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PROCEEDINGS

Fifty-Second Annual Content!©!

OF THE

American Railway

Bridge and Building Association

1947

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in 2011 with funding from

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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Proceedings of the

Fifty-Second Annual Convention

OF THE

American Railway

Bridge and BuildingAssociation

Held at

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

September 16-18, 1947

Published by the Association

Elise LaChance, Secretary

431 So. Dearborn St., Chicago

CARL GORR PRINTING COMPANY1801 W. BYRON ST. - CHICASO

OFFICERS FOR 1947

F. G. Campbell PresidentElgin, Joliet & Eastern, Joliet, 111.

J. S. Hancock First Vice-PresidentDetroit, Toledo & Ironton, Dearborn, Mich.

E. H. Barnhart Second Vice-PresidentBaltimore & Ohio, Garrett, Ind.

W. F. Martens Third Vice-PresidentAtchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, San Bernardino, Calif.

W. A. Huckstep Fourth Vice-President• Missouri Pacific, St. Louis, Mo.

Elise LaChance Secretary431 S. Dearborn, Chicago

C. R. Knowles TreasurerIllinois Central (retired), Chicago

The Executive Committee Consists of the Officers and the Following

DIRECTORS

Terms Expire 1947

Guy E. Martin, Illinois Central Chicago

B. R. Meyers, Chicago & North Western Chicago

L. E. Peyser, Southern Pacific San Francisco, Calif.

Terms Expire 1948

H. M. Harlow, Chesapeake & Ohio Richmond, Va.

H. B. Christianson, Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Chicago

F. R. Spofford, Boston & Maine Dover, N. H.

Past-President

N. D. Howard, Railway Engineering & Maintenance Chicago

OFFICERS FOR 1948

J. S. Hancock PresidentDetroit. Toledo & Ironton, Dearborn, Mich.

E. H. Barnhart First Vice-PresidentBaltimore & Ohio, Garrett, Ind.

W. F. Martens Second Vice-PresidentAtchison, Tcpeka & Santa Fe, San Bernardino, Calif.

W. A. Huckstep Third Vice-PresidentMissouri Pacific, St. Louis, Mo.

Guy E. Martin Fourth Vice-PresidentIllinois Central, Chicago

Elise LaChance Secretary431 S. Dearborn, Chicago

C. R. Knowles TreasurerIllinois Central (retired). Chicago

The Executive Committee Consists of the Officers and the Following

DmECTORS

Terms Expire 1948

F. R. Spofford. Boston & Maine Dover, N. H.

H. M. Harlow. Chesapeake & Ohio Richmond, Va.

H. B. Christianson. Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Chicago

Term Expires 1949

Lee Mayfield, Missouri Pacific Houston, Texas

F. M. Misch, Southern Pacific San Francisco. Calif.

W. D. Gibson, Chicago. Burlington & Quincy Chicago

Past-President

F. G. Campbell, Elgin. Joliet & Eastern Joliet. 111.

3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Running Story of Convention 5

Election of Officers 7

Abstracts of Addresses by:President F. G. Campbell 6

J. H. Aydelott 6

Ralph Budd 8

George D. Gaw 8

Report of Treasurer 9

Report of Secretary 9

List of Past Officers Since Organization 56

Constitution and By-Laws 66

Directory of Members:Active Members 76

Life Members 90

Charter Member 92

Honorary Members 94

Associate Members 94

Membership by Roads 102

Bridge and Building Supply Men's Exhibit * 116

List of Advertisers 118

Addresses and Committee Reports

Construction and Maintenance of Shop and Enginehouse Floorsand Runways (Report) 10

Economies to be Derived through the Modernization of ObsoleteWater Stations (Report) 14

Utilization of New Types of Material in Buildings (Report) 19

Recent Tests on Determination of Impact and Stresses in Steel,Masonry and Timber Bridges—By E. J. Ruble 25

Unfilled Needs in Power Machines and Power Tools for Bridge andBuilding Work (Report) 30

Development and Training of Supervisory Personnel in Bridge andBuilding and Water Service Forces (Report) 33

Inspection of Substructures and Underwater Foundations (Report) 37

Safety Measures to Protect Employees Within Buildings A gains.Fire and Accidents (Report) 43

Glued, Laminated Members in Bridges (Report) 48

4

PROCEEDINGSThis account of the 1947 convention

contains a general report of the various

activities during the three-day meet-

ing; abstracts of all the addresses read

at the meeting, including those pre-

sented during the joint sessions with

the Roadmasters' Association; and

complete versions of all of the com-

mittee reports, with brief abstracts of

the discussions that followed their

presentation.

EVIDENCE that the American Rail-way Bridge and Building Association isa force of increasing potency in further-ing the railroads' efforts to assure ade-

quate, modern structures, economicallymaintained, to serve their variousneeds, was present in abundance atChicago on September 16-18. At thattime the association held its fifty-sec-ond annual convention, a meeting thatpossessed all the elements necessary toan outstanding affair. The more im-portant of these ingredients included ahighly constructive program of com-mittee reports and addresses, and anexcellent attendance with the "frostingon the cake" being provided in the formof a high degree of interest manifestedin the proceedings by all of thosepresent.

Doubtless contributing to a consider-able extent to the success of the meetingwas the fact that, continuing a pre-cedent established last year, it was heldconcurrently under the same roof (theStevens hotel) with the annual conven-tion of the Roadmasters' and Mainten-ance of Way Association, the activitiesof which were reported in the Octoberissue. Experience with this arrange-ment during the two years it has pre-vailed revealed a number of advantages,including the fact that members of onegroup have the opportunity of partic-ipating in any programs of the otherthat may be of particular interest tothem. While the meetings of the two

groups were for the most part held en-tirely separate from each other, thegroups were brought together on twooccasions, including the opening session,to participate in programs of mutualinterest.

Attendance Above Last Year

Not the least encouraging feature ofthe meetings was the fact that duringthe three-day period they were in ses-sion a total of 765 members and guestsregistered their attendance. This figureis considerably larger than the regis-tration of 693 last year—a registra-tion which, incidentally, was consideredexcellent at the time.

Affording an interesting sidelight onthe meetings, and serving also as afurther indication of the widespreadinterest attracted by them, was the factthat nine technical committees of theAmerican Railway Engineering Asso-ciation scheduled meetings to be held inChicago while the conventions were insession, thus enabling the members ofthese committees to participate in anyprograms of interest to them.

Not to be overlooked in any accountof the activities of the week is the largejoint exhibit of manufacturers' prod-ucts that was presented in the exhibithall of the hotel jointly by the TrackSupply Association and the Bridge andBuilding Supply Men's Association.With a total of 96 companies partici-

6 Proceedings

pating this exhibit was even larger thanthe record display that was staged lastyear by 90 firms.

The combined opening session of theconventions was presided over jointlyby F. G. Campbell, chief engineer, El-gin, Joliet & Eastern, and president ofthe Bridge and Building Association,and by E. J. Brown, engineer of track,Burlington Lines, and president of theRoadmasters' group. Mr. Campbell andMr. Brown also functioned jointly indirecting the activities of another jointsession held on Wednesday afternoon.All separate sessions of the Bridge andBuilding group were presided over byMr. Campbell, assisted by J. S. Han-cock, bridge engineer, Detroit, Toledo& Ironton (first vice-president), andE. H. Barnhart, division engineer, Bal-timore & Ohio (second vice-president).

Greetings from Other Groups

The opening session, as reported inthe October issue, was devoted in partto words of greeting from the AmericanRailway Engineering Association byArmstrong Chinn, president, TerminalRailroad -Association of St Louis, andpresident of the A.R.E.A.; from theTrack Supply Association by H. M. Mc-Farlane, president of that association;from the Bridge and Building SupplyMen's Association by W. L. McDaniel,president of that group; and fromLewis Thomas, secretary of the TrackSupply Association and director of ex-hibits for both supply groups.

The final feature on the program ofthe joint opening session was an ad-dress by J. H. Aydelott, vice-president,Operations and Maintenance depai't-ment, Association of American Rail-roads. At a subsequent joint session thetwo groups were addressed by RalphBudd, president, Burlington Lines, whospoke on Problems of Railway Manage-ment and How Our Groups Can Help.The program of this same joint sessionalso included two motion pictures. Oneof these, entitled Suggestions Unlim-ited, dealt with the Illinois Central'semployee suggestion system, and waspresented through the courtesy of thatroad. The other, entitled Maintenanceof Way Mishaps, was shown throughthe courtesy of the Southern Pacific.

President Campbell Comments

After calling the separate session ofthe Bridge and Building Association to

order, President Campbell reviewed thehistory of the association, pointing outthat it is nearly half as old as the rail-road industry itself. Noting that themembers, in discharging their respon-sibilities, are having to cope with short-ages of materials and labor, at a timewhen costs of both are going up, he saidthat it is the responsibility and duty ofthe members to seek solutions to theproblems thus presented. This can onlybe done, he said, by more efficient oper-ation, based largely on the further de-velopment of labor-saving machines. Re-porting on the year's activities of theassociation, President Campbell saidthat, in at least one respect—the pro-curement of new members—it was oneof the best years ever experienced bythe organization. An active membershipcampaign, he said, resulted in the re-cruiting of 97 new active members and13 new associate members. As a result,he said, the association now has a totalof 568 dues-paying members.

