The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1909-08-03
BIG TESTING MACHINE
Bridges Made Safe by the Use Of
New Device.
EVERY STEEL PIECE IS TESTED

EVERY STEEL PIECE IS TESTED
Engineers Say Powerful Apparatus
Will ~Rsveiutienixs Structural Work
Over Watsr-eM Before Congress %
Authorize euiidins Of otili Larger
Test Machine.
tical compression test machine Of TO-
100000 pounds capacity, which L. be-
Ing built by a well known firm In Phil
adelphia for b structural material
testing laboratories Of the United
States geological survey, will revolu-
tionize the building OF bridges In the
United States. making uch an occur
renee as the collapse OF the Quebec
bridge with attendant loss Of life i'm
possible.
| This machine, with a gross weight
OF more than o tons and an extreme
height above the foundations of about
eighty feet. Is by far the largest test
tng appliance ever constructed. En-
gineers seen recently said that the rea-
son there Is always SO much uncer-
tainry about the strength Of a great
- u III hafG
eve been constructed Of sufficient
steel used In them.
1t was pointed out that every piece
of steel used was subjected to a speci-
leo test. the engineers knowing the
quality of the material used and bas-
ing their calculations OF the strength
Of column or cord thereon. But the
actual strength of the ponderous piece
Of steel was In the last analysis known
on paper only. and the statement was
repeatedly mad that had there been
In existence such a machine as thai
the government is now having con-
structed the weakness Of the Quebec
bridge would have been known before
Ii was too late.
The nearest approach to the proposed
government machine is the celebrated
WATERFOWL arsenal machine, Water
town. Pa. designed by A. II. Emery
of Stamford, Con The enormous ost
of such a machine as the government
has contracted for has until now been
the obstacle between the private
plants and its construction, n even
when the Philadelphia firm was first
engaged to construct his machine 1t
was not designed to have 1t larger han
necessary to test the large blocks of
stone being used in government and
other buildings throughout the United
States.
But the supervising architect of the
geological survey urged that the ca
pacity of the machine be extended 80
as to test whole columns of brick.
stone, concrete and even of steel. and
accordingly the original clearance be-
tween ''the heads" was increased from
twenty-five to sixty-hve feet. Now,
since the purpose Of the government
has become known the department Is
being flooded with letters urging its
early completion that II may be used
NOT only in the cases of bridges already
under construction, but to test built up
structures as well.
The machine In simplest form Is
nothing more than a huge hydraulic
press with one adjustable head and a
weighing system for recording the
pressure developed In Ii by means of a
triple plunger pump. Between the base
Of the machine and the adjustable
head when removed to the farthest
point Ia a distance of sixty-ive feet:
consequently the machine Is capable
Of testing the supporting strength OF a
column more than sixty feet in length.
Some idea Of the size Of the machine
may be obtained from a statement of
the weight of its principal parts. The
castings for the base and the top head
weigh approximately $4,000 pounds
each. Each main screw Will weigh
over 10000 pounds, the lower platform
about 25,O 600 pounds and the main cyl
inder 10000 pounds. The top of the
machine will be about seventy feet
above the floor, and the concrete foun-
dalton upon which the machin rests
will be about eight feet below the foor
line.
So many letters were sent to mem
bers Of congress and to the department
Of geological survey congratulating the
government on taking the initiative i'll
the construction Of such a machine
that Senator Teller has introduced a
bill providing for another machine
more than twice as large as the Phila-
delphia firms apparatus. having H.
o tons capacity In compression and
$500 tons In tension. taking columns
or cords 100 feet long.
Mr. Emery, designer of the Water
town machine, Is named in the bill as
designer and builder. n the price,
Including the machine and two eighty
ton cranes, Ia fxed at 81. 10000. In
addition, $4,000 o Is to De appropriated
for q building to house the machine.
According { the specifications. this
machine will be able to give and weigh
loads Of tension up to 100000 pounds
and loads. Of compression up to 22,0OO,-