Use of Mod ern Timber Connectors to Stimulate Buildins Activity

Washington, D. C., Feb. 13.-The U. S' Department of Commer,ce, through the efiorts of its Forest Products Division, continues the interest it has evinced in modern timber connectors ever since the Director, Axel Oxholm, brought this system of heavy timber fabrication back from Europe and gave wide publicity to it. The Forest Products Division has recently made the following announcement:

"With the completion in Europe of the world's highest wooden structure. built of American woods-a radio tower 628 ft.-wood construction is entering upon a period of renaissance unequalled in its previous history, according to Axel H. Oxholm, Chief, Forest Produ'cts Division, Department of Commerce. Age old wood construction methods, placing serious limitations in the way of the use of this material, have been superseded by a combination of steel and wood construction employing steel connectors at the principal joints, thereby increasing the strength of the structure from four to eight times compared with the oldfashioned bolted joints heretofore used. This system is making remarkable headway in the United States, according to Mr. Oxholm. The State of California has just completed several highway wooden bridges of spans up to 180 ft. with the total length up to 530 ft. The bridges were constructed with considerable economy as compared with previous construction methods. This construction method, introduced into the United States through the combined efforts of the Department of Commerce and the Department of Agriculture, was demonstrated to the highway engineers of the country at the National Convention of Road Builders, just held in Washington, D. C.

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"This modern connector system will have particular application in the nation wide program for the elimination of grade ,crossings, according to Oxholm. In Germany, he says, one engineering concern alone is steadily employing 1400 carpenters in erecting su'ch wooden structures, and 1'et Germany does not have any native woods which can compare with our structural woods in strength and durability. This joint strengthening device is now spreading into our industrial field, and the railroads of the country are studying its application for railroad car construction, platforms, station buildings, and many other purposes.

"Our radio engineers are keenly interested in these wooden towers because the use of wood and a special type of connectors has increased radio efficiency up to 25 per cent. In the small house construction field, these connectors, unquestionably, will play an important part, because they will enable the builder to secure greater efficiency and strength from the wooden members of the structure, and at the same time, double the rigidity. This, in turn, will have a tendency to decrease plaster cracks and other similar defects common in this type of structures. It is my belief, says Oxholm, that these modern connectors vgill give a powerful impetus to semi-fabricated houses because their use will gleatly simplify the erection problem.

"Further information in regard to this epoch-making invention, which has already been applied in 23 states during the past year, may be secured by applying to the Superintendent of Do,cuments, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C., where the booklet "Modern Connectors for Timber Construction" may be obtained at cost of twenty cents."