Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-03-28

WASHINGTON ID. G.. March q
The largest machine IN the world for
testing tn" strength OF struci nral ma
terials used in great buildings and
engineering works is about 10 be
erected by the United States govern
ment at The Geological Survey Test
ing Station. Pi,tSburg. Penn. II VIII
weigh more than 200 tons and Will
tower in the air to an extreme hcl2h.
of about eighty fee; above the i0uh-
dations. |: viii! exert a maximum pres
sure Of ten million pounds, which Is
equivalent to placing load or ''o"'
top,. unnn The. beam or column to b"
tested
Thi, prco; machine will be housed
in q structure 100 feet in h"iSht AMI
of unusual strength to which the Isl
Inc apparatus will be secured by S'f'
reds in order 10 brace 1t against any
sudden PRESSURE while the Columns
are undergoing the strain upon 'ht''ii
Elevators will run 10 III" top OF 'i''
machine 50 that .he experts may eN-
anime IL" columns being tested from
any "oint OF view to dt;"ci me h'9'
signs of weakening.
Whcn III" Quebec bridge collapsed
with great loss Of life, general COM
men, was made by engineers. an"
others OF the lack of knowledge c"ii-
corning the strength OF great Columns
uscd in such structure and pea
was made that Il testing machine ID
SUFFICIENT strength be erected so that
the engineers may have accurate data
AS to the am. unit OF lead such bridge
should carry. With the constructor
o: this machine it will be possible u
ties, steel columns Onc-half IN" SIZE
of the largest chords now used in any
bridge. This will be decided gam
tn the engineering world which mas
been anXiOuslv awaiting the coAStrur
ton OF such machine.
However. this is not the primary
iurp& sc of this powerful testing APP
DaratlS M. Joseph A, Holmes. en-
uprt iu charge of the techmOloSic
branch. United States geological sur
vey. under whose general direction
the investigations are 10 be conducted
said today:
This machine was acquired for the
purpose OF testing the strength OF
large blocks OF stone, columns OF COIL
crete and brick using in the building
and construction work of the govern
ment. The Federal government is
the largest builder in the world, ana
it is essential. if the money is to be
expended wisely, chat there be accom-
plete knowledge of the strength OF
the materials used. The building and
engineering construction work vii!
require during the present and the
next few years more than $1O.o0o.ooo
per annum 1t embraces the most
important and far-reachins engineer
ing work undertaken by any govern
ment at any time and a program or
public buildings costing from $l2,-
OOO, 900 to s15.0Ooo00 yearly.
The testing in this machine of the
stone. concrete and brick columns will
determine the relative safety, adapt
ability and durability of these mate
rails, and how the quantity of each
material used may be safely dimih-
ished. thus reducing the cost of the
construction work.
''IE the past it has been necessary
to determine the strength OF large
columns en- the assumption of the
values obtained from testing smaller
columns. In the case of stone, the
small pieces tested were without I'll"
usual quarried effects and seams
which are to be found in large pieces
Of stone. and such tests as have been
made. show that the strength Ct the
stone decreases as the size of the
stone Increases. In the erection CT
large buildings tn" strength of lhsc