BETTER BUILDING

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21991, 15 January 1937, Page 16

BETTER BUILDING

BRITISH RESEARCHES _ STATION '*" V^l||J FAR-REACHING ACTITm^K "The fountain head of research - in building materials" was the descriptionT' i Building- Research Station, branches, of the Departaeßtfia£ i tine and Industrial Britain, by Mr Arthur £. a paper-read at a. meeting Zealand Institute- of- ArcMtec^«„^|Jf; "I believe," he said, "that research' can-'be, to -the dustry what medical research to the human race. *lt may.' noJ'^WjSf, M all evils', but it can do, ."a to prevent,them. Our just as prone to attacks of JUnesfxpAf disease as human beings. It sary to think only of a few, dry rot, insect attack of timbers,.<£# decays of stonework, failures of3«&*tS and there are countless otbenvc|?«; realise how susceptible' our are to disease. Yet, although bttfldme;i. is one of the oldest industries .know*; J. and has been carried on .by nwn 5 wf% centuries, the knowledge we'.hayfe:!?|;these things is practically niL? • s&?s- - is the scope of the station^."' '•& (a) The examination of bafflß&f materials in common use,- ana tap*methods of applying them with,«g"ggß to effecting" economies and imnrpp:|| ments. . ■/" '"S^'j'fi" (b) The study of new materialsjan«S processes as evolved, .' .v. t<;£?jS (c) The scientific diagnosis causes of difficulties, and failures materials, and their s*! I ** (d) The spreading of useful^mjw- \-, mation and the fostering of Ji of scientific spirit and outlook jßs.iw? ¥ building world. " 'JU^'laP "In regard to any new - rnwewg/fg coming on the market it fregueouy^, happens that the architect perience of their behaviour, an(T<tlW*s|; are no criteria as to their or suitability for the task to do," remarked Mr one with a little capital can manw*; Suture a new article, and by J u .« u ?. <5 53! advertising can sell it, even « »*5jS quite unsuitable for its purpose. so«*,gg materials may be a useless money, or may even do much *£*rzf? The Building Research ijr protect architects from such nttttn»2-;£ and an architect can assist the fggSfrf by demanding Building Research Sg,ss; tion reports on any new lg»g3*f brought into his office. Reputablfe are more and more using }&J%fflt search Station for carrying °UV%*»k£S' prehensive tests on any new nwKS&i they bring out The results « tests, together with comparisons y«« other materials of the same/lassr ai „_, issued to the firm in the togj-Ss}? Building Research Station should this be satisfactory, it is published by tiie firm. This f0 "?Lt; sound basis upon which an an^^ e r can form an unbiased opinion <£ properties of the materials. f»e « ' called upon to take the risk or «/ ing out a new product without n?ing any idea as to its probable vr. haviour. . T>«:*artaV . "Generally speaking the Station exists to be of service W &% .. sections of the building Mdu s% J »'j* ! - addition to its general "searcn ««~ *., tion, the station is endeavouring-&. spread its accumulated wftmWgJ and to give practical assistance wg£ | one experiencing building *danW<?" The information bureau f* • tn *JSS 4* is freely available to all s and every effort is made to ■ * quirers as much as possible. PrLp. * any architect come across fv. k i L lse ing problem in the course of tice, he needs only to write to we ,| tion explaining the conditions which the difiiculty has. the station will be pleased as to the cause of the trouble means by which it may be-preven^*-., in the future." ' • %•;:- .',