REAL ESTATE
AND
NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 30, 1916
INTERESTING DATA IN BUILDING REPORT
Superinten(ient Ludwig Draws Attention to Observa¬
tions Made on Hoffman House and Albemarle Hotel
I N the 1915 report of the Building De-
^ partment, prepared by Building Super¬
intendent Alfred Ludwig for the Bor¬
ough President, interesting mention is
made of the condition of the Hoffman
House and Albemarle Hotel, at the
northwest corner of Broadway and 24th
street, when demolished.
The structure was a seven-story and
cellar non-fireproof building, and ad¬
joining and surrounding it was a twelve-
story fireproof building, used in connec¬
tion with the hotel. The latter structure
occupied an "L"-shaped plot, with front¬
ages on botli Broadway and 24th street.
In July, 1915, a permit was issued for
tlie demolition of the building, making
in all seven and a half years as the ex¬
treme age of the structure.
The walls were of skeleton type, 12
inches thick for the uppermost 75 feet of
height and thence increased 4 inches in
thickness for each lower 60 feet or frac¬
tion thereof. For the floors 9-inch and
lO-inch terra cotta flat arches sprung be¬
tween steel beams were used, with the
usual 2-inch cinder fill between the sleep¬
ers and a double wood flooring. The
â– partition walls throughout the building
were of terra cotta blocks, plastered on
both sides. All interior columns were
incased in 2-inch terra cotta block, while
the customary 4 and 8 inches of brick¬
work were used for the exterior and
wall columns.
Foundations to Rock.
The foundation consisted of concrete
piers in open caissons, carried down to
rock, at a depth of about 37 feet below
the curb. It appears that during the
construction of the foundation consider¬
able ground water was encountered, ne¬
cessitating the use of steel sheet piling.
A great deal of this sheeting has been
uncovered, especially where the same
interfered with the construction of the
new building, which has been erected
on the site. The sheeting for the most
part was intact and showed very litlle
corrosion. In fact, in many places the
smooth, even surface of the black iron
was plainly visible. Whether the- ab¬
sence of rust was due to the compara¬
tively short time that the sheeting was
in place (a little over seven years), or
whether it was due to the drawing away
of the ground water by the new subway
construction, is hard to say. Evidently
both contri]3Uted toward the preservation
of the metal.
At the time of the erection of the
twelve-story building it was found neces¬
sary to underpin the west wall of the
old Hoffman House. This was done
with steel cylinders driven in five-foot
lengths to rock and filled with concrete.
The piles, however, showed practically
no rust. When the old building was de¬
molished, the absence of severe cases
nf rusting in the steel work was ap¬
parent.
Tlie steel appeared to have been given
originally two coats of paint, and in most
cases the coating was intact without the
slightest sign of corrosion. Practically
the only places where rusting did take
place was at the outer face of the e.xte¬
rior columns in the easterly court wall.
Tliis wall was exposed for almost its
entire height to weathering conditions.
In all probability, the 8 inches of brick
encasing tlie outer face of the column
would have been sufficient to protect the
steel from moisture but for the fact that
the outside 4 inches of the wall was face
brick. The unfilled space between the
face brick and the backing appears to
have aided the collection of moisture,
and also to have retained it. At and
near connections the conditions were
worst, but in no case sufficient to impair
the strength of the metal.
The outer faces of a wall column on
the Broadway front, on the seventh
floor, show rust formation on the outer
channel and plate. These sides were pro¬
tected from the weather by brickwork
and ashlar facing, but apparently water
was able to percolate through the joints
and attack the steel. The coating of
paint had already peeled off in some
places, but the corrosion had not pro¬
gressed to a point where the strength
of the steel might be considered im¬
paired. Many architects and engineers
now specify that columns in outer walls
be covered with a coating of cement mor¬
tar, as an individual protection. The
fact that these columns had already be¬
gun to show signs of rust at the age of
only seven years would tend to prove
that more protection is necessary for-
wall columns than the customary coat¬
ing of paint.
The inner facings of a number of wall
columns were in very good condition
and did not show any signs of corro¬
sion.
Mr. Ludwig, in his report, points out
that the exterior wall girders and the
outside faces of the wall columns seem
the vulnerable points for corrosion in
the steel work of skeleton buildings, and
he suggests that architects and owners
give greater attention to the protection
of these steel members from the danger
of corrosion.
The organization of the Inspection Di¬
vision of the Bureau of Buildings last
year vyas similar to that of 1914. The
following is the personnel of the divi¬
sion under the superintendence of Mr.
