Faw: 2, 1872. THE BUILDING NEWS. 101
all the careful mixing, by separating the gravel into
large and small, the large on the outside nearly
mortarless, the smaller, according to weight, nearer
.the place to where it was pitched, and the lime,
sand, and very small gravel in a heap by themselves.
If this were done all would require to be remixed in
the place. When carefully put in it should be
levelled and chaffed into every corner with spade,
and, indeed, all chaffed over. I set great store on
that spade working, as nothing divides the lime like
it. More of this spade working when I speak of
beéton making,
Concrete, made and placed in situ, as I have said,
will be thoroughly mixed, homogeneous, and placed
solidly. No ramming is required; indeed, I look
upon ramming concrete as useless labour, and, if con-
tinued till lime is set, absolutely hurtful, for the
stones moved then, or even struck by ramming, are
all deprived of the cohesive envelope.
This method of making concrete for foundations
may be considered rather costly ; but by packing in
any rough, hard, useless materials, as brickbats,
useiess otherwise, stone chippings, rough flints,
hard clinkers, &c., the expense may be considerably
reduced. Care must be taken, however, these are
thoroughly bedded in concrete. A little ramming now
may sometimes not be amiss, though they may be
embedded without. I should prefer a slightly less
proportion of larger gravel when this is done, and
small put in its place, perhaps also a trifle more lime
and sand. This packing should only be used freely
where all the resistance required is to compression
only, or nearly so, and then if carefully done,
almost measure for measure with the concrete may
be used.
I hefve treated only of rich limes, but hydraulic
limes and cement will require just the same general
treatment.
I had not intended to have been so diffuse when I
commenced, but somehow or other things have
grown on me till I extend far past my first inten-
tions, which was concrete blocks for walling, and I
am not at them yet, I hope my next will finish_—I
am, &e. C. A. WEDDLE.
37, Hyde-street, Winchester.
“WORCESTER SCHOOL BOARD”
COMPETITION.
Srr,—Your correspondent, a “Competitor,” is ap-
parently displeased that ‘two Worcester men” ahould
be first and second for the new schools. In most cases
he would be right in thinking local interest was used,
but in my ease I can assure him that neither I nor
my friends have attempted to use any influence at all.
My correspondence of last week will, I think, convince
him that, though second, ‘still I am not happy,” and I
have had the satisfaction of having heard from two of
the competitors that my design was a good one, and
ought to have been placed before Mr. Day on its
merits.—I am, &e.,
W. SECKHAM WITHERINGTON.
135, Cheapside, January 30th, 1872.
BUILDERS’ CO-OPERATION.
Srr,—Co-operation is now a recognised principle,
and proving a mighty protective power wherever its
principles and provisions are rightly understood and
administered. In its progress monopolies are swept
away, and the right of the many to participate estab-
lished. This is as it should be. It is the mutual
principle, and must gather strength and expand as
time, with its attendant blessings of education and
social elevation, moves on. And why cannot, or
rather why is not, this princip!e of co-operation
brought into use by the master builders? They are
the largest class of consumers, and the mainstays of
some of our largest local industries, and yet they seem
to be, at the close of this nineteenth century, as con-
tent with their position in respect of the sources of
supply as they were at the beginning! They seem
just as unconcerned now, being as they are, shut out
from participating in those benefits which should by
right accrue to them as the mainstays of large indus-
tries, as they were before our railway and telegraph
_ and postal systems were in vogue!
