Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1916-02-04
Cement as a Building Material
BY Prof. 1. d. Charlton, Division Of Farm ,,.,,.,.
On Washington Agrlculturist)

There are six kinds of common building
iron, and cement
Wood, at present, seems to be the most
extensively used for the construction of
farm buildings 1t lends itself readily TO
shaping into various forms that 20 to
make up building.
Stone is used more particularly for
building foundations and gives really a
permanent construction il it has proper
bearing on the ground and a good grade
of mortar and workmanship is used in the
construction.
Brick Is extensively used in localities
where a good grade of material can be
procured for brick making. This makes
really a very pleasing and very permanent
building.
Tile is coming into very general use in
some of the states in the middle west.
This material is either glazed or unglazed
and is used for barns, silos, houses, and in
fact almost any type of permanent build
ing construction.
Iron or steel is used more particularly
in connection with some other form OF
building material. However, it is being
used for the construction of barn frames
and the framework of some of the other
farm buildings.
Cement is replacing some of the other
building materials to a very large extent.
1t lends itself readily to moulding into
shapes that could not be procured cheapIy
from any of the other permanent building
materials. Unlike wood air, water. and
heat do not produce rapid decay of this
material. 1t can be handled with cheaper
labor than required for stone, brick or
tile. 1t is rot and rust proof. Water tends
to increase its strength and make it
harder
II the proper materials are used and
proper care used in handling the mater
ials and placing them, cement construc-
ton is permanent and lends itself readily
to farm building construction. 1t is not
absolutely necessary that skilled labor be
used in handling cement although it is
probable that better results will be
secured.
In procuring the material for cement
construction, it is necessary that clean,
coarse, sharp sand be selected and that a
good grade of coarser material such as
gravel or crushed rock be used in order
to procure the best results. Clean sand is
sand that does not contain more than five
to eight per cent of fine vegetable matter
or clay. 1t should be comparatively free
from mica The amount of foreign mat
ter can easily be determined by filling an
ordinary fruit jar half full of the sand to
be tested, pouring in enough water to
fill the jar about two-thirds full. This
mixture is well shaken and then allowed
to settle. The coarser, heavier particles
of sand drop to the bottom of the jar-the
finer particles, dirt and vegetable matter,
settle in layer on top of the sand. If
this layer is more than about five to eight
per cent of the whole volume of material,
1t is doubtful whether good results can be
procured with the sand in cement con-
struction.
The particles of the sand should be
sharp so that the projections on one grain
will fit into the spaces between the ad-
Jacent grains. This fitting in of the pro-
Ject1ons saves in the amount of cement
required to make a good mortar or con-
crete. The particles of sand should be
coarse like graduated sugar in order that
a minimum amount of cement be required
to make a good mixture