REINFORCED BRICKS

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 225, 19 June 1931, Page 8

REINFORCED BRICKS

Proof Against Earthquake ■ A demonstration of brickwork, reinforced, and built to resist earthquake shock, was given at Avalon Crescent, Lower Hutt, yesterday afternoon, in the presence of Public Works Departmimt, local body engineers, representatives of engineer’s department, of Hun County and Hutt Borough Council, builders, and brick manufacturers. The bricks are the ordinary size, the only difference being that they are slotted at one end. The slots fit round steel or iron rods, which are fixed into the foundations of the building, chimney, or wail, as the case may be. As desired, the bricks are bounded at intervals, which, of course, increases the resisting strength. The method can be used on any form of brick construction, rhe cost of the bricks is the same as for the ordinary type of brick, and the time it takes to lay them only a very little longer. It was stated yesterday that engineers and architects who had witnessed previous demonstrations considered that the reinforced bricks would do all that was claimed for them in resisting earthquake shock. It was regarded as impossible that any building, wall, or chimney so constructed could fall to the ground, even though it might be forced well out of align inenl. Those concerned in the making of the ; slotted bricks are Messrs. J. Bright. E. Burns, E. Jones, and F. Eustage, the name taken, for which a patent is pending, being tlie 8.8. J., or best brick joint—(FabUshed bar A