced with stone and
backed up with concrete on broad con-
crete foundations.
Bridge Work In Concrete,
The Connecticut avenue bridge. follow
ing several other smaller structures in
Rock Creek Park and elsewhere in the
District, is wholly Of concrete construc-
ton. Its foundations are of solid con-
crete and the upper work of special con
struction which might be termed concrete
block
In the use Of REINFORCED concrete the
Halls Of the Ancients and the Office
building on Sixth street northwest, be
side the Columbian Building, are iiustra-
tons. Here the steel supports were used
and the result was two substantial build
ings. which, If not INTELLECTUALLY among
the handsOnest Of the city, are clearly
among the most durable Time has had
no effect upon them, and apparently will
not have, though they may stand a cen
fury. The cost Of these buildings was
probably not commercially economical as
they were built at a time when cOnstFuc- /
ton methods with this particular mate
rial had not been brought to the per-
lection now prevailing.
Block OF Later Date.
Concrete block is Of later date. Harmon
S. Palmer. father Of the concrete block,
has only recently brought his machinery
for the construction Of this material TO q
point where it may be called nearly per
feet. Construction in Washington OF this
material is largely confined 10 a forty
eight-roOm apartment house, at 1850 Bin |
ney street northwest; three houses. 1885
to 1899 Girard street, and a few smaller
structures. one OF them at Drummond,
Nd. These structures, one Of which,
the Binney street apartment house-ls
shown in the accompanying picture, are
samples Of what may be expected from
the further use Of this material in build
ing.
Concrete block has been used much
more extensively in other cities than in
Washington. Around Pittsburg and Ale
gheny there are many buildings made Of
it. including churches, railway stations.
and private houses. The cost of brick In
that territory Is greater than here, and
the economy of concrete block is more of
a factor han in Washington.
Several Cases Cited.
Illustrative of the numerous uses 10
which concrete block has been used in
building, the following may be mentioned: !
Waitaing station at the principal park Of
Terre Haute. Ind; three-story residence
Of George Dambrush, Appleton Wis. !
electric light and power plant at Shaw /
nee, Okla; dairy building at the Toronto
Exposition. Military Academy at Staun- /
ton, Va; mausoleum IN Cedar Hill Gem /
etsry, Port jefferson, n. Y; water works /
at Charlotte, n. CT water works at Port /
Arthur, Tex; Welsh Presbyterian Church. /
Wilson avenue, Cleveland. Ohio; st. /
Miehael's High School at Greenville Pa;
residence of II. J. Heinze Sharpsburg. 7
Pa; library in Military Park, Indianap- /
oils; gas plant offices, Pittsfeld, Mass. /
Law Exchange. Jacksonville, Fla and
II. u. :.