Evening star., 1938-11-05
livabi|ity Is Added
To Homes by New
Developments
Residence Elevators,
Welding Designs
Among Advances


Among Advances
New construction developments
including Welding designs for
houses, metal for building fronts,
color-fused plate glass, residence
elevators and ingenious kitchen
units and heating arrangements
are making homes and buildings
more nvable and decorative, accord
ing to a research bulletin edited
by the structural service department
OF the American Institute of Archi-
tects from data provided by the
Producers Council.
The approval of welding In the
new building code OF the city Of
New York has resulted in wider
recognition of the advantages Of
structural steel welding for better
housing design, the bulletin reports.
1t Is estimated that today there
are thousands Of structures erected
with welded joints, some of which
comprehended shop riveting and
field welding, other shop welding
and riveting in the field, while a
large percentage were completely
welded.
1T is anticipated that those cities
the buildings codes of which do not
at present include the sanctioning
of structural steel welding will fall
in with the parade as it gains
momentum" says the bulletin
Structural steel producers have
recognized the demand for light
weight steel members through the
manufacture of a variety of such
shapes.
Greater Latitude Of Design.
steel frame construction permits
greater latitude of design and
offers permanency, since shrink
age and corrosion are practically
eliminated. It is both fire resist
ing and vermin proof and affords
safety from lightning. It's cost is
comparable to other standard means
of construction.
"The acceptance Of steel frame
construction is being achieved
through the application of the
fusion welding processes as sim
pie and effective means of joining
structural assemblies. Here the
builders saw is displaced by his
cutting torch, while hammer and
nails are supplanted by fusion weld
ing.
weight reduction is one of the
most important factors made pos
sible by welding, because it elm
mates the use of rivets, bolts, clips
and fish plates. The full section of
the member is available for stress.
Welded joints allow for the con-
servation of space through elimina-
ton of bulky connections and pro-
vide more rigid construction"
Structural welding is adaptable to
house construction over a wide price
range, it is pointed out. The bulle-
tin describes two homes, one cost
ing $1,000 and the other $35 900. In
the first the cost of welding per Gu
bic foot was s00125; in the second
it was s00O93.
New Structural Glass.
The growing practice of incor-
poratlng luminous elements as a
part Of the architectural design has
been the incentive for production of
new plate and structural glass. One
colored type is from three to seven
times stronger than ordinary plate
glass and can stand extreme heat or
changes in temperature According
to its makers, if it is subjected to the
extreme force necessary to break it
the entire sheet will disintegrate in
stantly into small crystals about
the size of bath salts.
This plate glass can be used wher-
ever it is desired to transmit light
through plane surfaces instead of
merely rejecting light or having
lighting elements attached. Entire
walls and ceilings, light panels in
ceilings and bathroom and other
recesses can be lighted in this way
in addition to exterior areas. An
opaque variety also is suitable for
building fronts, interior walls, wains-
cotings and ceilings and table tops.
Another structural glass has ten
slle strength and resistance to wear
greater than that of marble. Opaque,
with high luster it is said to be
lmpervious to burns from cigarettes,
acids in common use, moisture and
weather. 1t comes in plain and
agate colors.
A new principle in building front
construction consists of extruded
metal which eliminates all plain,
fiat surfaces that are prone to give
the optical illusion of waviness. Each
distinct area has slight radius. A
casual wiping of the surface, perhaps
as part of window washing routine,
will bring out the high points of the
designs in contrast with the lower
portions of the profiles, it is ex-
planned. This accentuates the con-
trast between light and shade, which
is the main object of molding profile
design.
Elevator Seen in Home.
The time is close at hand when an
elevator will be included in the plans
OF every modern home, one manu-
facturer believes. A wide range of
hand and electrically operated out
fits are now available to meet the
problem of where and how to fit a
residential elevator into an exist
ing structure without needless sac
rif1ce of space and costly alterations.
Among these is an electrical stair
carrier having two hinged seats and
q foot rest which travels on a steel
rail at one side of straight flight
OF stairs. When not in use the seats
and foot rest fold against the carrier,
occupying but seven inches from the
side wall Of the stairway.
Where there is an open stair well
type operated up and down the