Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: v. 80, no. 2074: December 14, 1907

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Deceniber 14, 1907 LECORD AND GUTDE 961 ESTABUSHH)-^ MÍÍBPH 21*^*. 166 8. DEV&ld) TD REM.ESTATE,BuiLOi;fe #^rTECTURÍ.t{oUSEtíOlIlDECaĩĩAT10ÍÍ, Bl/SllÆsSAĩtoTHEHESOFGEIÍER^l IfÍTEfÍfSl.. PRICE PER YEAR IN ADVANCE EIGHT DOLLARS Communĩcations should be addressed to C. W. SWEET Tubíisfied Etíery Saturdag By THB BECOBD AND GXĨIDE CO. Presldent, CLINTON W. SWEBT Treasurer, F. W. DODGE Vlce-Pres. & Genl, Mgr., H. W. DBSMOND Secretary, F. T. MILLBR Nos. 11 to 15 East 24th Street, New Yorli City (Teleplione, Madlson Square, 44.30 to 4433.) ••Entered oí tUe Posl O^fice at Nevi York, N. Y.. aa sccoiitl-clasa matter.'' Copyrighted, 1907, by The RecoTd & Guide Co. Vol. LXXX. DECEMBBR 14, 1907. No, 2074. FEW BOOKS have been so well perused this week ia New York as the E.evised Buildiug Code, It is the book of tbe bour for owners and builders, arcbitects and engineers. Coucerniug tbe geiieral plan and structure of tbe work, it may be re- marked iu tbe first place tliat it is not a new code, in tbe seuse of being a complete departure from tbe old model and of taking notbing from the common stock of bmlding regulations, but is simply a revisĩon of the old book, fol- lowing upon tbe same lines, and witb mucb tbe same ar- rangement; but tbere has been added a great deal that is absolutely new and severai features ciuite revolutionary. The old ordinance asked to be construed liberally, but tbis code deelares tbere sball be no modiflcations of its require- ments—except as provided for in tbe Cbarter, and sucb iu- terpretatious as the Superiutendent of Buildings may make under tbat autbority mu'St be taken as precedents in future cases. Evidently if the commissioners could bave eliminated discretionary power absolutely tbey would so bave done. Tbis is one of tbe most striking and important points of dif- ference between tbe two ordinances. Anotber relates to registered constructors. No one wiU be permitted to file plans and specifications for the erection of a building witb- out being registered at the Building Department, and in order to register he must bold a certificate of competeucy from a Board of "Constructors' Examiners," to be appointed by tbe Mayor, Tbis registered constructor not only flĩes tbe plans and statement before tbe erection of the buildlng, but he a!so, upon tbe completion of the work, must make afii- davit that it has been done in accordance with tbe plans and specifications. Tbe present ordinance allows eitber an owner, lessee, agent, arcbitect or builder to file the plans and statement of specifications, but bereafter, by tbe new code, ît must be one who will be able to swear wben tbe contract is finisbed that it bas been done în accordabce witb tbe law, The necessity of baving works inspected from the Building Department will seemingly no longer exist, as tbe registered constructor, or supervisor of tbe work, will be the responsible individual. Tbe departmental inspeetor of con- struction work is not eliminated in terms, but it is obvious that bis duties have virtually been delegated to another, wbo is responsiiDle, not to tbe Superintendent of Buildings, but to the Board of Constructors' Examiners, wbicb alone ba,g power to cancel his certificate of competency, according to our reading of the text, Under tbe revised code the regis- tered constructor would become an extremely important figure in metropolitan building, so mucb so that it is diffi- cult to anticipato all the possibiĩities and consequences. Limîtations for CoDcrete Constniction THE DEFINITIONS AND CLASSIFICA- TIONS of tbe new revision of the Build: ing Code constitute anotber of its import- ant features, The old ordinance recog- nized tbe exístenee o£ an "apartment bouse," and tbere bas been some curiosity as to wbetber tbe commission would make, or recommend, a distinction in terms between a tenement bouse and an "apartment bouse," Tbe answer îs in tbe negatĩve: every residence building oecupied by three or more families is a tenement house, as defined in the Tenement House Act, A botel is "a residence building, otber than a tenement bouse, containing more than fifteen sleepîng rooms," regardiess of wbetber it Í3 intended, designed or used for supplylng food and sbelter, Definitions become estremely importánt wben tbe law is rigidly applíed. In the offieial ciassification all structures ih which sleeping accommodations are provided are termed "residence buildings," and fall under Class