Some Reminiscences (Conclusion)

Every age brings its problems,; but the inevitable march of civilisation presents new phases to problems of great antiquity. Some problems of the present age are quite new, born of the conditions and requirements of modern times. Sir Charles T. Ruthen

Of great interest to structural engineering is the sand lime (calcium silicate) process for the manufacture of bricks, building blocks, tiles, and slabs. This has a number of important advantages, including the fact that no skilled labour is required and the products have a much greater resistance to crushing strain than the burnt clay brick, the edges are all mathen1atically straight and even without bulging, warping or twisting, as in the case of ordinary bricks, and a wide range of convenient, sizes and shapes can be made to order without difficulty. Until quite recently the sand lime process has been almost completely neglected in Great Britain, and accordingly therefore considerable interest attaches to the fact that a fine new sand lime brick plant was started some time ago at Littlehampton in Sussex by the Arun Brick Co., Ltd. This is on the latest high pressure principle, with a capacity of 110,000 to 120,000 bricks per week, and a brief description will not be without interest, especially in view of the continued scarcity and high price of burnt clay bricks and the fact that the use of this method is increasing rapidly on the Continent and in the United States and Canada, the total world production of sand lime bricks being now over 2,500,000,000 per annum. It will be remembered that

This Society was founded in 1912 by The Royal Institute of British Architects, the Surveyors’ Institution and the Architectural Association for the benefit of employees of architects, surveyors, civil and structural engineers and allied professions, who are in receipt of sularies not exceeding £250 per annum, and who consequently come within the scope of the National Health Insurance Act.