Ludwig:
Chief inspector, three inspectors, for
special assignments, secretary, assistant
chief inspector of the construction de¬
partment, one stenographer and type¬
writer, twenty-eight construction inspec¬
tors, twenty-six district inspectors, five
iron and steel inspectors, three night in¬
spectors, three plastering inspectors,
twenty-si.x elevator inspectors, two
clerks, one clerk and photographer. In
the plumbing and drainage department,
one assistant engineer, two special in¬
spectors, twenty inspectors, one clerk in
charge, one assistant clerk, one stenog¬
rapher; in the public safety departnient,
one inspector, one assistant engineer.,
three engineer inspectors. on'C inspector
and one clerk. The following table
shows the number of examinations made
by the inspectors in the various groups
of this division:
January. February. March.
Construction___11,355 0,776 12.0!)S
District ......... 10,200 7,037 10,01 S
Special .......... 34S 284 303,
Night........... 11 9 12
April. May. June.
Construction ___ 10..556 0,773 10.470
District......... 10,535 8,805 10,1.37
Special.......... 634 437 241
Night........... 15 14 16
July. August, Sept.
ronstructlon ___ 9,603 9,256 10.4:12
District ........ 9,174 g.ORO 9,.390
Special ......... 421 .306 446
Night........... 13 0 14
Oct. Nov. Deo.
Construction ___ 0.7.W 0.6S3 9.0.83
District......... 10,200 9,477 9,051
Special.........: 480 416 427
Night........... 18 13 17
The total number of construction in¬
spections made during 1915 was 122,834
or an_ average of 4,509 inspections 'for
each inspector, or approximately 17 in¬
spections a day. This compares with
140,046 inspections, 4,115 and 16 for the
3-ear preceding.
The inspections made by the district
inspectors who were assigned to patrol
duty, supervision of minor alterations,
and fire repair work amounted to 115,084,
or an average of 4,426 for each man, or
an average of approximately 16 inspec¬
tions a day, taking 286 working days to
Ihe year. This is in comparison with
109,334, 4.205, and IS for the year 1914.
The tlirce district inspectors assigned
to answer emergency calls at night, and
on Sundays and holidays, made 158 in¬
spections during the year. Seven in¬
spectors detailed to the examination of
iron and steel construction made 16,922
inspections during 1915, averaging 2,417
inspections a man, or appro.ximately 9 in¬
spections a day.
January 1, 1915, the force of plastering
inspectors was reduced from five to three
and they have made 11,701 inspections, or
an average of 3,900 per man, or 14 in¬
spections per diem.
The work of this branch is that of in¬
specting all theatres, motion picture
shows, dance halls, etc., prior to the is¬
suance of licenses by the Department of
Licences, and also with the duty of in¬
specting fire escapes, etc., at the request
of the Department of Labor.
Inspection of Theatres.
During the year 1915 there were in this
borough 133 theatres, 221 motion picture
theatres, 339 dance halls and 102 lodging-
houses. All these come under this divi¬
sion, and the number of inspections was
as follows:
Places of amusement.................... 1,045
Lodging-Houses .......................... 117
Inspections made at request of Depart¬
ment ot Labor......................... 1,200
Inspections made at request of Fire De¬
partment .............................. 125
Miscellaneous inspections ............... 885
Buildins -notices......................... 2,233
Total .................................5,605
Special inspectors assigned to the ex¬
amination of sheathpiling, sidewalk sheds
and conditions along the new subway
routes and on the extension of Seventh
avenue, made 18,957 inspections during
the past year.
During the year 1915, installation of
plumbing, drainage and gas piping was
made as shown in the following table,
comparison being made with the last two
years:
1915. 1914. 1913.
Plumbing permits issued.. 2,230 2,360 2.:153
Notices of repair......... 9,770 .'i.e.Sl 11.783
Number ot water tests___ 2,107 3,140 2,208
Number of final tests___ 3,906 4,173 4,517
Nuraber ot gas tests and .
certificates issued .....11.408 7,200 11,783
No. of special inspections. 2,.3.83 3,477 ....
No. ot district inspections 63,215 60,499 61,738
The average number of inspections
made by the district inspectors was 3,160,
or approximately 11 per diem.
During the last year there was 1,736
licensed plumbers registered witli the
Bureau of Buildings, and of this number
8 had their licenses canceled for protect¬
ing unlicensed plumbers or other viola¬
tions of the plumbing and drainage regu¬
lations.
The Examining Board of Plumbers also
tevoked 8 certificates of competency.
(Continued on page 461.)