Prevention of Wind and Fire Losses to Farm Buildings

The amount of farm property destroyed annually by wind and fire is appalling, and this loss constitutes a heavy financial drain upon the state and nation. In many instances, the losses are due to carelessness or improper construction of buildings and might easily be prevented. Since prevention of the loss of\u27 a building is much better than reconstruction, this circular purposes to call attention to some of the easily observed preventive measures which if followed will reduce farm building losses resulting from wind and fire

Domestic spark arresters

An analysis of rural fires in Iowa shows that sparks ejected from house chimneys and falling on combustible roofs account for a large portion of the total fire waste. These sparks originate from soot deposits on the chimney wall, which upon being ignited are loosened and carried out by the chimney gases. If the combustion in the firebox were reasonably complete or if the chimney were kept clean by mechanical means, the soot accumulations would not occur. If the roof were of fireproof or fire-resisting material, the sparks would not constitute a serious problem as is now the case. The use of a spark arrester, as considered in this manuscript, is an attempt to remedy a bad situation. Spark arresters have been used successfully on locomotives and industrial chimneys for years. Their application to residences is comparatively recent and a different problem from their industrial use; spark arresters used with success industrially will not operate satisfactorily on dwellings. Therefore this study was made to discover the requirements of a domestic spark arrester. the suitability of a number being offered for sale and the possible design of one which might perform \u27a better service. In density and in burning characteristics sparks of incandescent soot escaping from the chimney differ considerably from ,wood embers flying from a burning building. The first section of this study was devoted to a determination of the source and character of these sparks and the condition under which they might ignite both new and weathered wood shingles. Investigations were made of flue gas velocities as may occur in domestic chimneys and those velocities necessary to expel soot particles of dangerous size

Fence Ends - Corners

Good ends and corners are the key to strong fences. Every end and corner post that isn\u27t holding its own means a sagging fence, and most likely some much visitors in the corn patch when they\u27re lease welcome. It will pay you to have good fences. Here are some hints on howto build them- with the least possible work

Thermal conductivity and surface treatment of silo walls

1. Temperatures taken inside the north wall on concrete, hollow block and wooden stave silos, follow outdoor temperatures rather closely and show little advantage in favor of any one material. 2. Temperatures taken near the center of the silo are higher than and fluctuate less than those near the wall surface. 3. Under most conditions, silage itself is a good insulator. Much heat may be lost through open doors, of out of the top of an unroofed silo. Exposure to cold winds is an important factor. Any of these or a combination of them may have more influence upon the amount of frozen silage than the construction of the wall. 4. All of the materials tested in connection with the study of wall surface treatments gave complete protection for a limited time only. 5. Cement plaster gave the best protection in rendering a clay block silo wall air-tight, but considerable difficulty was experienced in securing a satisfactory bond with the tile. 6. Bituminous coatings have proved satisfactory on tile silos and are easily applied. A high grade roofing cement containing asbestos fibers in asphalt, will stay in place better than asphalt alone. At least the first coat of this cement should be thinned with gasoline to a consistency which will permit application with a brush and so that it may be used cold. Hot applications of asphalt chill quickly upon contact with the cold silo wall, harden at once and fail to bond. 7. The apparent necessity for wall treatment on concrete stave silos has been to stop, or at least retard, the corrosive action of silage acids. Several of the materials accomplished this purpose fairly well. Difficulty was experienced with all specimens due to the scaling of the original cement wash. For this reason, if the wall has been coated with a cement wash, treatment should be deferred until all traces of the original wash are gone. It may appear necessary to act at once to preserve the interior surface of the silo. This corrosive action, however, is not as serious as it may seem at first, and the results will well repay one for waiting. Any treatment applied following a cement wash is likely to fail because of imperfect bond between the wash and the stave

Fire Inspection Pays!