Ensuing separate sessions of theBridge and Building Association weregiven over in large part to the presen-tation and consideration of eight tech-nical committee reports and two ad-dresses, which together dealt with abroad cross-section of the problems fac-ing the men in this group. The commit-tee reports covered the following sub-jects: Economies To Be DerivedThrough the Modernization of Obso-lete Water Stations; Construction andMaintenance of Shops and EnginehouseFloors and Runways; Development andTraining of Supervisory Personnel inBridge and Building and Water ServiceForces; Glued, Laminated Members inBridges; Unfilled Needs in Power Ma-chines and Power Tools for Bridge andBuilding Work; Safety Measures toProtect Employees Within BuildingsAgainst Fire and Accidents; Utilizationof New Types of Material in Buildings;and Inspection of Substructures andUnderwater Foundations.

Of the two addresses that were pre-sented, one was delivered by E. J. Ruble,structural engineer, research staff, As-sociation of American Railroads, onRecent Tests on Determination of Im-pact and Stresses in Steel, Masonry andTimber Bridges. The other address, en-titled The Power of Color, was pre-sented by George D. Gaw, director, Col-or Research Institute of America.

Published in full in the following

pages are all of the committee reports,with brief abstracts of the discussions

B. and B. Association

that followed their presentation. Alsoincluded are brief abstracts of the ad-dresses by Mr. Aydelott, Mr. Budd (bothpresented at the joint sessions) , and Mr.Gaw. In addition, a shortened versionof the address by Mr. Ruble is pre-sented.

Special Events Add InterestInterest was added to the meeting by

a number of special events. One of thesewas the presentation of an honorarymembership certificate to Charles H.Buford, executive vice-president, Chi-cago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific,who was elected to this capacity at lastyear's meeting. Also, action taken at themeeting this year resulted in the elec-tion of one new honorary member,namely, Clarence R. Knowles, superin-tendent of water service (retired), Illi-nois Central, who has been active in thework of the association for many years,having served as president in 1921-22.

Other special events included the an-nual banquet held on Wednesday night,which was a joint affair with the Road-masters and was attended by a total of984 persons; and an inspection trip onThursday afternoon, also joint with theRoadmasters, to the Carnegie-Illinoissteel plant of the United States SteelCorporation at Gary, Ind.

New Officers Elected

In the election of officers to serve dur-ing the coming year, Mr. Hancock wasadvanced from first vice-president topresident; Mr. Barnhart was advancedfrom second vice-president to first vice-president; W. F. Martens, general fore-man, bridges, buildings and water serv-ice, Atchison, Topeka' & Santa Fe, SanBernardino, Calif., was advanced fromthird vice-president to second vice-pres-ident; W. A. Huckstep, general build-ing supervisor, Missouri Pacific, St.Louis, Mo., was promoted from fourthvice-president to third vice-president;Guy E. Martin, superintendent waterservice, Illinois Central, Chicago, waselected fourth vice-president; and Mr.Knowles and Elise LaChance were re-elected treasurer and secretary, respec-tively. The new directors elected were:Lee Mayfield, resident engineer, Mis-souri Pacific, Houston, Tex.; Franz M.Misch, general bridge and buildingsupervisor, Southern Pacific, San Fran-cisco, Calif, and W. D. Gibson, assist-ant engineer, Burlington Lines, Chi-cago.

Eight subjects were chosen for in-vestigation by committees during theensuing year, as follows: Protectionto Bridges Over Navigable Streams;Types of Bridges for Replacing TimberTrestles; Enlarging and Relining Tun-nels for Present-Day Traffic; RecentDevelopments in Storage and ServicingFacilities for Diesel and Oil-BurningLocomotives; Sanitary Facilities andAppurtenances for Railway Buildings;Eliminating Waste of Water; GoodHousekeeping to Promote Safety andFire Protection; and Housing Bridgeand Building Employees.

Because of widespread satisfactionwith the plan of holding this conven-tion concurrently with that of the Road-masters' Association, the decision hasbeen made to continue the arrangementnext year. The tentative date for the1948 meeting is September 21-23.

"Only Salvation"Is More Machines

THE problems confronting the rail-roads, and the part that maintenanceofficers must play in coping with them,constituted the theme of Mr. Aydelott'spaper before the joint opening session.Referring obliquely to the present pre-dicament in which the railroads findthemselves because of rising costs, hesaid, "it is fortunate for our countryand for those of us who are connectedwith the railroad industry that ourgreat system of railroads was built andperfected some years ago," explainingthat at present-day costs of both laborand materials "even the most coura-geous of investors would scarcely under-take the risk that would be involved infinancing the construction of a railroadplant. . . ."

Mr. Aydelott emphasized the magni-tude of the 15V2-cent-an-hour increaserecently awarded maintenance of wayemployees, by saying it represents "thehourly rate of pay of this group whenhe was in construction service 30 yearsago. Moreover," he said, "every articlethat is purchased for maintenance andconstruction purposes has had a priceincrease of 50 to 80 per cent, and someitems have increased in price evenmore." He added that the outcome ofthe railroads' present case for higherrates will contain the "answer to thequestion of whether our American rail-roads will remain solvent or whetherthey will pass into the hands of thegovernment."

8 Proceedings

Mr. Aydelott regards mechanizationin the maintenance of way departmentas "your only salvation if our plant isto be maintained to the necessary highstandard on reasonable budgets." Ifthe present pace toward mechanizationis continued, he is of the opinion thatthe result will be still greater produc-tivity by a smaller force, "although wewill have to find ways and means toeliminate those delays which reduce theproductive time. . . ."

Turning to a consideration of thesafety problem, Mr. Aydelott said thatthe solution is "an undertaking whichwill require a strong cooperative effort,not only to make our maintenance em-ployees conscious of their own responsi-bility but, in addition, to find some wayof giving them greater security againstaccidents, particularly when on move-ments to and from work and in theoperation of machines that make con-siderable noise."

Budd CondemnsRailroads' Detractors

IN HIS address before the joint ses-sion on Wednesday afternoon, Mr.Budd stated that he would like to speaka little about "what is right with therailroads." One of the things that Mr.Budd feels is right with the railroadsis that their "tracks and fixed proper-ties generally are maintained to a muchhigher standard than ever before." Inmaking this statement he was referringto the capacity for handling large trainssafely at high speeds being "awarethat not enough tons of steel rail havebeen laid in the tracks in recent yearsto offset the wear and tear of heavytraffic."

Another thing that is right with therailroads, in Mr. Budd's opinion, is thepresent capitalization of the railroadsystems of the country as a whole.While it has been popular to say thatthe railroads' trouble is that they areover-capitalized, he said that this hasprobably never been the case. As proofof this statement only one figure needbe cited, he asserted, this being thetotal interest on all funded debt of therailroads in the United States, whichnow amounts to about $400 million ayear. The most recent increase in wagesfor railway employees, he said, amountsto more than all the yearly interest onthe funded debt of all the railroads ofthe country—and this increase followeda similar increase of even larger pro-

portions that went into effect only ayear ago.Mr. Budd does not think that the

general welfare is well served whenanyone exaggerates the effect of therailroads being unable to meet, 100 percent, the immediate requirements ofany extraordinary demand for cars.The same inability to fill orders 100per cent in every other industry is ac-cepted as a matter of course, he said."We wait for delivery of a new auto-mobile without thinking the automobilefactories have broken down."

Mr. Budd also touched on the im-provements that have been made in therailroad plant, making it possible forthem to handle 64 per cent more ton-miles of freight during World War IIthan they handled in 1929, even thoughthe number of cars and locomotives attheir disposal was substantially less.He spoke, furthermore, of the urgentneed for the Interstate Commerce Com-mission to act promptly and favorablyon the pending application for anemergency increase of 10 per cent infreight rates.

Power of Color

The address by Mr. Gaw on the Powerof Color revealed some surprising at-tributes of color, including its psycho-logical effect on human beings. Thepsychological power of color, said Mr.Gaw, is predicated on its exact hue. Inother words the effect from a cold red(red and blue) is very different fromthat of a warm red (red and yellow),while a green blue will not affect usthe same as will a purple blue.Red is the most stimulating of colors,

said Mr. Gaw, while yellow producesthe sensation of sunlight, and blue isthe coldest of the colors. To indicatewhat he meant by these properties Mr.Gaw went on to describe case historiesdemonstrating the power of color overthe physical and emotional well-beingof human beings.

Yellow has the best visibility of allcolors and plays an important part inaccident prevention, he said. Explain-ing that yellow and black comprise themost effective combination for visibility.Mr. Gaw said that this combination isbest where quick attention is essentialand where reading at a distance is afactor. However it should never be em-ployed where legibility is needed becauseit is cutting to the eyes and will nothold sustained attention, he asserted.

Color planning for modern industry

B. and B. Association 9

embraces, in addition to the psychologi- dustry, Mr. Gaw said that there arecal factors, the symbolic values and the some general color principles that canvisibility aspects of colors. In other be applied to all working places. Ex-words, said Mr. Gaw, we associate red cept in special cases, he said, plantwith danger and green with nature and ceilings are painted white because thissafety, etc., and these associations have is the color that reflects maximum light,become part of the subconscious mind. White is not used on walls, he said, be-Confusing visibility with legibility is cause workers should be surrounded byone of the common errors made in color colors that should make them feel atusage today, he said. ease and do not cause eye fatigue. The

Explaining the uses of color in in- color on the walls must be in keeping,

TREASURER'S REPORTCash balance September 1, 1946 $ 454.90

RECEIPTS: —Dues $1,763.50Advertising 85.00Miscellaneous (Refund) 5.78

1 854 28Total Receipts $2,'309.18

Disbursements:Salaries $600.00Social Security Tax 6.00Stationery & Printing 287.76Postage 90.00Rent, Phone, Electric Light 202.67Miscellaneous 48.28Bond Coverage 10.001946 Convention Expense 92.91

1,337.62Balance on hand August 31, 1947 $ 971.56

RECONCILIATION:Bank Balance September 1, 1947—$971.56.