Why is it that the factor and the ironmonger have so
long fattened upon the builders’ profits? The answer
is simple, and is mainly this: The want of co-opera-
tion! They (the builders, and particularly those at a
distance) have been as much as possible kept in the dark
as to the best means of supply, and have much
suffered by their invidious position, being as it were
between two stools, with the local ironmonger on the
one side, and the builder’s factor on the other. The
first assumes that he bears stock, and therefore (and
justly) demands a higher price from the builder. The
second—the factor—assumes that he, being the direct
source of supply, is able to (and no doubt does) supply
at a cheaper rate, but in return expects the builder to
“bear stock.” This is for the consumer an invidious
position ; it compels him invariably to keep open two
accounts, and must be the cause of jealousy more or
less. This may be remedied im toto by the master
builders adopting the co-operative principle. And,
moreover, it behoyes them just now more than at any
other time to follow this course, for the very obvious
And why is it? |
reason that the recent altered condition of the labour market, reduced hours, and increased pay of the operatives, requires some extra effect on the part of employers to recoup themselves as far as advantage offers for the losses that have befallen a great many of them. Co-operation will do this by returning to them a good round bonus upon their outlay in ironmongery and other materials, which must be admitted to form a yery considerable item in builders’ estimates. And there can be but little speculation as to results. The profits on builders’ ironmongery as a whole are tolerably large, and will provide, undoubtedly, a hand- some return upon their expenditure. I shall be pleased to see this matter mooted a little, and for my part shall be very pleased to do all I can to assist inquicers upon the subject. There is not the least doubt in my own mind as to the feasibility of such a scheme, and [ do not doubt also but you will, in your editorial capa- city, do all you can to sift the matter—that is, if yon entertain the matter as at all important to your class of readers—and will enlighten the trade touching the modus operandi. There can be no two opinions that Birmingham, from its important and central position, would be best suited for the project to be set on foot; and the establishment of the chief offices and stores, and the executive here would be wise too, because of the close contiguity of the town to all the industries so entirely dependent upon the building trade.— Iam, &e., GEORGE WAKEMAN, Herbert-road, Small Heath, Birmingham. January 24, 1872. GREAT ITALIAN ARCHITECTS. Srr,—I have just noticed the following passage in the article on Great Italian Architects in your impression of the 12th inst.: ‘Nor was such a foolish and per- nicious assertion ever made or thought of by these great masters as that which we have lately heard from one of our foremost architects, that an architect, like a poet, nascitur non fit, and that energy, zeal, and talent are quite enough alone, without regular and close study, to place an artist at the head of his pro- fession.”” I think it would be well for writers, before they misquote others, to satisfy themselves as to what has really been said. On turning to the authorised report of the proceedings at the Conference of Archi- tects held last summer (at one of the meetings of which the ‘assertion’ in question was made), I find nothing to in any way justify the construction put upon it. ‘ One of our foremost architects” did, indeed, protest against the assumption that architects could be manufactured by attendance at courses of lectures, or by a system of architectural education, the results of which stould be estimated by mere examinations and by granting of diplomas, and remarked that “a man of energy, zeal, and ability will always make his way to the head of a profession,” but he did not add that he would do so ‘** without regular and close study.”"— Tam, &c., Hub January 30. PLUMBING. Srr,—In your last week’s journal, p. 64, you have devoted almost three columns to the subject of plumb- ing. In the first place, zinc of any kind should not be recognised for dwellings or any buildings of im- portance. You have inserted so many unfamiliar phrases that many of my fellow craft, I am sure, would be puzzled to understand them: Ist, rhone bolts; 2nd, semicircular rhones; 3rd, bilb curve; 4th, pipes held by wings (query Cupid wings). Such prases are foreign, Iam positive, to any working plumber, and they are as much an error as your correspondent’s terming sink ajawbox. The way youshow the lead ridge roll nailed is impracticable, bad, and leaky. Lead for hips and ridges of roof that has a pitch, say, from 27° to 45° should be 18 inches wide, and from 45°to 60° twenty inches wide. All flashings should be of 4lb. and gutters of 7lb. milled sheet lead, the latter laid with a fall of lin. inl0ft., with 2hin. drip. Large flats and gutters, where practicable, should be done with tiles in half Portland cement and half sand. As arule, the less lead is employed in any roof the better, and where used soldered joints should not be permitted in any instance. —I am, &c., PRIDEAUX, Clerk of Works. SKETCHES OF OLD WORK. Srr,—It is not at all disinteresting to read now and then long speeches from such men as Mr. Payne and others about London as it was, as it is, and how it ought to be. To provincials it sounds like a dry fiction—in at one ear and out at the other, and no more thought of it. It would be a great boon to poor mortals with- out the pale of all those great and glorious works if they could be benefited with illustrations in your journal of the most noteworthy and recent erections of large buildings, than to see what every roving Gothic mind hasseen over and over again in Rickman, Bloxam, and others—Sompting Tower—which your correspon- dent beautifully states was measured and drawn by, &c. Where is his scale, and what scale is it drawn to? As to all the joints in the stonework it is problematical. Mr. Burges says details and jointing of masonry should be carefully shown, in order to give the work its true character; andI agree with him. Any one could sketch an outline of work, but to sketch truthfully should be the main object. What is the height of Sompting Tower to point of squinch, and from that point to top of finial? This is a fair question, and if measurements were made my question could be easily answered.—I am, &c., PRIDEAUX, Clerk of Works.