Iowa farmers are having fewer fire losses than they had a few years ago. Losses in 1944 were the lowest since reports have been published by the State Fire Marshal. On the other hand, fire losses in the United States have been on the increase since 1937. They’ve been increasing in t h e towns and cities of Iowa since 1941

Creamery organization and construction

Since 1910 the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station has taken an active part in assisting the farmers in the organization and erection of creameries. The early creameries planned by the Iowa station in cooperation with the various creamery organizations were satisfactory at that time. Emphasis was placed primarily on sanitation, convenience, durability and economy in construction. These factors are not ignored today but are rather more strongly emphasized . In addition, much emphasis is placed on the appearance of the building, since the creamery of today is often centrally located in the town and is one of the important business institutions of its community, so that it should have an appearance in harmony with the great industry of which it is a part

Farm fence end and corner design

Field surveys of farm fences show that many are in poor condition. The end construction is a critical factor in the successful performance of a fence. The study herein described was undertaken to find the causes for failure, to appraise the relative value of common construction methods and to attempt to devise better ones. Particular attention has be.en given to labor saving in the hope that knowledge of improved methods would result in more satisfactory construction on the farm. A field study disclosed the factors responsible for failure, gave some information on loadings to be expected and some suggestions for assemblies which might be built with a minimum of materials and labor and still be expected to give satisfactory service. The experimental work included observations of loads which might be imposed on the fence end or corner by wire fencing, and a study of forces necessary to destroy ends and corners fabricated in a variety of ways. A test was made to show the effect of time and temperature on the tension in wire fencing and the ability of two types of fence ends to resist such factors. Field tests were made in one soil type only and under approximately similar soil moisture conditions. In most cases, replications have not been possible

The effectiveness of roofing nails for application of metal building sheets

The roofing nail is an important and often a limiting factor in successfully using metal building sheets. This study has been directed toward an analysis of the problems involved and the comparative performance of typical special nails offered commercially for fastening building sheets. All nails used for fastening steel sheets exposed to the weather should have a protective coating such as galvanizing, and a head which will exclude moisture from the hole made by the nail. The tendency of nails to creep\u27 or move outward without any apparent cause, thus necessitating renailing, has been a troublesome problem. No definite conclusions have been reached regarding the causes of this phenomenon, but some suggestions are offered for its remedy. Forces exerted by the wind and by the expansion and contraction of the metal due to changes in temperature may have some influence in loosening the nail. Creeping of nails from asphalt roofing and from boxes, however, shows that internal forces are probably of major importance. These may be the minute changes in dimension and character of the wood as it absorbs or gives up moisture. Screw shank nails probably creep less than plain shank nails, and it appears that ring shank nails will not creep. Many failures have been the result of using poor nailing girts or of carelessness on the part of the workman in failing to hit the girt

The design and construction of masonry water supply tanks

The elevated storage tank or reservoir offers advantages because it provides a reserve supply of water which is quickly available and also because it is adapted to intermittent windmill pumping. Farm fires constitute a serious economic problem, and the losses therefrom may be reduced with adequate water supply on the farm. The masonry silo provides a desirable support for an elevated water supply tank. Masonry tanks will, if properly designed and carefully constructed, give long and satisfactory service. Block tanks must be lined with a waterproofing material which is plastic and of sufficient thickness to remain intact, notwithstanding expansion and contraction of the walls. Considering low winter temperatures in Iowa, exposed tanks and supply pipes leading to them should be well insulated

The L-Block: A type of concrete block adapted to the economical construction of farm buildings

The L-Concrete Block, so named on account of its shape, is an outcome of a careful study and search by the Agricultural Engineering Section of the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station for a durable and economical type of construction for the walls of farm buildings. With normal costs for the constituent materials, concrete in the plastic stage as it comes from the mixer or mixing board is an economical building material. The problem of economical construction with concrete, therefore, depends upon efficient utilization of the material and labor. The L-Block reduces the amount of material usually required and greatly reduces the cost of placing the concrete in the building. With ordinary concrete blocks, or the so-called unit construction, much labor is required in making, handling and placing the blocks in the wall, while with monolithic construction the cost of forms is often excessive, exceeding in some instances the cost of the concrete