Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-06-26
SCIENCE IN INDUSTRY
TOLD OF BY HASKIN
Daily Letter by Frederic j. Haskin

WASHINGTON, June 26:-Big
business is coming more and more
to realize the place that science &C.
cupies in everyday work. One of
the many tangible evidences of this
is the Structural Materials Research
Laboratory established by the CO.
menr industry at Lewis Institute,
Chicago. In less than a decade this
laboratory has done work that af-
fects every city, town and hamlet
in the country and reached out into
all + of the world.
Prior to 1914 there was little exact
knowledge as to tbs principles to be
followed in order to obtain the MAXI
mum value and efficiency in the use
of portland cement. This product
has been manufactured in this coun-
try since 1872 but it had taken long
years for it to win acceptance as a
building material of diverse uses.
The men who We're developing the
industry were well ware of the ham
dicap they had TO overcome, and
finally they decided that the best
move they could make would be to
invite the cooperation of scientists.
Accordingly the laboratory was
founded in connection with Lewis
Institute.
1t has none Of the atmosphere of
big business. The rooms are filled
with quee looking machines and in
evruments. Glass covered cabinets
are filled with hundreds of bottles
containing test samples. The visitor
gets the impression that he is in a
place where technical Technology is
the only language spoken and where
operations beyond the understand
ing of the average layman are car
ried on.
However, after a brief period of
inspection and study and with a
few words of explanation from the re
search experts in charge, the labor
atory takes on a more inviting as.
pect, and it is easy to comprehend
that its work is of direct application
to the practical problems of everyday
life.
When the laboratory was started
Professor Duff A. Abrams, consider
ed one of the highest authorities in
the country on the use of cement in
concrete was selected to take charge.
The only instructions given him were
to find out everything that is to be
known about concrete.
So thorough were the initial tests,
and so painstaking were the experts
in their research, that 1t was four
years before the first bulletin was is
sued on the results of the tests.
Since that time hundreds of thous-
ands of tests have been carried out,
and numerous bulletins have been is
r.-.H FZ- Ala, ILnnaGt Af ans,r1ata nc
ers, i%nstructing them how to get the
post possible results from the mater
ial, and demonstrating to the world
in general the Importance Of scien-
titic research to modern business.
Water In Concrete
One of the notable results of the
experiments conducted IN the ! abor-
atory has been in connection with
the use of water in concrete. 1t was
found that the amount Of water u.s.
ed in mixing concrete was quite as
important as the amount of sand ce-
ment or gravel. These Investigations
made possible the attainment of a
substantial increase in the strength
of concrete without increasing the
quantity of cement used. When the
results had been checked thorough
ly, and the experts were certain of
their conclusions, the information
was priated in bulletin form and dis
tributed to Thousands of concrete
users Results of other experiments
are made available similarly.
A sand library,"-a collection of
sand samples at the laboratory-is
probably the most complete Thai has
ever been assembled. For ten years
these specimens have been collected.
! There are sands from the Pacific
Coast, from New England. from
every other section OF the United
states, and from Cuba, Mexico,
Canada and other foreign countries,
They have been carefully tested and
the results Of these tests are pre-
served in the files. This information
includes the sourc OF each sample,
the grading, silt content and colori-
metric tests for organic. impurities
In most instances mortar and con-
| crete tests have also he en- made. This
researc worl. has shown the suit
abili," of the various sands for use
in concrete AMI the records in the
sand library ere OF great i~nteres'
and value TO the building world.
One section of the laboratory Il
| devoted to the testing Of specimens
! Of aAnanAtA. Tha naatsrial IL workse