Signed—C. R. KNOWLES, Treasurer.

SECRETARY'S REPORTActive members—September 15, 1946 *362New members since September 15, 1946 97

Total 459Reported deceased since September 15, 1946 6Resigned since September 15, 1946 5Transferred to life membership 3Dropped—Members from whom we have not heard,

who served in Armed Forces 1941-46, inch,whose dues were waived for duration by ac-tion of Executive committee 15

Total 29Total active members, September 15, 1947 ..430

Associate members, September 15, 1946 123New associate members since September 15,1946 13

Total 136Dropped account non-payment of dues 2

Total associate members, September 15, 1947 '. 134Life members, September 15, 1946 82Elected to life membership since

September 15, 1946 3Total 85

Reported deceased since September 15, 1946 2Total life members, September 15, 1947 83

Honorary Members , 4Total membership as of September 15, 1947 651

* Does not include 85 members dropped account inactive since 1941 or earlier—alsodoes not include 22 new members approved at close of 1946 convention—total 107members.

10 Proceedings

he asserted, with those on the machinesand should be in harmony with the func-tion of the establishment.

In a plant that has a scientifically-designed color scheme, said Mr. Gaw,everything in the place—walls, ceilings

and machines—are treated with colorsthat aid production. Such a design, hesaid, results in more accurate and fast-er work, happier and less-tired employ-ees, a lower accident rate, and betterrelations with employees.

Construction and Maintenance of Shop andEnginehouse Floors and Runways

Report of Committee

R. W. Gilmore (chairman), gen. br. insp., B.&O., Cincinnati. Ohio: A. R. Harris (vice-chairman), engr. br.. C &N.W., Chicago: James J. Winn (vice-chairman), supvr. b.&b., B.&M .Boston, Mass.; C. Kenneth Avery, B. J. Many Inc., Detroit, Mich.; R. E. Baker, supvr. b.&b.,C.&E.I., Danville, 111. : Maurice Cobum. sales engr. Indianapolis, Ind.; W. A. Huckstep, gen.bldg. supvr., M.P., St. Louis. Mo.: E. S. Joehnk. asst. engr. constr. & maint., B.&O.C.T., Chicago:Edward B. Jones, asst. supvr. b.&b., C &G\. Clifton Forge, Va.; S. E. Kvenberg, asst. engr.. CM.St.P.&P.. Chicago; F. H. Masters, ch. engr. (retired), E.J.&E., Joliet, 111.; W. J. Storen, W. J.Storen Company, Detroit, Mich., and J. L. Varker, div. engr., D.&H., Carbondale, Pa.

IN view of present high constructioncosts and the necessity that every dollarspent assure the maximum return, thisis an important subject for considera-tion by this association. It is important,too, because in the last few years thewear and tear on shop and enginehousefloors has become much more severe, dueto the heavier loads being hauled and thefact that they are moved by mobilecranes and tractors.

When floors become rough and uneventhey are not only objectionable to workon, but moving loads and cranes cannotbe safely operated over them. Shop com-mittees are much more aggressive todayand insist on good, well-drained floors.

This report is not an attempt to writea specification, but represents the ideasof various members of the committee asto the best practice in the construction

and maintenance of the various, mostcommonly used types of floors.

The subject divides itself in two parts,first, floors in shops and enginehouseswhich are under roof and not subject toweather, and second, runways and plat-forms, not under roof. The various typesof construction for floors considered inthis report include brick, wood block,bituminous mixtures and concrete.

Brick Floors

Brick floors, if constructed of hardbrick, are thoroughly satisfactory forshop floors which are not subjected to

much heavy trucking. As long as thebricks are not too badly worn, and havenot been treated with a mortar filler,they are fairly easy to surface ; however,after the bricks have become worn theycannot be surfaced or pathed satisfac-torily. Brick floors should never be laidwithout a concrete sub-base. This baseshould be from 6 in. to 8 in. thick, de-pending upon the character of the sub-soil and the traffic to which the floor isto be subjected. The sub-base can be re-inforced with mesh if desired, but this isnot necessary where there is good soilbeneath it. The top of the base should beIV2 in. to 2 in. below the bottom of thebrick and this space should be filled withsand for a cushion. The sand should becarefully leveled off and the bricks laidon it by hand.

There are two methods of treating thejoints ^between the bricks. The bestmethod is to fill them with hot tar, thuspreventing water and other substancesfrom getting between the bricks. An-other method is to cover the floor withcement grout and sweep this around overthe bricks until the joints are filled. Thislatter method makes a better floor tem-porarily, but, after the bricks are worn.,it is practically impossible to take themup and re-lay them.

Creosote-treated wood blocks are fair-ly satisfactory for floors in back and ma-chine shops where they are not subjectedto much water. They should never beused in roundhouses, as an excessiveamount of water on the blocks causes


them to swell, and the floor will soon be-come uneven. The construction of woodblock floors follows closely that of brick,in that they should have an adequatesub-base of concrete. Some wood blockfloors have a sand filler under the blocks,but this is not necessary. Blocks canalso be applied to the concrete base. Thebase is treated with a primer, followedoy a Vs-in. coat of coal-tar pitch. Theblocks are laid after this has hardened,and should be set with the grain vertical.After they are laid, they should be givena top dressing of hot pitch filler.

Floors constructed of bituminous con-crete or asphaltic compounds shouldnever be used in roundhouses or shopswhere they are subject to oils, grease,or hot water, and their construction willnot be discussed here.

Concrete Floors

Concrete floors are the most satisfac-tory, if properly constructed. After theircompletion, however, it is almost impos-sible to make any improvement in them

;

hence the utmost care should be takento see that good workmanship and ma-terials are used in their construction. Itis recommended that every member in-terested in this subject read carefullythe booklet published by the PortlandCement Association, titled, "ConcreteFloor Finishes." In this it is stated thatthe essentials for good floor surfacesare:

Careful Selection of MaterialsSkilled Supervision

WorkmanshipOften, some of us have very little con-

trol over the selection of materials, thesebeing governed by geography and otherconditions. However, we can insist thatthe grading and cleanliness of the ag-gregates be reasonably good. The super-vision is up to us. The workmanship isalso governed by our desire for betterconstruction, and our ability, throughleadership, to educate and instill thesame desire in our staffs and our sub-ordinates.

Most of the following discussion onconcrete floors will be confined to thosebuilt on the ground, or to the topping ofold floors. When floors are built on theground, the sub-grade should be properlyprepared. It should be well and uniform-ly compacted : all sod should be removed.Where it is necessary to fill, the fillshould be built up in layers, not exceed-ing 6 in., and should be thoroughlytamped or rolled. This applies also to

pipe trenches and holes for footings.Care should be used in the selection ofthe material to be used for these fills,which should not contain large lumps,frozen material, or anything which willrot.

Before the slab is poured, the sub-grade should be in a moist condition. Itshould be sprinkled prior to doing thework, but there should be no pools ofwater, and it should not be muddy or softwhen the concrete is placed.The thickness of the slab and the nec-

essity of providing reinforcing in it de-pend upon the bearing capacity of thesub-soil and the traffic to which the flooris to be subjected. It is our recommenda-tion that no floor be cast less than 6in. thick, and that for heavy traffic thethickness should be at least 8 in.

Placing Concrete Floors

In the construction of floors coveringlarge areas, some provision should bemade for expansion. This can be ac-complished by frequent constructionjoints or by using an asphaltic filler,construction joints should be providedaround all walls and columns.The Portland Cement Association rec-

ommends that the concrete for the slabshould be made of hard, well-gradedaggregates and should contain not morethan 6 gal. of water for each sack ofcement. However, it is the . opinion ofyour committee that water should belimited to not more than 5Vs gal. Itshould be a plastic mix which can beplaced without honeycombing or permit-ting excess water to accumulate on thesurface. The actual mix of the concretewill vary to a great extent with the sizeand moisture content of the aggregate,as well as other factors. Therefore, it isnot possible to give exact directions inthis discussion. This information is giv-en in detail in specifications of AmericanRailway Engineering Association andthe Portland Cement Association.The concrete should be thoroughly

compacted by vibrating or by tampingand spading. Tamping is very import-ant wherever the top of the slab is to bethe wearing surface. After this, it shouldbe screeded and floated to proper grade,and then allowed to stand until all wa-ter sheen has disappeared before trowel-ing. The use of a mechanical float per-mits the placing and finishing of muchstiffer concrete and, at the same time,results in much better wearing qual-ities.

