No_5_1955 — Page 66

It

ing of the type described houses rather

tres.

Ks

X

The LATRINE LINK between the two TOLLF rooms and the cross-piece contains to provide thorough ventilation through two water stand-pipes, six communal the units yet reduced the overall height main wings of each building is designe:] Bush latrines and a communal open space to such АП extent that although seven with column and beam construction

to for washing clothes. Each room is of 120 floors were provided, the tenants of the withstand overturning load

(wind resis square feet and access is by

Therefore panel a balcony top floor would not have to walk up more tance) of 160 m.p.h. which runs completely round each long steps than a normal five storey tenement walls are kept with as many openings arm of the II. There are four staircases, building.

Here the columns are 26" possible. one at each corner of the building.

[2" in size with 6 No. 3/4" and 4 No. 4" The design of these multi-storey build- vertical bars, and '

binders at o' cen- was finally decided that the average den-

ity of resettlement should be five adults ings is particularly interesting inasmuch tres throughout. The beams are 18" x to a room, a child of ten years or under as they are probably the first reinforced 12" with 2 No. 1 top bars, 4 No. 1 counting as half an adult, so that a build- concrete buildings in the Colony which bottom bars and 3/8" links at 12" cen- departed from the traditional column and beam framing. The floors being carried

FOUNDATIONS Strip upward on a series of thin lightly rein- forced

walls set concrete

is where good bearing pressure on regularly spaced centres transversely through the tered; normally, the

average reinforced length of the structure, and the floor loads concrete sections are 30' 0" long and s 6" or o' o" wide, having a mat of " evenly distributed paratively short spans, the percentage of bars at 12" centres over 5/8" bars at "

centres. 12 steel in both walls and floor slabs is great-

No. 5/8" bars and 18 No. 5/8" bars are used in each column foot- ly reduced.

ing. Where bad ground is encountered, of pile foundations are used in which case the pile caps and tie beams between caps are designed to suit requirements in ac- cordance with number and type of piles used.

sons.

under 2,000 adults or well over 2,000 per- The allowance of 24 square feet per adult represents a considerable degree of

had to be over-crowding but this cepted, as has been seen, in the light of the grave emergency which these sures were designed to overcome.

ac-

mta-

Each long arm of the H is divide into equal bays by means of reinforced concrete bearing walls of ten foot centres. Reinforced concrete floor slabs span be tween the cross walls, except at the end bays in which staircases are provided. The access balconies are reinforced concrete cantilevers with four-inch reinforced ho! low concrete block balustrades. The spine partition running the length of each long arm of the H is of four-inch hollow con-

open

crete blocks with the upper courses built honey-combed in order to provide through ventilation. The cross-piece of the H. comprising the flush latrines and washing space, is of reinforced concrete frame construction designed independent ly of the long arms in order to obviate the danger of contraction cracks.

All re- inforced concrete work is vibrated and a nominal 4:2:1 mix is used. Test cubes taken during construction showed the fol- lowing result; 3,000 to 4,000 lbs. per square inch crushing strength at thirty Jays. All concrete block walling is built fair face, while all concrete is left expos- ed from unwrought shuttering. The bal cony fronts, the end walls of each block and the exterior walls of the latrine blocks are finished externally with cement paint

The advantages of a standardised design for this type of construction are obvious, Architectural drawing and detailing 15 simplified, costing is made almost auto- matic, quantities can be taken off in the shortest space of time, and the tendering contractors given plans, detai's, quantities and specifications for millions of dollars worth of work in a matter of weeks.

With the adoption of the module of 10- ft. as the centre to centre width between the spine walls of the rooms, these spine walls act both as supports for the floor, and

panelling. 23

Since there are variations in the heights of beams to be considered, the design of the shuttering is simplified and provision could be made for their re-use almost ad infinitum.

10

whilst

It is interesting to note that, the specifications called for the simplest possible construction, the building design has an innate dignity of appearance which stems from the very simplicity of its design.

It was decided that the storey height would be 8' 0" which Was sufficient

on

a series of

com-

The following details of the design the reinforced concrete work illustrate the economy of this form of construction.

The load bearing reinforced concrete SPINE WALLS are at ro' o" centres, the ground floor walls being 7" thick with “ bars at ro' centres and horizontal bars at 10** centres. The first floor walls

art

employed

encoun

The PENTHOUSES placed at each cor- ner of the building over the stair open- ings to the roof are large enough to pro- are 6" thick with similar bars at similar vide shelter and also add a pleasant touch to the severe lines of the buildings. Their centres, and the remaining walls are 5 roof slabs are 34" thick, with 3,8" hars thick with similar arrangement of steel bars.

at 8" centres and 3/8" top carriers *S necessary, and " bars (secondary) at 7" All FLOOR SLABS are of 4" thick re- centres. The slabs are supported on small inforced concrete designed for domestic columns 18" x 5 sprouting from the loading of 80 lbs. sq. It., while all ROOF spine walls under, and are reinforced with SLABS are 4" thick and designed for 6 No. bars with " links at 5" con- moving load of 100 lbs./sq. ft. All floor tres. The CANOPY projection is 2' 0" slabs are designed to span either between and the top steel (cantilever) used is 3/8" bearing walls or between beams in latrine at 5" centres with 3/8" at 12" centres link. The main steel is 3/8" and "' top (secondary). and bottom of 13" centres average with The STAIRCASES are also of reinforc 2 No. extra bars under central partitions ed concrete construction with slope steel and top carriers of as necessary near 3/8" at 6" centres and with 1 No. 3/8" edges of slabs. Ground floor slabs an at each step. The landings have 3/8" only suspended reinforced concrete if the steel at 9" centres at bottom with " al ground is in filling not considered satis- 24' centres (secondary). factory to withstand domestic loading.

All PANEL WALLS built are with The 3 10 BALCONIES are designed vibrated concrete blocks which were also as cantilevers from edge beams running used for all balcony balustrading with the full length of the building both sides. 3/8" vertical bars at 1z" centres as re- The top steel is 3/8" at 5" centres with inforcement grouted in the voids of the the secondary steel 3/8" at 12" centres, blocks.

LOW COST HOUSING

WITH

HIGH GRADE

GRADE MATERIALS

CHEAP STRONG

FIRE & DAMP RESISTING

VI-CON

VIBRATED CONCRETE

BLOCKS

Manufactured & Sold by

LIGHT

DURABLE

SOUND & THERMAL RESISTING

PRE-CAST CONCRETE LTD.

117. PRINCE'S BLDG.

TELEPHONE: 26062

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