The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1920-03-12
Recommends vitrified Tile For
SilOs.

Vitrifed hollow tile for construc
ting silos has been used extensively
of recent years, writes H. A. LaRue
associate professor or highway engi-
.eering in the University of Missouri,
in charge Of the civil engineering la
boratory for testing materials Of con-
struction. 1t is cheaper than rein
forced concrete and requires less e.
quipment in the way Of machinery to
be built. The vitrifed tile silo has
an advantage over Che wood-stave
silo, since it is not affected by the
changing weather conditions, nor is
it liable to be blown down. 1t does
not require frequent painting.
The item of first Importance in OBJ
tanning a good vitrified tile silo is of
course that Of obtaining a first class
vitrifed tile. The term "vitriied" as
applied to burnt clay products is not
thoroughly understood by a great
many people who make use Of this
class Of materials. This fact was
brought very forcibly to the writer's
attention recently by a law suit oyer
a so-called "vitrifed" hollow tile silo,
where it developed in the course of
| the proceedings hat the contractor
who furnished the tile did not furnish
a thoroughly vitrifed product. The
unusual situation was hat the lawyer
for the plaintiff did not appreciate
the Importance of the term "vitrifed'
until tests on the tile showed that it
was not "vitrifed" and therefore the
contractor had not fulfilled his con-
tract to build a "vitrifed" hollow tile
silo.
The term "vitrifed" as applied to
ceramic products, such as paving
bricks, sewer pipes, roofing tiles
drain tiles, face bricks, hollow build
ing tile, etc, is used to describe the
physical status of the material OBJ
tanned in the process of burning the
clay. A definition of the word wit.
rifed" to apply to all cases where
specifications in question contain ne
definition of the term, has been gen.
orally accepted to be as follows
"Where the word 'vitrihed' is used il
a contract or agreement in describing
the properties of a clay product, anC
, is not futher defined in the contract
it shall mean that the product shall
! have attained such a degree of com
~pactness that its absorption does no
exceedthree per cent of its W mi
tial weight of pure water, when sub
5 jected to complete immersion in col,
/, water for forty-eight hours or boil
= ing water for three hours. Not les
S than three tests shall be made in de
4 termining the absorption, and no sin
gle test may exceed the mean b
0 more than 5 per cent. Neither tn
possession of the visual properties o
appearance Of a glass, nor any def
mite degree Of physical strength, hard
r ness, color, or specific gravity shall b
e implied as an attribute of 'vitrifca
/, ton"
II is generally understood that
silo must have non-porus walls j
order that the silage will be well pre-
: served. If the tile used is of a poru
nature, the silage will percolate thr
q the walls of the silo, the same a
! ground water seeps thru the wal
y Of porus drain tile. The result wi
t be to allow the silage 10 dry out 1
h round the walls of the silo, with sui
d sequent molding, thus greatly impair
e ing the value Of the silage as fee
Is for stock.
It Therefore it is of prime importan,
a to see hat a we'll vitrifed Tile is oil
& tanned, Of uniform color and har,
{. ness, with no Nominations or crael
IN the walls of the tile. The sd
It glazed tile which is supposed to mall
y the tile impervious to thu absorptic
Of moisture; but this type Of Ii
IS should be vitrided as well as glaze