12 Proceedings

Topping Course

The majority of your committee be-lieves that fairly good floors can be ob-tained without topping; however, thePortland Cement Association recom-mends topping courses be applied to allheavy-duty floors. This is pointed out inits booklet called, "Concrete Floor Fin-ishes", referred to previously.Space does not permit presentation

here of all the information contained inthis booklet, but some of the main rec-ommendations follow:

"If the base has hardened, or the fin-ish course is being applied to an old floor,it should be approximately 1 in. thick,and never less than 3/4 in. In either case,the base should be thoroughly rough-ened before applying the topping. Itshould be well brushed, cleaned and freefrom all laitance and scum. The baseshould be thoroughly watered, but thereshould be no pools of water on the sur-face.

"The fine aggregate should consist ofclean hard sand, all of which should passa %-in. sieve and only 5 per cent beingpermitted to pass a No. 100 sieve. Thecoarse aggregate should be graded so asto pass a V2-in. sieve, and only 5 percent to pass a No. 8 sieve. It, of course,should be as hard as possible, and shouldbe free from dust, clay, loam or vegetablematter, or any coating which wouldweaken the concrete."The recommended mixture should be

one part Portland cement, one part offine aggregate, and two parts of coarseaggregate, by volume. This, of course,can be varied depending upon local con-ditions. In case the aggregate is verycoarse, its volume may be reduced, butshould not be less than IV2 times the vol-ume of the fine. A maximum of 5 gal. ofmixing water, including moisture in theaggregate, to a sack of cement, is rec-ommended. The Portland Cement Asso-ciation recommends at least IV2 min. inthe mixer.

Application

Before applying the topping coat, athin coat of neat cement grout should bebroomed into the base surface. Thisshould be so applied that it will notharden before the topping is applied. Af-ter pouring the top and striking off thesurface to a plane about 3 s in. above theestablished grade, it should be compactedby tamping. This is very important, asa much denser finish is secured by thor-

ough tamping. The surface should thenbe floated with a wood float 01 powerfloating machine. After the floating,steel troweling should be done after thesurface has hardened sufficiently to pre-vent any excess fine material fromworking to the surface. If a rough sur-face is desired, it should then be brushedwith a stiff brush.Although the P.S.A. recommends that

no dry cement or mixture of dry ce-ment and sand shall be sprinkled di-rectly on the surface of the wearingcourse to absorb moisture or to stiffenthe mix, this is a subject which is in dis-pute. Some members of your committeebelieve that, if properly handled, this isnot detrimental and that "shakes" ofsome patented hardening material areextremely beneficial if used properly.When floors are to be subject to ex-

tremely hard wear, such as in wheelshops, etc., investigation should be madeinto the use of iron, natural and pre-pared topping aggregates or hex-grids.

Curing

The curing of the concrete floor is oneof the most important operations in itsconstruction, as a good floor can bespoiled if it is not properly cured. Cur-ing can be done with curing compounds,or by covering the concrete with wetsand, pools of water, or wet burlap.Your attention is called to the specifi-

cation for heavy-duty floor constructionand paving, dated June 1, 1945, as pre-pared by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St.Paul & Pacific. This specification is verygood. The special points wherein it dif-fers from the specification of the Port-land Cement Association are that it callsfor the use of air-entraining cement andgraded trap rock aggregate. The Mil-waukee's specification for screeding isalso very good, in that it calls for screed-ing of the topping Va in. above the exist-ing pavement, or the proposed grade, andthat the topping be tamped down tograde.

Enginehouse Pits

This discussion would not be completewithout reference to construction detailsfor enginehouse pits. Formerly, pitswere constructed with short wood tiessupporting the running rails and woodjacking planks spiked to these ties. Moremodern practice is abandoning the woodties and jack planks. Many roads aredesigning pits with concrete supports


for the rail, the rail being held to gageby anchor bolts in the concrete. Concretejacking pads are also being used.

Old pits with wood ties can be mod-ernized when the floor is being rebuiltby the substitution of short pieces of railin the wood tie pockets. These rail tiesshould be placed base up and the runningrail clipped to them. Jacking pads canthen be cast over the tops of these railties. The floor slab should be formed asufficient distance from the outside of therunning rail to permit access to the railclip bolts. This space should be filled witha 6-in. by 6-in. treated wood plank.

Patching Concrete Floors

It is more difficult to patch concretefloors properly than any of the othertypes. For this class of work, referenceis made to "Concrete Floor Finishes," ofthe Portland Cement Association, pages21 and 22; also to Volume 43, "Journalof the American Concrete Institute,"October, 1946, titled, "Wear ResistanceTests on Concrete Floors and Methods ofDust Prevention."

In the former, recommendations aremade for patching, particular stress be-ing put on the fact that patches shouldbe cut out at least 1 in. depth for the fullarea to be patched, and that no attemptbe made to feather edge the patch; allcorners should be square. Also, the ma-terial should be screed off higher thanthe finished floor and tamped to place.The same attention should be given tocuring as recommended previously. It issuggested for dusting floors that the topchalky surface be removed by scrubbingwith steel wool pads and then that sometype of commercial hardener be applied.

Runways and Platforms

Runways and platforms not underroof include walks or paved driveways,paths between various buildings, or va-rious permanent installations and mate-rial platforms in shop areas. This is notmeant to include station platforms orsimilar facilities. The committee believesthat brick or woodblock runways, whereexposed to the weather, are not satisfac-tory. For runways not subject to heavyconcentrated wheel loads, and in climateswhere anti-freezing chemicals are used,bituminous material is satisfactory ifthere will not be an excessive amount ofgrease or oil dropping upon it. It is es-sential, however, that proper curbs beused to confine the material. Curbs can

be constructed of concrete, treated wood,or old rail. For bituminous platforms abase of good crushed stone, at least 8 in.thick, and well rolled and drained, shouldbe provided. This should then be toppedwith at least two inches of bituminousmaterial, which should also be wellrolled.

The committee believes that concreteis satisfactory for runways, just as it isfor floors, and that in its constructionthe latest practice recommended for high-way pavements should be followed. Someyears ago it was considered good prac-tice to pour a preliminary curb on eachside of the runway of concrete and thenfill between these curbs with the concretepavement. The best practice now, if curbsare required, is to pour them integralwith the slab.

Conclusion

In conclusion, your committee recom-mends that floors for shops and engine-houses, and runways, should be con-structed of concrete, where possible.Concrete provides the best wearing sur-face, and while not easily patched, thiscan be done satisfactorily. In construct-ing these floors, particular care must betaken in the selection of the aggregates,limiting the water, proper tamping orcompacting, and adequate curing. If allthese details are taken care of, it isfelt that one of the most satisfactoryfloors obtainable can be constructed.

We further recommend that runwaysand platforms be constructed of eitherbituminous or portland cement concrete—whichever is better suited to the cli-mate and other special conditions in-volved.

DISCUSSION

M. Coburn (John D. Bolton Co.)opened the discussion by lecommendingthe use of air-entrained concrete in allfloors and runways. Chairman Gilmorestated that air-entraining had been con-sidered but omitted from the report sinceit was not the consensus of the com-mittee to include it.Joseph M. Giles (M.P.) stated that he

had just completed pouring 27,000 sq.ft. of concrete based on specificationssimilar to those for floors contained inthe report, except that air-entrained con-crete was used. The project included3/5 mi. of 10-ft. runways poured in twocourses—a 4-in. base covered with a 2-in. topping. Reinforcement consisting of 6

14 Proceedings

in. by 6-in. wire-mesh, was placed on topof the 4-in. slab immediately after pour-ing. Mr. Giles added that the construc-tion was too recent to tell what resultswould be obtained, but felt that addi-ional information would be availablenext year. The spacing of expansionjoints was guided by the specificationsfor nearby highways and those recom-mended by the Portland Cement Asso-ciation. The concrete was mixed andplaced by company forces from mobilemixers mounted on cars, and surfacingwas done by power floating machines.

Another speaker from the floor statedthat, since air-entraining is compara-

tively new, it would take a few years be-fore the results can be fully appraised.This speaker also expressed the opinionthat all runways should be reinforcedwith some sort of temperature reinforc-ing and be of a single-course pour of8 in. Chairman Gilmore offered the opin-ion that something should be done aboutthe steel-wheel trucks so widely used inand around shops. Replying, one memberstated that steel grids were used in run-ways on his road in some cases and hadbeen successful in combatting the wear-ing effect of steel wheels. One of these in-stallations has been in service for about15 years.

Economies To Be Derived Through The

Modernization of Obsolete Water Stations

Report of Committee

Howard E. Graham (chairman), asst. supt. w.s.. I. C. Chicago; W. D. Gibson ( vice-chairman),asst. engr., C.B.&Q., Chicago; H. D. Curie (vice-chairman), mast, carp., B.&O., Garrett, Ind.:John H. Babbitt, asst. div. engr., B.&O., Indianapolis, Ind. : R. E. Caudle, asst. engr. str.. M.P.,Houston, Tex. ; G. S. Crites, div. engr.. B.&O.. Baltimore. Md. : V. E. Engman, ch. carp .C.M.St.P.&P., Savanna. 111.; A. M. Glander ch. carp.. C.M.St.P.&P., Mason City. Iowa:J. P. Hanley, w.s. insp., I. C. Chicago; F. W. Hillman, asst. engr., m.. C.&N.W., (retired).Chicago; Guy E. Martin, supt. w.s., I.C., Chicago; L. Summers, w.s. repair., M. P.. Bismarck.Mo., and E. E. R. Tratman (retired), Wheaton, 111.

