Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-26
ROOSEVELT SCHOOL
CHANGES ORDERED
FOR ADDED SAFETY
Higher Standard Is Set on
Advice OF Building
Inspector.
CONCRETE TO SUBSTITUTE
FOR 18-INCH BRICK WALL
Report of Board Approves Plans,
but Requests Alterations
as Precaution.

The District Commissioners todav
ordered the plans for the Roosevelt High
School auditorium changed as a meas
ure OF greater safety. The steelwork for
the auditorium was blown over by n
brisk wind last month. and the accident
resulted in sending Of the plans 10 a
board OF inquiry to report on their
safety. The report of the board. made
public today. finds the plans safe both
as to safety during construction and
safety after the building is completed.
On recommendation of the building In
spector, however, a higher standard of
safety was set, and the change ordered
by the Commissioners on recommended
ton OF Engineer Commissioner John c.
GotWals.
The change consists in substituting
for the lS-inch brick wall, proposed 20
be built around the steel columns. a wall
OF reinforced concrete. This could be
faced on the outside with brick so as to
achieve the same architectural result.
Affords Greater support.
The concrete work. according TO
Building Inspector John w. Oehmann.
VIII afford greater support to the
steel beams than would the brick wall.
The steel, he found, was safe. as. in
closed In brick wall 1t would supnort
an allowable stress OF $4,000 pounds per
square inch, whereas the load actually
imposed on the columns is approximate
s nx~la
Stunning that the brick walls give no sup
port to the columns the allowable stress
Is $500 pounds per square inch.
In recommending the change TO his
fellow Commissioners. Mai. Gotwals
wrote:
AS pointed out by the inspector OF
buildings, the design originally used by
the municipal architect. can be consid.
cred safe. 1t is to be noted that the
strength OF these columns is more than
adequate TO carry the loads imposed
upon thsm. If the brick wall inciosir,r
them does mot surely confne them ~
length meeting the conventional allow
able ratio of length to radius OF gyra-
ton, the remedy to meet the high stand
ara set up by the board Is simple.
Change Readily Justified"
This remedy is to change the mate
rial IN the wall up to a height of ri
feet above the stage elevation to re-
lnforced concrete. either in part or In
whole. as may be most economical. The
columns so supported will have their
free standing lengths reduced to con-
Yentional standards.
While feel the municipal architect
followed good principles and safe prac-
tees in assuming that the heavily and
carefully built brick walls do support
the columns. feel that 1t is adding one
more precaution toward safety to meet
the high standard just presented The
change Is so simple that it is readily
justified"
Two Questions Asked.
The two question which the special
board was asked to answer as well as
the answers of the board were as fol-
lows:
Question /. rs the type Of construc-
ton. freestanding steel columns en-
oedoed in brick walls as proposed sound
beyond question?
The board believes that the method
OF construction referred TO in question /
is sound beyond question, provided: CA
The steel columns are of such design as
TO carry all vertical loads. including
those Of the roof independently Of the
lnclosing walls; (BD The steel columns
Nc oO AColbtCA diO 81 DidCeu as 10 cHTIV
all lateral loads, including winds preS-
Sures without dependence on the inclcs-
ing walls.
QUESTION 2. Was 1t practicable to
erect this steel without hazard of coll
lapse?
1T is the opinion of the board that
it is practicable to erect this type OF
construction without hazard OF coll
lapse"
The board was composed of Assistant
Engineer Commissioner D. A. Dawson,
chairman; Edward w. Dom, jr, local
architect in private practice, and Lester
G. wilson civil engineer, also in pri-
VatP Dractice