Soil Cementation Cuts Building Costs
Page 69
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THE first Umbrella garage to be erected with a main span of 105 ft., evolved by E. H. Smith (Westhaven), Ltd., Acocks Green, Birmingham. is nearing completion at Leamington Spa for the use of vehicles run by the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd. Soil cementation is employed for the floor foundation.
The pillars. roof trusses and cantilever sections are all of lightweight tubular construction and enable the building to be erected with simple lifting tackle, thus dispensing with the use of mobile cranes. The building comprises four standard Umbrella units of 105 ft. by 40 ft.. four similar units of 45 ft. by 40 ft.. and an extension of 105 ft. by 18 ft. 4 in. of the Unimer ,type, another standard design.
The main Umbrella sections will provide a g a r a .g c area with an unobstructed floor space of approximately 16.800 sq. ft. and the remaining sections will form workshops. washing hays and so on. The total floor area covers some 25,000 sq. ft.
Corrugated asbestos cement sheets 6 in. thick cover the roof. Natural lighting is provided by glass-fibre translucent reinforced plastics sheets of starlight pattern. The garage is built' with walls to a height of 6 ft. and enclosed with asbestos sheet similar to that used for the roof.
Soil cementation. or stabilization, which is being performed by the Soil • Engineering and Contracting Co., Ltd.. who arc also the consulting engineers, affords, it is claimed, a 22-per-cent. saving in cost and a 50-per-cent. saving in time.
Cement containing certain additives is mixed with the base soil, which is • rotovated 40 a depth of 9 in., and subsequently compacted and cured. The ground is first treated with a calciumchloride solution to destroy organic substances. A 3-in, top layer will consist of 7,-in. aggregate and Pectocrete agitated cement. This floor surface was chosen on account of its resistance to oil and grease and its good wearing properties.