Antercommunication,
ae
QUESTIONS.
_ 2442.]—Fixtures.—Is a greenhouse a fixture if
it is built on the flags of a back yard? Is everything
which is not built upon a plank or board considered
as attached to the freehold ?—A TENANT.
(2445.]—Beams and Hip Boards.—Will any of
the readers of this valuable journal kindly inform me
what size principal beam I shall require for a 24ft.
span, and what size hip boards, and if two purlins
are required? Also what kind of beams, and what
size, are required, over shop window? Stone wall,
18in. ; the two beams join at the corner of the building,
ENTRANCE
STONE PILLAR
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4
2
a
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9
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the entrance into shop at corner, as shown by sketch to the best of my knowledge. By what method shall I join the two beams together? Would 1 = Qin. square beam, or three deals 9 x 3 bolted together, be the strongest, and which of the two would be the cheapest? I should like to purchase an illustrated book treating on joinery. — YounG Country BUILDER. [2444.]—Portland and Bath Stone.—wWill any reader kindly inform me what are the distinguishing marks between Portland stone and Bath; also, between Bath stone of the different quarries; also, how to tell the bed of the stone ?—C. T. [2445.]—Lattice Girders.—Will any subscriber oblige by stating general proportions of the several parts of these (both the Warren girder and that with upright stiffeners and cross-braced at angle of 45°)? State also usual total depth in proportion to span, and value of constant for each variety of girder.—ExceEL- SIOR. [2446.)—Working Drawings.—What work or works on this subject (special reference being required to joiner’s detail) are recommended? Drawings need not be larger than one-twenty-fourth to one-eighth full size.— EXCELSIOR. (2447.]—Trussed Beams.—Will any reader oblige me with a formula for calculating the advantage gained by trussing a fir beam, with an iron tie below, stretched across a strutin the middle,andalso by strutting withtwo wooden diagonals from the posts to the under side of the beam? Both are common forms, but I cannot find any practical formula for them,—S. P. A. [2448.]—Hot-Water Pipes v. Hot Air.—I have oceasion to heat a chapel. Can any reader inform me which will be the best for me to use, hot water or hot air, giving reasons for the system adopted? Is not the hot air system liable to fill the place with dust, sulphur, &c. PERPLEXED. [2449.]—Dawson’s Patent Torrent Water- Closet.—Can any of your readers inform me whether Dawson’s patent torrent water-closet can now be ob- tained, and where? It was brought out about twenty- five or thirty years ago, and was, I believe, invented’ by Austin. I have had one fixed in my house for 24 years, and it has not cost me 7s. in repairs during all that time. It is self-acting.—J. R. [2450.]—Dilapidations.—When the covenants of alease are ‘‘the lessee shall and will, when and as often as occasion shall require, sufficiently repair, maintain, uphold, and keep in good order and condition the said messuages or tenements, buildings, and premises here- by demised,” &c., followed by painting covenants, &c., can the reversioner, towards the end of the term, com- pel the lessee to put new treads to stairs where the original treads have been worn through and repaired by the lessee by casing them over, the old worn tread remaining under the casing, and the casing being at the present time in good order? The houses are small old tenements, and the question really is whether casing in lieu of new treads is a proper repair under the covenants of the lease. Is a mere split in the panel of a door or partition a dilapidation where the wood has not shrunk away so as to leave a perceptible opening between the two edges? Where a floor has been re- paired by small patches 12in. x 9in., or thereabouts, in many places, is the reyersioner justified in asking that “the floor patched with many small pieces Should be properly repaired with sound floor boards of proper lengths ?”—ENQUIRER. [2451.|—Wear of Deal Flooring.—Can any of your readers giye me any information as to the wear of 3in. deal flooring (close jointed and wrought) fora very large public building; at times horses and yans would have to go over it, at other times it would be used for balls, &c. ; will be exposed to the sun very much in the summer, the roof being glass. It is proposed to lay it on joists, five feet apart, filled in with cement concreto up to the top.—Woop FLoorine. (2452.|—Foundations for Buildings.—May I be allowed through your columns to ask your corre- spondent ** 8. I. B.” for some information of the system of deep subsoil drainage which he has found answers