THE conditions relative to water sup-ply on the railroads have changed moredrastically in recent years than mostother phases of railway operation. Theincrease in the size of locomotives, higherboiler pressures, and larger locomotivetenders and auxiliary tenders have com-bined to bring about many changes andadvancements in every phase of watersupply. Rapid increases in the use ofDiesel locomotives are introducing newconditions of water supply. And the sup-ply of drinking water to trains, stationsand shops must also meet the new stand-ards adopted by the U. S. Public HealthService.

Many Advances

In the early days of railroading waterrequirements were limited and supplieswere usually secured from streams, pondsor shallow wells without much considera-tion to the quality of the water. Thepumping was often done manually or byhorse power. As the railways continuedto expand, more and better water sup-

plies were required and more mechanicalequipment was developed and used forpumping. In the evolution, the windmill,the stream and internal combustion en-gines of various types and models havebeen used, but these are being discardedprogressively for more modern types ofequipment. During the last 23 years elec-tric-driven pumping units have continuedto improve until this form of power is

'

generally considered to be the most eco-nomical and efficient for water facilities,although at some locations there may befactors which requh-e the continued useof steam or internal combustion engines.The selection of pumping equipmentshould include a careful analysis of costsand dependability.The progressive changes that have oc-

curred in the past may be expected tocontinue in the future in meeting thewater requirements of modern railroads—requirements which amount to billionsof gallons of water annually for locomo-tives, buildings, shops and other facili-ties. This water should be adequate involume and should be treated where


necessary to prevent scale, corrosion andfoaming in boilers.

In connection with the urgent demandsof wartime conditions during the last fiveyears, the railroads made pronouncedimprovements in their water facilities.Tanks, pumping equipment, treatingplants and pipe lines have been renewedor reconditioned to supply more water ofgenerally better quality. This programshould be continued where necessary andpermissible. In addition to actual recon-ditioning work, the relocation and possi-ble elimination of some existing waterstations should be considered, as the in-creased use of Diesel locomotives willalso affect the number and spacing offuture stops for water.

Source of Supply

The source of supply is an importantpart of every water station. Some of theolder intakes and suction lines whichremain may require considerable recon-ditioning work. This work should beplanned carefully and modern intakepumps, with necessary screens and silt-removing equipment should be used toreplace obsolete facilities. The latteroften consisted of timber cribs or openpipe lines laid into the water withoutprotection from floating ice or debris.Many streams have become polluted withindustrial and other waste material, withthe result that these sources of supplyhave thereby become less satisfactory. Incases of stream pollution, a railroad maysometimes continue to use the streamuntil operating conditions become almostintolerable, before another source isplanned. However, under such conditions,municipal supplies should be consideredif the water is suitable in quality andquantity and the cost is reasonable.

In like manner the use of a well sup-ply should be investigated. In manyplaces, the water from deep wells hasbeen found to be of better quality thanthat from surface supplies or shallowwells, and can be treated at lower cost.In fact, in some cases treatment can beeliminated entirely. Well water, as arule, is colorless, without suspended mat-ter, and is not subject to many of thetroubles found in stream supplies. A caseis known where a railroad was forced toabandon an unsatisfactory stream sup-ply, and in securing a good city wellsupply it reduced attendance, mainten-ance and operating expenses. This alsopermitted the retirement of a steampumping plant which was obsolete and

deteriorated, and generally undependablein operation.

This same railroad has had very satis-factory results in several instances inthe installation of wells to replace streamsupplies. In these cases the well waterhas been superior in quality to the streamsupplies that were abandoned, and byusing automatically-controlled electricpumps on the wells a decided reductionwas made in the operating expenses ofthe stations. The U. S. Department ofthe Interior has made extensive studiesof the underground water supplies inmany localities and their findings areoften useful in determining the possibili-ties of obtaining suitable wells.

Reservoir sources of supply usuallygive less intake trouble than stream sup-plies. Where reservoirs are used, thedams should be kept clear of growingtimber, spillways should be well main-tained, and silting and vegetation shouldbe removed to a reasonable extent. Suchmaintenance will prolong the maximumcapacity of a reservoir and is desirableas a modernization program.

Power Units

Where municipal supplies cannot beused to advantage, the railroad must de-velop its own plants. Where this is donethe selection of the power unit should re-ceive careful consideration. While manyprimitive types of power were used inthe earlier days, they have in most casesbeen replaced with either the steam en-gine, internal combustion engine, or theelectric motor. The steam engine startedto give way to the oil engine about 30years ago and now both steam and oilunits are being superseded by the electricmotor.

There are many steam and oil-operatedplants still in service that can be adaptedfor electric pumping, with the resultanteconomy which this method affords. Newinstallations should be of automatic-elec-tric equipment wherever possible. Thesteam plants still in existence have rela-tively high attendance, maintenance andoperating costs. Coal is often unloadedfrom the main track or siding, requiringthe use of section men. The equipmentdoes not lend itself to automatic controland one or more pumpers are required foroperation. The plant equipment requiresrelatively large housing, which, underpresent shortages of building materialsand high labor costs, makes constructionand maintenance slow and expensive.While the cost of coal still compares

16 Proceedings

favorably with that of electric power forsimilar amounts of work, the incidentaloperating and maintenance costs of thesteam plant are usually much higherthan for complete electric operation.

The internal combustion engines usedin water pumping stations are, for themost part, of the so-called semi-Dieseltype. Objections to these are somewhatsimilar to those found with the steamengine, namely, high installation, mainte-nance and operating costs. Automaticcontrol has been used to some extent withmodern internal combustion engines, butis not comparable to that found in theelectric motor.

The former objections to the use ofelectric power units have now practicallydisappeared. Dependable power at rea-sonable cost exists in nearly all regionsand installation, operating and mainte-nance costs are lower. Therefore, wher-ever economies can be effected, the rail-roads should adopt the use of electricpumps for new stations and also to re-place existing steam and oil engine units.

For deep-well or surface supplies, themotor-driven centrifugal pump makes acompact pumping unit and is readilyadaptable to automatic control. Further-more, smaller buildings and pipe linesare required than for steam and oil unitsof similar daily capacity. The increases incost for attendants, in many cases, makeautomatic operation of pumping stationsvery profitable. One railroad is known tohave two operating divisions without apumper and has made changes in equip-ment in the past five years that have re-sulted in a decrease in cost for pumpattendants in excess of $100,000 anually.For these reasons the electrification ofwater facilities has become one of theprincipal items of water station modern-ization, and this practice should be con-tinued.

Lime—Soda Ash PlantsMany lime and soda ash treating plants

are becoming obsolete and can be mod-ernized to advantage. The use of suchplants on the railroads began about 1902.The early plants were known as the in-termittent type, where the chemicalswere added to the water in calculatedamounts sufficient to treat one tank orother unit of water. The water was al-lowed to remain undistributed until thereaction was completed, after which itwas pumped into the roadside tank, andthe cycle repeated.The intermittent - type softener was

superseded by the continuous type, inwhich the chemicals are applied to theincoming raw water by proportioningequipment, and the treating tank capa-city is large enough to permit the pump-ing of the raw water, the softening of thewater, and the transfer of the softenedwater as one continuous operation. Thewaiting period between the cycles ofsoftened water is eliminated, with result-ant increase in the plant capacity. Butthe continuous-type plant is now beingsuperseded by the suspended-sludge typeplant. This latter type greatly reduces thereaction time required to soften the waterand thereby increases the plant capacity,with a relative decrease in the size of thereaction tank and the housing and groundspace required.

One railroad reports a location wherean intermittent plant was erected in1904, was converted into a continuousplant in 1917, and was then rebuilt as asuspended-sludge type plant in 1946. Thelatest plant occupies less ground space,which is very limited at the location,and has a reaction tank of 50,000 gal.compared with 150,000 gal. in the for-mer plants. Notwithstanding this, thesoftened water production is 36,000 gal.per fir. compared with 25,000 gal. and15,000 gal., respectively, for the contin-uous and intermittent plants. The pres-ent plant has automatic electric control,and the water levels are maintained inroadside tanks, filter tanks and a softwater cistern by means of float valvesand float switches.

Other railroads report effective andeconomical results from the suspended-sludge type treating plant. When inter-mittent or continuous plants are due forreconditioning or rebuilding, this type ofplant should be considered as modernprocedure.

Internal Treating Plants

One of the most effective methods ofimproving the quality of railroad watersupplies in recent years has been thedevelopment and wide application of theinternal, or wayside, method of treat-ment. This method, which is adaptablewhere scale conditions are not excessiveand where the construction, maintenanceand operating costs of lime and soda ashtreating plants are not justified, hasbeen improved during the last ten yearsto the extent that scaling, pitting andfoaming conditions in steam boilers canbe corrected or greatly reduced.

The use of commercial soda ash, com-


bined with proprietary compounds, re-duces the cost of the treatment to a rea-sonable basis. Improvements have beenmade in the proportioning equipment toapply the chemicals in definite amountsto the water to be treated, and the controlchemists of the railroads check the waterregularly to insure that the proper treat-ment is being maintained. Under theseconditions, internal treatment is effectingdecided economies in boiler maintenance,and its use should be considered whereuntreated water conditions are not satis-factory.

