New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-04
Come Into the CountryTIeres an Attractive House Des
Concrete Construction Has
Stood Many SeUere Tests
Impregnable to Effects of Fire or Age, Ii Is Ideal
System for Use in Building Small Homes, as
Well as Great Commercial Structures

with wood sash and common glass.
Floor openings were not protected.
There were no tireproof partitions to
dsvlde the floors into small areas within
wfich fire might be confined. There
were no automatic srrinklers. Around
one column twenty-five tons, of wax
Were piled, which created such an in
tense fire as to fuse the materials of
the concrete and melt the reinforcing
steel.
The buildings were built number
OF years before the design of rein
forced concrete had approached stand
ingly short time the buildings were
restored, and when restoration was
complete tests showed them to be
structurally stronger than when new.
Greatest Business Disorganizer.
Every fire discrepancies business to
greater or lesser extent. The own
ers arc affected by the loss of bust
ness during the period following the
IRE because new stock must be bought
and temporary arrangements made to
carry on business in makeshift way.
The staff of employees is also disor-
CANNED. Many must be laid off, and
before the business can be again oper-.
ating at normal many of the original
personnel have found new employ.
Ii a fire occurs in properly designed
reinforced concrete building, it can be
cleaned out as soon as the insurance
adjusters permit and damage to wood
trim readily repaired, or if such trim
Is totally destroyed it can quickly be
replaced.
Reinforced concrete buildings are
classed by fire underwriters as fire.
proof. They represent the highest type
OF fire-safe construction. Insurance af-
lords no protection against fire, but
merely lessons the bad effects of fire.
Insurance rates are very materially re-
duced by making a structure as nearly
hreproof as possible, and protection
not recognized by the insurance rater
is obtained by making all parts of the
building of a material that will not
rust, rot, nor depreciate with the pass
ing of years. An inherent property Of
concrete is to grow stronger instead
of weaker with age.
Concrete Stopped Flames
A densely built. city is conAagra-
ton hazard unless proper restrictions
are imposed on building construction,
In our large cities progressive improve
ment in building codes is doing much
to increase the number of concrete
structures built annually In many
notable CONGREGATIONS, such as those
from which Baltimore, Atlanta and
Salem, Mass, suffered some years ago,
concrete buildings in several cases in
the burned areas proved barrier to
the fires spread in one direction.
These confiagrations drove home the
lesson of firepreof construction to many
OWNERS who we're all but wiped out of
business upon these occasions.
Another advantage of fire resistive
construction is that if building is of
type that will not burn it must have
the inherent quality of permanence
1t is natural that permanenee and fire
resistance should be related and this
Immediately brings to mind the thought
that permanent, fre-safe buildings, in
addition to possessing adequate protec-
ton against fire, must be free from
costly maintenance or upkeep neces-
sarily associated with types of con-
structien subject to more or less rapid
depreciation.
Burning Up s300,o00,000 Year
! Apart from financial or personal con-
| siderations, fre-safe construction is a
national duty. The figures represent
ing our national fire loss prove this.
Incidentally, this loss represents in
total an amount equal to one-quarter
of the total of each years new con-
struction. In other words, while we
think we are advancing four full steps
each year, we are in reality advancing
but three, since we backslide to the
l.extent of 100000, 900 annual fire loss.