Iron frame and concrete construction. Iron is fast taking the place of wood in structural work. Mr. F. E. Dawley, of Fayetteville, N. Y., has erected a modern sanitary stable, using concrete entirely for the stable, and iron for the framework above. The end truss is partly shown in Figs. 316, 317. The entire space of the barn above the basement is one room. The truss is stronger than the ordinary framework. Each iron girt has a plank attached, to which board siding or sheathing may be fastened. The end sections are braced to the nearest adjoining girt. Wood rafters are fastened in the same manner. In other words, this frame is standard truss or bridge work covered with boards. The cost is somewhat higher than the present cost of wood, but it is only a question of time till builders will be forced to use iron and concrete in farm structural work. The same principles of sanitation, ventilation and insulation are employed, as previously mentioned. Barns are as worthy of good material and careful construction as residences are. Remodeling old buildings. Fig. 320. The concrete trough runs the entire length of the building. The passageway between the double row of stanchions is about eight feet wide. All corners and right angles are finished with coves or in curves, so that dust does not collect or may be easily removed. This article is chiefly given to the points which should be considered in the construction of new buildings, but with a little study these ideas may be made applicable to buildings now in use. Stuffed walls, matched ceilings, cement floors and ventilating flues may often be introduced to great advantage into buildings now standing. This work may often be done from time to time as means are at hand. It is best to put in the floor first; at another time the flues may be built, and then the ceiling. The room should never be made tight until the flues are ready for use; a closed room without flues would be exceedingly bad for the animals. CONSTRUCTION DETAILS OF MODERN BARN AND DAIRY ESTABLISHMENTS By E. Burnett (With Figs. 318-322, 324, 325, 326, 329, 333, 334) The usual and most economical practice in the construction of complete barn establishments is to form a quadrangle with the big barn, which contains all the forage and grain, running east and west and forming the north end of the group (Fig. 318). This main building, usually of wood, is built with side trusses 12 to 16 feet apart (Fig. 319). The usual dimensions are 40 to 50 feet in width, 16 to 22 feet in height to the plate, and of such length as will provide for the storage of the necessary forage, allowing 400 to 500 cubic feet for each ton of hay. To this building are usually connected two wings, without cellars or storage rooms above, running north and south. One of these sheds is for the cattle and the other for horses. SECTION SHOWING TRUSS HAY BARN Fig. 319. Section of the main building (hay barn) showing the wooden side trusses. The side trusses are placed twelve to sixteen feet apart. Cow and horse stables. For cattle, when any number are kept, the low buildings should have a double row of stanchions, and should be about 38 feet wide and 7 to 8 feet to the plate, the length being decided by the number of animals housed, allowing 600 to 750 cubic feet of air space for each ani mal. The interior is finished entirely with concrete floors and base, and the walls and ceiling with portland cement plaster placed on wire lath, in wooden buildings. The sills should be 12 to 15 inches above the floor, resting on a brick or concrete wall, and where this wall connects with the floor there should be a generous curved sanitary base with not less than a 4-inch sweep. The windows (half sash) are placed not less than 4 feet from the floor, and flush on the inside with no casings, so that the whole interior is without any dust-collecting lines. All corners and angles are finished with curves. A double row of stalls, allowing 3 feet 6 inches in width for each full-grown cow, faces a passage-way about 8 feet wide. A concrete trough, about 3 feet over all, runs the entire length in front of the stalls, on each side (Fig. 320). This trough provides for both the feed and water. The inflow of water should be from a pipe not less than 2 inches in diameter and the outlet 3 to 4 inches in diameter, so that the trough can be emptied quickly. In horse stables, a concrete watering-trough may be put in some corner; this is better than individual troughs. Fig. 327. Partition for horse stalls in a wood-construction stable. animal; with twenty cows this requires four outlets and four inlets, 7 x 20 inches or 10 x 14 inches. These outlets should be placed as near the floor as possible, inside the building, and the ventilating ducts from them should extend up through the side of the building, usually between the studding and the roof, to a ventilating cupola not less than five or six feet in height. The intakes are usually placed on the side of the building, the air coming into the ventilating shaft from the outside about one foot above grade, and passing up through the sides of the building to the opening into the interior of the stable just underneath the plate. The usual length of standing space for an ordinary cow from the trough to the gutter is 4 feet 6 inches. The gutter should be 16 inches wide and about 6 inches deep. In this gutter should be placed a bell trap to provide for the drainage. Behind the gutter, space should be allowed for the rear passage, about 6 feet in width (Fig. 321). The cow stalls are made of 11-inch galvanized pipe. The stall-frame set in the inside of the concrete trough is put up to carry metal stanchions. If strap collars are used, the rings and chains to fasten to these collars slide up and down on the uprights. As much light as possible should be provided. By dropping the single sash windows into metal cheeks, fastened to the inside of the window-frame, a liberal supply of fresh air is secured while avoiding drafts on the animals. A rabbet formed on the bottom of the sash and a corresponding cleat on the window-sill does away with hinges, and the sash can be lifted out at any time to be cleaned, or in hot weather entirely removed to provide all the air possible (Fig. 322). Fig. 328. Method of framing a wooden general-purpose barn. The installing of the King system of ventilation should allow 28 square inches for each full-grown In the horse stable, the usual custom is to place a single row of stalls on one side of the building, which should not be less than 20 feet in width, or, for a double row of stalls, not less than 30 feet (Fig. 324). The length of the stall is 9 feet 5 inches over all, and the width varies from 5 to 6 feet for a large stall and from 3 feet 8 inches to 4 feet for a narrow stall. The 6-foot stall is the most Fig. 329. Cement cow stable. Windows held in cheeks, as shown in Fig. 322. desirable, as it gives the horse almost the accommodations of a box stall and allows plenty of room for the attendant to harness the animal in the stall. This stable should be finished the same as the cow stable, with concrete floors and base and portland cement plaster on the walls and ceilings. The iron stall posts, 5 inches in diameter, should be embedded in about 20 inches of concrete. The partitions should be made of 2-inch plank about 6 inches wide, placed horizontally and slipping into channels on the post and on the wall. The bottom plank should be placed about 1 inches from the floor and the others placed 2 inches apart. This greatly improves the ventilation of the stall proper. Above the wooden partition is usually placed an open O. G. iron stall ramp, allowing an open space of 1 inches next to the wall; then a solid 30inch panel is usually put in to separate the horses' heads (Fig. 326). The stall floors of concrete are marked with a half-round groove about 2-inch wide and of equal depth running down the center, with herring-bone side grooves, not so deep, running into this main channel. An open flat gutter with a bell trap is placed directly behind the stalls. The handling of the manure in modern barns is done by a trolley run on a track suspended from the ceiling in the rear passage. This track is carried through the doors at the end of the building and outside to a point where the bucket is emptied either directly into a cart or into the manure-shed, about 200 feet from the buildings. The ideal building for domestic animals is made of concrete reinforced with steel. This building is constructed with a 10-inch air space between the two 3-inch side walls, except where abutments are placed to support the concrete beams that form the roof. The roof is built with an air space between the beams, and the interior is plastered directly on the rough walls. The ventilation is easily provided for in the hollow walls, the ducts being formed in concrete. This building with its air space practically obviates sweating in damp weather; it is cool in summer, warm in winter, and is absolutely fireproof. Fig. 333. Plan of dairy-rooms, in a modern structure. |