Water Service Mains

The water mains used by railroads are,for the most part, made of cast iron,which is a durable material, and whichpresents no unusual difficulties due todeterioration, except in a relatively fewlocations where the soil or the water willcause corrosion. However, there aremany locations where incrustation, in-ternal deposits, and the formation ofair pockets may seriously affect thecarrying capacity of the water mains,resulting in increased pumping costs.Air relief valves should be used at

summits, and blow-off valves in the val-leys of water lines laid through rollingcountry. Considerable economies can bemade by cleaning pipe lines where ex-cessive friction loss is caused by incrust-ation, tuberculation, organic growth,or deposition of sedimenf. C/

»

In cleaning pipes, pases are knownwhere partly closed valves, projectingjoint material and other unsuspected ob-structions have been located and re-moved. The reduced carrying capacity ofa water main can be very serious andusually is not discovered until a partialfailure of the water supply occurs. Con-sideration should be given to investi-gating the friction head loss in pipe lines,especially the older lines, to determinethe actual monetary loss.The greatly increased demand for wa-

ter for locomotives in recent years hastaxed pipe lines to the limit of their ca-pacity. Additional material for largermains is difficult to secure. By cleaningexisting mains, their original capacitycan be restored. The. cost of cleaningmains four inches and upward in diam-eter with modern pipe-cleaning methodsis much less than installing additionalmains or replacing incrusted lines withnew pipe.

Wells and Pumping EquipmentA considerable proportion of railroad

water is secured from drilled wells, which

vary from 50 ft. to several hundred feetin depth. A well supply is the only avail-able source in some locations while inother locations wells provide water ofbetter quality than can be had fromstreams or surface supplies, and thewater can be produced more econom-ically.

The earlier deep-well installationswere equipped with vertical displace-ment pumps of the single or double-act-ing type, operated by steam, gasoline oroil-engine power. The single-actingsteamhead pump is an example of thiskind of well equipment and was used toa greater extent than the other types.In recent years the electric motor-oper-ated turbine pump has superseded manyof the former pumps, and in locationswhere the older equipment is still usedthis type of equipment should be con-sidered as modern practice.The electric-driven motor turbine

pump lends itself readily to automaticcontrol ; thus, attendance and operatingcosts are reduced. Pump houses may berelatively smaller, and in non-freezinglocations the pumping unit is often pro-tected only by a metal fence enclosure,instead of a house, with a resulting de-crease in installation and maintenanceexpense as compared with the oldertypes of equipment.

The production of water from drilledwells often decreases after several yearsof use, due to incrustation in the wellscreen or in the^vater-bearing formation.Several modern methods are now in useto restore or improve the production, in-cluding the use of acid, dry ice, air pres-sure and mechanical cleaning, singly, orin combination.

The acid method is the most effective ifa chemical analysis of the water or scaleindicates that acid will dissolve the de-posit. The acid usually used is 15 percent hydrochloric, with suitable inhibi-tors to prevent damage to the equipment.The acid treatment of wells may now besecured on a contract basis from com-panies specializing in this work. In suchcases the acid may be delivered to thewell site in trucks and pumped into thewell by the contractor's equipment.

The acid treatment is not effective inpacked sand formations or where silt hasaccumulated in the well. In such cases,mechanical cleaning, surging, air pres-sure and bailing should be used to re-move the obstruction and dislodged ma-terial from the well. Where well pro-duction has decreased, it is economicalto restore the yield by suitable methods.

18 Proceedings

Raising the pumping water level willresult in savings in both power andmaintenance costs.

Cathodic Protection

Several railroads report the use of thecathodic method to prevent corrosion inthe interiors of steel water tanks belowthe water line. This method, in manycases, is more economical than painting.When tanks are painted, considerableout-of-service time occurs while the in-teriors are cleaned, painted, and dried.This out-of-service time is expensive,and causes inconvenience when othermeans of providing water are necessary.

The cathodic method operates whilethe tank is in use, and out-of-service timeis thus eliminated. This method is basedon the passing of a low-voltage electriccurrent from an anode suspended in thewater in the tank, through the water, tothe tank shell—the current being ap-plied so as to make the steel shell electro-negative.

The principle of operation in the ca-thodic method of protection is as follows

:

The current flows from the anode to thecathode, dissociating hydrogen ions byelectrolysis of the water. The tank shell,being electro-negative, attracts the posi-tive hydrogen ions, which form a pro-tective film on the interior of the tankbelow the water line. That portion of thetank above the water line must be pro-tected in the usual manner by paint orother material. While this system oftank protection is of comparatively re-cent development, it is being used suc-cessfully and economically by a numberof roads.

Conclusions

As outlined in this report, there aremany obsolete water stations and com-ponent parts of stations that could bemodernized to economic advantage. How-ever, extensive modernization should beconsidered in the light of the decreasedwater consumption of Diesel locomotives,and the rapidly increasing number ofsuch locomotives. At the present timesome railroads are Dieselized to the ex-tent of 50 per cent or more. This changein motive power will permit the retire-ment of many water stations and achange in the design of others. Likewise,the distance between water stations hasincreased from 25 mi. to 50 mi. and moredue to the increased water capacity of

present day steam locomotive tenders. Itappears that water stations for Diesellocomotives may be 200 mi. or moreapart, or at division points.Some intermediate water stations

should be retained as reserve facilities,or as alternate points for water stops,to suit traffic conditions, and the stationsso retained should be suitably modern-ized. Water stations for serving Dieselequipment will differ in some inspectsfrom stations now serving steam motivepower. The large water columns and col-umn supply mains now used to fill steamlocomotive tenders will not be required.

Delivery of Diesel water can be madethrough smaller mains having several2'/2-in. to 3-in. connections. These canfurnish water at a rate of 300 to 400 gal.per min. to each unit at the same time.Under these conditions, higher pres-sures and booster pumps may be neededto modernize the water facilities forDiesel equipment. It may be necessaryalso to treat the water for Diesels byone of the demineralization processes inorder to secure a water of the desiredpurity for the successful operation ofthe Diesel equipment.

Supplying water for modern locomo-tives, as well as for drinking purposeson cars, requires considerable study andplanning to provide suitable quality andtreatment control.

DISCUSSION

Referring to that portion of the reportdealing with cathodic protection, a mem-ber raised the question as to what effectvariations in the amount of water in thetank would have on such protection.Chairman Graham answered this bysaying he was of the opinion that vari-ations of three or four feet in the waterlevel would not have an adverse effectif the unpainted areas were exposed foronly a few days, but felt that paintingshould extend a few feet below high-water line as a safety measure. Anothermember expressed the opinion that suchprotection could be provided without in-terruption to service and without drain-ing the tank entirely. E. B. Tourtellotte(B. & M.) inquired whether there arelocations where cathodic protection hasnot been successful. According to Mr.Graham there are locations where theprocess has failed but these failures, hesaid, were due to lack of maintenance.

Next there was a query from a memberas to whether the responsibility of main-taining cathodic protection systems rests


with the water service forces or the elec-trical forces. Mr. Tourtellotte advisedthat inspections were made monthly onhis road by an electrician, which includ-ed a report on the amount of water inthe tank at that time, and that the re-placing of the anodes was the responsi-bility of the electrician. One membersuggested that electricians should do theactual work of maintaining the cathodicequipment under the supervision ofthewater service department.

Answering an inquiry regarding theeffect that Dieselization of locomotivepower has had on water supply and thenumber of stations required, Mr. Tour-tellotte said that his road had been ableto retire seven water stations due toDieselization and that such stations nowaverage 50 mi. apart. He also said thatthe cleaning of water mains during thewar years had resulted in an increase inthe flow of water through these lines of55 to 63 per cent.

Utilization of New Types of Materialin Buildings

Report of Committee

B. M. Stephens (chairman), arch, engr., T. & N. O., Houston, Texas ; Henry G. Johnson (vice-chairman), asst. engr., C. M. St. P. & P., Ottumwa, Iowa; L. C. Winkelhaus (vice-chairman),arch, engr., C. & N. W., Chicago; K. W. Charlson, v.p. and ch. engr., Cunningham-Rudy Company,Detroit, Mich. ; E. T. Cross, v.p., Armco Drainage and Metal Products, Inc., Middletown, Ohio;M. H. Dick, managing editor. Railway Engineering & Maintenance, Chicago ; A. G. Dorland, asst.engr., E. J. & E., Joliet 111.; W. T. League mast, carp., Penna., Toledo, Ohio; W. G. Mateer, pur.agt., E. J. & E., Chicago; W. V. Parker, research engr.. U.S.PH., Serv., Memphis, Tenn.; S.R. Thurman, b. & b. supvr., M. P., Nevada. Mo. ; E. R. Wolf, sales engr., Marine Engineering &Supply Co., Los Angeles, Cal., and O. F. Womeldorf. div. engr. (retired), C. & N. W., Norfolk, Neb.

GENERALLY speaking, there are rela-tively few building material items pres-ently available for extensive and eco-nomic use which can properly be classedas distinctly new types of materials. In-sofar as railroad building construction

and maintenance is concerned, however,there are a number of materials whichcan be called new types because theyhave not heretofore been generally used.The subject matter of this report

should not be considered as completelycovering the entire field of recent devel-opments, effort having been made tolimit the scope of the report to only suchitems as appear to possess qualities mak-ing them desirable for use by the rail-roads. Ten general classifications of newtypes of materials have been considered.

Glass Products

Problems of providing maximum lighttransmission and over-all pleasing ap-pearance are being solved successfullyand economically by the use of corru-gated glass sheets, either of wire glassor plain glass, and by the use of glassblocks.

