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PLANNING FOR INTENSIVE PRODUCTION.

6th January 1920, Page 21
6th January 1920
Page 21
Page 22
Page 21, 6th January 1920 — PLANNING FOR INTENSIVE PRODUCTION.
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The Napier Factory.

SITUATED on the Uxbridge Road, a, bus and tram reute and a principal artery westward from London, the impressive height and mass of the building illustrated will be quite familiar to many of our readers. it is the home of the renowned 450 h.so Napier aero engine the engine with which the aeroplane was equipped that attained the remarkable altitude of ;30,500 ft. or six miles. The concern of D. Napier and Son Ltd., was established as far back as 1808, and they have always been associated with mechanical work demanding exactitude and precision. They were among the first to take up the manufacture of motorcars: and the leading position they were destined to occupy in that industry might have been foreseen, for they ever planned with an eye to the future. '

Although the site at Acton was acquired as far back as 1903, and partly occupied, the factory that is the subject of this article was designed and erected during the war. Primarily erected to meet the demands of the Allies for aeroplanes, the diltinnate intention was to turn it over to the production of motorcars and internal-combustion . engines, which has been done.

The limited area available', about 128 ft. by 150 ft., and-the additional floor space required necessitated a building four. gtoreys high. As eventually a. large number of high-speed machine tools would be in

stalled it was essential that the structure should be one of extreme rigidity, and in deciding on reinforced concrete the Napier Co. was influenced by the remarkable results attained in combating vibration in the towering; buildings of the Gramophone Co. at Hayes, Middlesex. This strength and resistance to vibration of ieinforced concrete is readily understood when one considers that the entire framework from foundation to roof is a homogeneous monolithic structure without a single joint.

The peculiar shape of the building with its rebated sides after the first storey was the architect's Ingenious method of ensuring adequate lighting, notwithstanding that the new factory was bounded on two sides by adjoining buildings. In every corner of the building.if there is any daylight outside there isdaylight inside.

As so often happens in the London area. the foundations presented a problem demanding very careful consideration. Concrete piles 16 ins, diameter, were driven in. groups and in varying length, the majority being about 12 ft. These pile-groups vary from a single pile to a maximum of seven, according to the load,' and each group' is capped with a heavy reinforced concrete platform which acts as a base to the column. Also, owing to the proximity of a, main sewer, the basement on one side of the building Was totally enolostd by a reinforced concrete retaining

wall. This basement contains the furnace for the heating apparatus and coal stores. There are 57 columns in all, 64 ft. 6 ins, high from foundation cap to roof. The internal columns measure 22 ins. by 22 ins, at ground floor to 10 ins. by 10 ins, at top ; the external columns 24 ins. by 11 ins, at base. All the Zolumns are reinforced with Kahn Rib bars varying from 1 in. to in., these bars being bound at close centres with steel ties.

The site on which the building is situated is not square and, owing to the limited space available, the building had to conform to the shape of the site ; on plan, although a-parallelogram, it is not a rectangle, consequently there are angular corner columns. These angle columns, both obtute and acute, measure 24 ins. by 24 ins. by 12, ins, at the base. In this brief article 'to attempt any description of the technical details of thebeam remforceinents is impracticable. The floors were designed to take a superimposed load of 2é cwt. Per square foot on the first floor and i'ewt, on the two upper floors.

The windows, which are of steel sash, extend down to the floor slab, thus ensuring adequate and well diffused lighting. The artificial lighting has been carefully planned on the semi-direct principle ; and the heating is on the " ladder "low-pressure hot-water system, there being a radiator in front of each window.

Always. with an eye' to the future, the Napier Co. arranged that in the original construction ". Rigifix slotted inserts be cast in the underside of every beam, thereby maiing • easy the attachment of mechanical equipment. at any future time without cutting into the concrete. There are two sets of roomy and fastrunning. goods lifts, and also two. sets of enclosed fire escape stairs. Well fitted cloakrooms and adequate lavatory accommodation are provided.

Welfare, as mig-ht be expected, is a feature, and the attractive canteens, the separate messroom for apprentices, the cosy staff dining room, and the' tastefully furnished dining room for the directors and their guests are all conveniently arranged round one large

kitchen.

Wholesome food properly cooked is proVided at cost price, and in the two main dining halls 800 meals can be served at one time. Indeed, to do anything like justice to the " welfare " exemplified in this model factory would require many columns of the journal. The entire Structure is in reinforced concrete, and the architects responsible -were Wallis, Gilbert and Partners, 29, Roland .Gardens, London, S.W. ; the engineers for the reinforcement were the Trussed Concrete Steel Co., Ltd., South Kensington ; and the general contractors were Patman and Fothei•ingham, Ltd., Islington.

The building reflects great credit on its designers and forms a pattern to which other new -works may well-be modelled. We expect to hear great things in the future regarding the output from it.

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Locations: London

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