Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-11-15

start has been made with frame build
ings
Concrete IS as cheap ainber for
building purposes and cy il
sand gravel and labor are largely fur
mished on the place. An ordinary
farm hand win become expert IN the
use oi concrete with a few cx-
pericnce.
Silos. barns and other buildings
made OF this material are much safer
than wood against fire and storm
The largest part Of concrete IS the
gravel or crushed stone. This should
he elcan-th.t is, free from loan. clay
or vegetable matter The best results
are obtained from mixture OF sizes
graded from the smallest. which is re-
tanned on a one.fourth inch screen. 10
the larger ones that will pass u one
ana one half inch ring. For heavy
foundation and abutment work larger
sized pebbles and stones might be used.
while for re.cnforced concrete work
pebbles larger than those passing a
one inch ring should not be used
In the selection of sand the greatest
care should be used. and critical attcn-
ton should bc given To- its quality. for
sand contributes from onc-third To one.
half OF the amount of the materials
used In making concrete sand may
be considered as including all grains
and small pebbles that will pass
through wire screen with one-fourth
inch meshes. while gravel in general Is
the pebbles and stones retained upon
such screen. The sand should tie
clean. coarse and. If possible, free from
loan. clay and vegetable matter.
In mixing materials for concrete use
two and half times as much sand as
portland cement and twice as much
gravel or stone MS sand that IS. one
part cement. two and half parts OF
sand and five parts of gravel or crush
ed stone Use just enough water TO
get the consistency desired. II the
sand Is very fine the cement should
be increased from 10 10 II per cent.
When the mixture does not have
uniform color, but looks streaky, 1t has
not been fully mixed
II the mixture does not work well
and the sand and cement do not till the
voids III the stone the percentage OF
stone should he reduced slightly. but
the concrete should first be properly
mixed Concrete that IS poorly mixed
may present features that are entirely
eliminated by turning 1t over once or
twice more
Concrete wet enough 10 be mushy
and run of shovel when being han
died is used for REINFORCED work. thin
walls or other thin sections. Concrete
just wet enough 10 make IL jelly-like
Is used for some REINFORCED work and
also for foundations. floors. etc II re-
Quircs ramming with 4 tamper 10 re
move mir bubbles and 10 till voids
This concrete is Of medium consist
ency
Sometimes bank or creek gravel.
which will answer the purpose of sand
and gravel combined. can be obtained.
and il is frequently used on the farm
and in small jobs OF concrete work
just rs II comes from the pit or creek.
Occasionally this gravel contains near
ly the right proportions Of sand and
gravel. but in the majority Of sand
pits and gravel banks there is n great
variation In the sizes OF the grains ana
pebbles or gravel and in the quant-
ties of each This is due to the fact
that all the deposits are formed In
seams or pockets that make il impos-
slble 10 secure anything like uniform
lty Therefore. 10 get the best and
cheapest concrete il Is advisable TO
screen the sand and grave and 10 re
mix them In the correct proportions for
the work