Corrugated wire glass is applicable for

use as siding, side panels of saw-toothtype roof construction, enclosure mate-rial for elevator shafts and the like, androofing in skylight, marquise and can-opy construction. Plain corrugated glassmay be used for interior partitions anddecorative glass panels and can be eithersmooth finished or sand-blasted on oneor both sides.

Sheets of corrugated glass can be ap-plied directly to structural framework,can be made water-tight, and can be usedreadily in conjunction with corrugatedmetal, corrugated asbestos or other typesof siding and roofing.Where the simultaneous provision of

light transmission and ventilation is notmandatory, structural glass blocks areparticularly valuable for use in round-houses, machine shops, etc. These blocksreadily take the place of conventionalwindows and, when used in connectionwith construction of exterior walls, havethe added advantage of substantially in-creasing light transmission without ma-terially disturbing the heating factorsof the building as a whole.

Glass blocks are available in severalsizes and designs, the several designs be-ing for the purpose of meeting various

20 Proceedings

problems and requirements of lighttransmission. From an architecturalstandpoint, glass blocks can be workedinto attractive panel arrangements.Panels can include clear glass windowsash when ventilation is required or smallareas of visibility are desirable. Glassblocks are quite strong, but not loadbearing, and are not subject to ordinarybreakage. If broken, they are easily re-placeable. Panels are leadily cleansed bywetting, brushing and washing downwith a hose.

Structural Glass

Structuial glass exterior and interiorfinish is rapidly gaining in favor amongdesigners. There are two types of thiskind of glass; sheets of polished homo-geneous material, and precast, load-bearing concrete blocks faced underpressure with polished structural glass.These products provide the designerwith a means of achieving extremely at-tractive decorative effects, both exteriorand interior, without sacrifice of econ-omy. They are durable, not easily dam-aged, and are readily maintained andcleansed. The homogeneous sheets arequite suitable for dado and wainscotpurposes and prefabricated sheets can beused for partitions and inside wall finish.For construction requiring special

treatment because of heating or air-con-ditioning, insulating glass units can beused satisfactorily. These units areformed by sealing dehydrated air be-tween two or more panes of window orplate glass. The framework for theseunits must be of rigid design to preventdamage to them. Resistance of the unitsto the transmission of heat is high.

Heat-Absorbing Glass

Heat-absorbing glass is rapidly com-ing into general use in various types ofshop buildings, storehouses, and otherbuildings. This is a blue-green coloredglass that absorbs most of the sun's heatrays, admits an adequate amount oflight, and substantially reduces glareand eye-strain. It is available in thick-nesses of Vs in. and 'A in. Ordinary glass'/& in. thick transmits about 87 per centheat, while the same thickness of heat-absorbing glass transmits only 34 percent; similarly, 14 in. thick ordinaryglass transmits 83 per cent heat, whilethe same thickness of heat-absorbingglass transmits 21 per cent. Heat fromthe sun is absorbed by this type of glass.

thus raising the temperature of the glassuntil the point is reached where re-radia-tion equals the heat supplied by the sun.The absorbed heat is re-radiated fromboth surfaces of the glass, and it is as-sumed that one half goes to the outsideand the other half to the inside.

Sun Screens

Although not a glass product, mentionshould be made here, apropos light andventilation, of a relatively new windowscreening. This material was developedto provide a shading device, permittingpassage of light and ventilation and atthe same time protect aeainst the directradiant heat from the sun.

This sun screen, built on the principleof the Venetian blind, makes it possibleto achieve 80 to 90 per cent of effectiveradiant-heat window insulation withpractically no interference to ventila-tion, light or view. Louvres, of minutewidth bronze, 17 to the inch, are set at afixed angle determined to give maximumefficiency with minimum interference toview and light. The sun screen is in-stalled in same manner as conventionalwindow screening. Its use is particularlyindicated in conjunction with air-condi-tioning installations.

Paint Products

Silicone resin paints have entered thefield of heat-resisting and moisture-re-sisting materials. Some blends of thematerial will withstand continuous ex-posure to temperatures as high as 500deg. F. and are ideal for such applica-tions as ovens, smokestacks, exhaust man-ifolds, radiators and the like. Otherblends of silicone resin paints are highlysatisfactory for heat and moisture-re-sistant insulations for electric motors,

high and low-temperature greases, heat-stable fluids and anti-foam compounds.

Water-base cement-binder paints havecome to the forefront in the painting ofmasonry where conditions are such thatoil-base paints cannot be successfullyapplied and where it is considered de-sirable to repaint every three or fouryears. These paints are normally fur-nished in powder form, to which wateris added immediately prior to use.As a mile, the ingredients of water-

base cement-binder paints are more orless the same, and all of the many brandsavailable will produce about the sameresults. An attractive decorative coatingwith three or four year's life can be se-


cured on brick, stucco, concrete or tilewalls by use of these paints. Manyclaims have been made with respect tothe waterproofing qualities of these ma-terials, but in most instances such claimsare somewhat exaggerated and the mate-rials will not stand up very well in mostareas when used under abnormal condi-tions.

Oil-base cement-binder paints are act-ually normal oil paints with portlandcement added. Such paints have beenon the market for a number of years, butonly recently have been used extensively.In normally dry climates of low humid-ity, oil-base cement-binder paints can beused successfully for the painting ofmasonry, provided the masonry has beenproperly sized with an alkali-proof sealerbefore painting.

Painting Masonry Walls

Masonry walls painted with oil-basecement-binder paints will not require re-painting as often as when water-basetype paints are used. These productshave about the same waterproofingqualities as water-base products. Oneprominent characteristic of the oil-baseproduct is that it can be applied withlasting and satisfactory results directlyto new galvanized metal without the ne-cessity of allowing the metal to weatheror of applying a special under-coater.

There have been some recent devel-opments in fire-resistive coatings, al-though insufficient test data is presentlyat hand upon which to base recommend-ations for their use. Oil-base cement-binder paints have some value as fire-resistive coatings, particularly when thefinal coat is sanded. Several other specialproducts recently placed on the marketappear to have characteristics whichtend to resist fire exposure.

Considerable progress has been madein the development of rust-inhibitors foruse on metal structures. While most ofthese products were available before theWar, there has been a decided improve-ment in their characteristics. These ma-terials, of which there are a numberequal in quality, can very often be usedto good advantage.

Plastic Coating

While not exactly a paint, a war-bornplastic paint-like product is now readyfor general distribution. This product isa brushless plastic finish for applying tofurniture, walls, floors, cabinets, wood

trim, linoleum, etc. The material is wipedon with a cloth, touch dries in ten min-utes and dries hard in six hours. No con-clusive test data is yet available as toits lasting qualities or economy.

Closely associated with the subject ofpaint and painting is the recent devel-opment of a special pre-treatment forgalvanized steel sheets. This pre-treat-ing process forms a phosphate film onzinc surfaces, making it possible to ap-ply paint to zinc-coated materials suc-cessfully without having to make allow-ance for a suitable weathering period.

Pre-Cast Concrete Products

Concrete blocks are being used exten-sively as substitutes for brick and hol-low tile and in lieu of poured-concreteconstruction. Their properties permitsavings in steel and formwork and af-ford economies in heating. The blockshave a high sound insulation value andare easy of installation and later re-moval, if desired.

There are two types of blocks; thosesimilar in design to hollow tile, requir-ing mortar joints, and those with inter-locking edges. The interlocking type islaid up without mortar joints, rigidity ofthe wall being achieved by filling the in-terstices of the blocks with concrete atregularly spaced intervals.Leakage through walls, due to porosity

of the blocks, generally requires the ap-plication of some type of waterproofingagents to the finished exterior wall sur-faces.

Pre-cast concrete roof slabs and beamsof various types and designs have beenon the mai'ket for a number of years buthave only recently come into generalusage. For peimanent and fire-safe con-struction, use of these items may well beindicated, particularly for large pro-jects where sizes can be made more orless standard.Wash fountains and shower stalls of

precast concrete are in wide use in in-dustrial wash and shower-room areaswhere a great many people have need forwashing facilities at about the sametime. These items are economical, dur-able, easy to keep clean and presentable,and are not difficult of installation.

Many large industries have success-fully located central pre-casting plants

for small concrete buildings. Forms areused over and over and pouring of theconcrete is carried on under rigid con-trol, thereby insuring soundness of con-struction. When small buildings, such as

22 Proceedings

watchmen's huts, telephone booths, etc.,are needed, they can be promptly shippedto the location required and erectedquickly without the services of skilledlabor, a feature that is becoming in-creasingly important.

Cement-Asbestos Products

Corrugated sheets of cement-asbestosare suitable replacements for corrugatedmetal and can be satisfactorily used formost types of railroad building construc-tion requiring corrugated metal. Someof their advantages are high resistanceto weather and temperature variations,ease and speed of construction, and non-combustibility. Flat sheets of cement-asbestos have substantially the samecharacteristics as corrugated sheets, al-though they have much less strengththan such sheets.

Rigid asbestos shingles for building

work are coming into wide use, both forroofing and for siding, there being agreat variety of such shingles available.

Use of shingles is indicated for remodel-ing the exteriors of frame buildings andfor the replacement of wood shingles onroofs. Very attractive results can be ob-tained by the proper and considered ap-plication of shingles of this type.

