Repository: UIHistories Project: Dedication - New Chemistry Building [PAGE 45]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

steel, the major partitions and walls are brick, the minor partitions of pyrobar and the floors are composed of alternate rows of hollow tile and joists of reinforced concrete. The concrete covers the hollow tile to a depth of two inches, thus producing a continuous T-effect, giving strength and lightness. Upon the concrete, electric conduits for the wiring system are laid and a top layer of concrete covers the conduits. The final layer upon the floor is a coat of "rezilite mastic" which is about an eighth of an inch thick. This last layer is acid-proof and gives considerable resiliency to the floors without making them soft enough to yield to heavy pressure. Some of the floors in the offices and seminar rooms are covered with battleship linoleum, while the library is provided with heavy cork carpet. The halls and stairs have Terrazzo finish. The roof is of reinforced concrete which is made in large sections and supported by steel rafters. The concrete is covered by wood sheeting in order to give an air space for insulation purposes. The sheeting is covered with building paper and this in turn by slate or sixteen ounce copper plates. The skilful use of dormer windows makes the fourth-floor laboratories light and attractive and adds much to the architectural beauty of the building. Very little wood is used in the building itself. The furniture is oak with a tw,o-tone dull finish: the table tops and shelves are made of alberene, which material is used generally for window sills, open drains and sinks. The window sills in the halls, library and offices are white Alabama marble; the shelves in some of the rooms are made of milk glass. Hoods are conveniently placed in all the laboratories. The frame of the hood is wood, the floor of alberene, the lining of white tile and the sides and top of reinforced plate glass. The doors are counterpoised by weights attached by means of a creosoted hemp rope. The pulleys and axles, which are wooden, are exposed, making repairs easy. Each hood has a separate flue running to the top of the building independent of other flues. Ventilation is accomplished by means of forced draft. Two large ventilation fans with heating coils are housed in the court just outside the walls of the lecture room. This location is central and relieves the laboratories of the vibration of the fans. The fans have a capacity* of 74,000 cubic feet of air per minute,

(42)