Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-18

and the final signature of the bill by President
Hoover on May IA, 1880. The bill called for
an appropriation of 900 for the construc-
ton of the laboratory, and an additional
$4,000 will be required annually for operation.
The designing of the laboratory was a
difficult undertaking as there was no precedent
on which it might be based and it encom-
passed structure planned to meet q wide
variety Of novel and continually changing
problems. To facilitate this task an advisory
committee, consisting of representatives of
various governmental units which have to do
with hydraulic problems and prominent ny
draulic engineers nominated by council.
formed with the purpose of obtaining the best
judgment available in the country before the
final design completed.
The committee held meetings over period
of six months, presenting its recommendations
to the staff of the Bureau of Standards, which
under the direction of S. M. Woodward, pro-
feSSor of mechanics and hydraulics OF the State
University of Iowa and of William 1. Deming
of Washington, D. c., who was appointed
architect, completed the final design and sent
it out for bids.
The general features stressed in the
mittee design called for maximum fow free
floor space fe%ibllity OF equipment and large
surface for the supply basins. 1t was
considered desirable to provide the maximum
amount of free floor space, much of the
work in the laboratory involved the construc-
ton of models with special apparatus, and
large surface areas in the supply basins
held important in order to reduce the change
in pumping head when the measuring basin is
filling, and to remove air bubbles carried by
the water returning from experiment.
The contract was finally let to Stoffiet and
Tilotson of Philadelphia and construction was
begun this past April.
In the design of this laboratory" states
Director Burgess in recent article in CIVIL
Engineering advantage has been taken of eX-
perience both here and abroad, and it is be-
we'd hat
governmental field services, as expressed by
their representatives, can be met. Provision
has been made for circulating more than twice
the volume of water in any existing laboratory
under cover.
In the design provision has been made for
useful, large-scale fundamental research of
wide scope and the highest attainable pre-
cision, for improving the economy and accu-
racy Of measurements OF water by weirs and
orifices. Adequate provision has also been
made for fundamental research covering the
hydraulic laws governing the flow of water.
and for experiments models with range in
size sufficient to determine scale effects. For
the $3.50 900 available I believe shall have
a laboratory that will render to the nation
the maximum possible return on the invest
ment.
1.-THE building proper is to be of brick and
] steel construction. to match architectu-
Standards. The substructure is of concrete
with footings carried to firm rock in order to
reduce settlement to the smallest possible
amount. The greatest care was taken in the
design of the SubStructure and water basins
and in the specifications for the concrete
that the walls and floors in contact with water
may be as free from settlement and shrinkage
cracks as possible
ITO reduce changes in DETECTION under
varying loads to q very small amount. the
to ho nf hoa
Such reflections would interfere seriously with
experimental work, particularly when long
models built with accurate slopes were being
used.
Prom its three-Story rectangular head (82
feet long and 90 feet wide) at the east end. it
extends westward for 204 feet at height OF
two stories and width Of so feet. Thus the
the building has a total length Of 286 feet The
supply basins at the east end and the measur-
ing basin at the west end extend beyond the
limits of the building proper. Including supply
and measuring basins the building has a con-
tent of 1886, 900 cubic feet.
Extending under the entire building there
will be a basement containing two large supply
basins at the east end of the building, with
connecting channels six feet wide extending
to the opposite end. At the west end there
will be tumble bay to take the discharge from
the main hume and to carry the water to the
several return channels and ventura meter
lines all of which will lead back to the supply
basins. thus completing the circulation.
West of the tumble bay will be measuring
basin capable Of holding 10000 cubic feet OF
water This basin be used to measure
volumetrically at least two-thirds of the maxi
mum flow of from 112,500 to $4,000 gallons
per minute for which provision has been
made but it is hoped that it will be possible
to enlarge the basin at some future date to
make more adequate provisions for very &C
curate measurement Of the highest flows or
which the laboratory is capable