Cement-Asbestos Lumber

Recent development in the use of ce-ment-asbestos lumber seem to indicatesolution of the problem of providing amovable and salvable partition wall, andat the same time of achieving an appear-ance of stability and permanence. Parti-tion units are formed by the use ofstandard studding to which the cement-asbestos lumber is attached by specialfastenings. The studding in the wallunits is not attached to the floor or ceil-

ing, special floor and ceiling channelsbeing used for the purpose of maintain-ing the units in place.

In addition to being almost 100 percent salvable, the wall units have the ad-vantages of providing an easily main-tained sui-face, good resistance againstthe passage of sound, resistance againstfire exposure, and a surface free of pro-jections. Their use is indicated wherespace requirements in offices and similarplaces are subject to rapid changes.

Impregnated cement-asbestos sheetsare indicated for use where especiallyhigh resistance to moisture, chemicalfumes and gases is desired. Both sur-faces of the sheets are treated with a

bituminous compound, which acts as aseal against attack by destructiveagents.

Structural Aluminum Products

Increased use of structural aluminumproducts is the result of efforts by de-signers to reduce weight of construc-tion without impairment of strength, toachieve improvement in resistance tocorrosion, and to present a pleasingarchitectural appearance. The aluminumused in the manufacture of structuralshapes, etc., is in the form of alloys ofvarious characteristics. In selecting alu-minum products for use, therefore, con-sideration must be given to the purposefor which the aluminum is to be used.

Alloys are produced in many formsby drawing, extruding, rolling and forg-ing. Structural shapes, such as angles,beams, tees and channels, and plates ofrelatively large size, are available. Alsoavailable are special architecturalshapes, such as hand-rails, pilasters,mouldings, cornices and fascia, coping,thresholds, etc.Aluminum sheet is also manufactured

for use as roofing and siding. Roofing ismade in the interlocking-shingle type,flat type with pre-formed joints, or cor-rugated-sheet type. Siding is availablein flat or corrugated sheet, drop siding,or clapboard type. Some of the corru-gated aluminum roofing and siding, how-ever, is of too light a gage to be rec-ommended for industrial use.The committee suggests that where

aluminum metal is contemplated for usein enginehouses, consideration be givento the report of Committee 13-Applica-tion of Corrosion-Resisting Materialsto Railroad Electrical Construction, As-sociation of American Railroads, Elec-trical Section, 1947 Reports.After continued exposure, the bright

natural finish of aluminum becomessomewhat dull. To overcome this dulling,a special finishing process has been de-galoped, which augments the naturalfilm of aluminum oxide, thereby protect-ing the metal against weathering, etc.In addition, the finish permits the addingof color if desired.

Floor Finishes

Flexible floor coverings in general use

at present include cork tile and sheet,asphalt tile, rubber tile, and linoleum,all of which have several disadvantagesalong with their several advantages. Anew type of flexible floor covering made


from both plasticized and unplasticizedvinyl resin is becoming available in theform of floor tile or rolled floor sheet.Vinyl-resin floor coverings have all theadvantages of other types of flexiblecoverings, with the added advantages ofhigh strength, durability and resistanceto attacks by greases, acids, alkalis, etc.The coverings can be furnished in a widerange of colors and their maintenanceis especially easy due to their smoothfinish and resistance to greases and othersuch agents.

In the maintenance of concrete floorsand, in some instances, wood floors, useof one of several asphaltic-mastic type offloor resurfacers may be indicated. Theseproducts, sold under various trade-names, are more or less similar in char-acteristics and performance. They areuseful in cases where concrete floorshave become badly worn, pitted orbroken and patch repairs are consideredadvisable instead of overall floor replace-ment. The material sets up to a fairlyhard finish, is not difficult to place, andwill stand a great deal of hard usage.

Admixtures

Several types of concrete admixtureshave been developed in recent years foruse in new concrete floor construction.These admixtures are for the purpose ofsecuring durable, impervious and non-dusting surfaces for concrete floors sub-ject to heavy traffic. Good resistance toattacks by destructive agents is also se-cured by use of certain types of ad-mixtures.

A new type of steel floor plate appearsto have excellent possibilities for floorwork, These plates are 12 in. square,flanged down on all four sides, and havemany teeth-like anchors stamped fromthe wearing surface to provide bond tothe concrete. Use of these plates is par-ticularly desirable where floors are sub-jected to heavy and sustained travel.

Interior Wall Finishes

Enameled steel tile is available inbaked enamel and porcelain enamel fin-ish and a variety of colors. The bakedenamel finish can be marred by contactwith sharp objects. The porcelain enamelfinish wjjl resist harsh treatment and itssurface will not graze or crack. The tileis particularly useful for corridors,washrooms and toilets, dining rooms, andsimilar areas.

Cloth-back wood veneer in 40 odd

types is being successfully used for dec-orative purposes where an appearanceof luxury and distinctive wall treatmentis desired. The product is genuine paper-thin wood veneer glued under heat andpressure to cotton sheeting with water-resistant adhesive. The sheets can behung to provide almost any design pat-tern desired.

Cloth-backed glass is very similar tocloth-backed wood veneer and can beused in much the same manner as thewood veneer. Thin sheets of glass arebonded to fabric backing and are thencut into small squares or rectangles. Thematerial is available in 25 or more colorsand 4 types—opaques, flat mirror, rolledpattern mirror, and metallic. Cornerswith a minimum radius of 5 in. may betui'ned without difficulty. The productis resistant to every surface attack towhich sheet glass is resistant.

Sheet plastic on plywood provides afinishing material readily adaptable formany interior uses. The product isformed by fusing liquid plastic to ply-wood by heat treatment. The surface ofthe material is hard, smooth and polishedand is easily maintained. The materialshould not be used in locations where itwill be subjected to abnormal abuse andattacks by vandals.

Glazed-surface wood veneer sheets aresubstantially the same as sheet plasticon plywood and, therefore, are suitablefor the same purposes. The glazed sur-face sheets are not so durable as theplastic sheets, but they can be used togood advantage in numerous locationswhere they are not subject to abuse otherthan normal cleansing operations.

Although fibre or composition ceilingblocks and wallboard panels and plankshave been available for some years, useof these materials for interior re-deco-ration and modernization has not beengeneral until recently. These productslend themselves readily to interior refin-ishing work at relatively low costs. Ceil-ing blocks, both acoustic and non-acous-tic, present excellent means for refin-ishing ceilings. Attractive wall treat-ment can be achieved by use of wallboardpanels or planks.

Metal Buildings

War demands developed considerableusage of pre-fabricated metal buildings.Buildings of many sizes and severaltypes of pre-fabrication are availableand have proved to be relatively eco-nomical and entirely satisfactory.Among

24 Proceedings

their chief advantages are rapidity andease of construction and adaptability toready removal from place to place with-out loss of any part except foundation.

These buildings are generally either ofthe frameless type, in which the flangedpanels are the load-carrying members,or the light steel framing type, in whichthe framework is covered with light-weight metal sheets. All parts of thebuildings are metal, although wood sashand doors can be used if desired. Vari-ous combinations of floor plan can beachieved without difficulty and the over-all appearance is not unpleasing.

Metal Roofing

Pre-fabricated steel roof decks of anumber of types are now being used togood advantage under normal conditions.These decks can be substituted readilyfor pre-cast concrete and gypsum andusual wood decks and have the advan-tage of holding the roof framing coststo the minimum. One relatively new typeof metal deck consists essentially offlanged interlocking steel panels with theflanges turned down. Insulating boardand built-up roofing can easily be ap-plied over metal decks.Around terminals and other locations

where corrosion and abrasion must beconsidered, asbestos-bonded steel sheetshave particular usefulness. These sheetsare made of steel or iron, coated withzinc in which asbestos fibres are im-bedded while the zinc is molten. Finaltreatment consists of an application of abituminous saturant under pressure.

Pre-Cast Gypsum Products

One pre-cast gypsum product—sheet-rock—has long been in use for interiorpartition work. Out of sheet-rock hasbeen developed solid partition units andgypsum roof plank, which are merelysheets of sheet-rock glued together un-der heat and pressure.

Partition units are available in tongue-and-groove type or shiplap type, in thick-nesses of 1 in. and lVfe in. These unitsare particularly useful for non-load-bearing partitions and where heightand length of partitions are not ex-cessive. Wood bucks and top and bottomplates laid flat against the panels addconsiderable strength and result in apleasing appearance.Gypsum roof units are two-ply, three-

ply or four-ply, with the sheets in theplies being placed off-center to form ship-

lap edges. Thicknesses are 1 in., 1-1/2 in.and 2 in. and the units are treated with awater-resistant coating after the sheetshave been glued together. The units willcarry almost the same superimposed roofload as wood sheathing of comparablethickness, and are adequate replace-ments for wood as the decking for built-up roofs. They afford the added advan-tages of speed and economy in placing,due to their large size, and the furtheradvantage of being rot-proof and ver-min-proof.

Conclusion

The necessity for brevity in this re-port has made it impossible to do morethan touch briefly on the many new build-r~ material items which can well beused in various tvnes of railroad work.Conspicuous by their absence are re-marks apropos to the many new devel-opments in the heating, ventilating andlighting fields. There have been numer-ous new items and advances in thesefields in the last few years, most of whichare worthy of consideration for use inrailway freight and passenger stations,shops, enginehouses, office buildings,service buildings and all types of road-way structures.As partial

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