C, wbieb includes what are commonly ealled dwellings, board- íng bouses, tenement bouses, hotels, apartment bouses, hos- pitais, lodging-houses, club-bouses, studios, couvents, dor- mitories, police stations, fire bouses and jails. It is ap- parent that tbe largest part of construction work wiil come under Class C. Mercantile buildiugs, such as lofts, ware- houses and stores, also factories and worksbops, printins bouses, storage buiidings, power stations and garages,—and intended to include all buildiugs used in the manufacture, sale and storage of infiammable products—are termed "spe- ciai bazard buildings" and designated as "Class E." Here it is important to note that alĩ buildings required to be of flreproof eonstruction under the revised code in Class E must be of "first-class constru'Ction," and what is meant by first-class construction is described in precise terms in See- tion 112; tbat "the flreproof fioor and roof contructiou be- tween tbe steel beams sball be in tbe îorm of segmental arches," to be composed of "Portland cement concrete, brick or hollow tile or bard-burned clay, or semi-porous or porous terra-cotta." Tbe import to some firms engaged iu flreproof coustruction is more fuliy set forth in a letter from Mr. Guy V. Waite in anotber column. Reinforced concrete construc- tion is provided for under Section 117. Buildings designed iu accordance with the requirements of tbis secLion will be deemed to be flreproof and permissible under tbe code, "as second-class construction," But as only "first-class construc- fion," so called, "can be used in Class E buildings." Rein- forced concrete is consequently debarred from that field. -------------•------------- FOR PUBLIC BUILDINGS, theatres and places of assemblage, the. resulations in the code which went into effect December 23, 1S99, are followed closely, particu- larly witb reference to open side courta or spaces, with corridors to tbe street. In instances wbere tbe oid iaw is not definite in terms tbe proviíiions are amended by inserting requirements' evidentĩy suggested by the rules of the National Board of Fire Under- writers. Under the bead of quality of materials it is noticed tbat tbe revised code recognizes two kinds of Soutbern yel- low pine—sbortleaf as well as longleaf, and more par- ticularly such species as North Carolina pine and loblolly pine; and ií Cuban, shortleaf and loblolíy pine is grown under eonditioQS tbat it produces a large perceutage of bard summer wood, "so as to be equivaient to tbe wood produced by the true longleaf, it would be covered by the term 'long- leaf.' " The signiflcance of this will be understood wben it is recalled tbat intimations were given some time ago that shortleaf or loblolly pine timber would be barred by tbe terms of tbe new code, But, in the matter of concrete, tbe new code makes a decided cbange, in specifying tbat coocrete sball be made of "Portland cement," instead of merely "cement," wîth sand, broken stone or gravel, This elimin- ates from "concrete" construction the old natural cement, thousbitis not prohibited for cement mortar, Anotber feature of tjie new ordinance consists in tbe provisions for guarding window openings. The window-route will not be so easy for conflagrations in the futu're. As noted last week the fire limits of the city are extended, but detached frame build- ing is not prubibited wben not more than eîgbty per cent. of the lot frohtage is oecupied. Building heigbt for office structures is limited for tbe first time in tbe bistory of tbe city, and if tbe new regulations are upheld tbe ultimate effect will be to spread tbe business section. A natural consequence of revising a building code is to increase build- ing costs ra,ther tban diminish tbem, and tbis must mean in the end higber renting scbedules. It would be interesting to know wbat tbe exact difference in cost would be for a build- ing undel- Ciass E, for esample—how mucb more it would cost to erect under the new law than under the old? "Bridges and the Ai't Comniission." To the Edltor of the Record and Guide: I am surprised to flnd you wiUing to publisĩi the two openinc edltorial paragraphs oí your issue of last week. In them you chlde, softly, anã It is true, and much more in sorrow than in anger, a contributor to the Architectural Record for an articie about "Eridees and the Art Commlssion." and incidentally but necessarily the editor of that periodical for admitting that contribution. This In itself is ratber puzzling. Which periodical ig Mentor and whlch Telemachus? Or do they perhaps take turns? In