Concrete Stone Manufacture by Harvey Whipple examines the production of factory-made concrete building units. Published in Detroit by the Concrete-Cement Age Publishing Co. in 1915, it identifies Whipple as managing editor of Concrete-Cement Age. The copyright page states that it was published in February 1915.
From building material to manufacturing process
The opening chapter discusses the development of concrete building units and the challenges facing their manufacturers. Whipple is concerned with workmanship, consistency and the standing of the product. Photographs of buildings and architectural details illustrate the range of effects that concrete units could provide.
His preface treats failures as a source of information as well as a warning. He emphasizes experience, judgment and knowledge of materials. This makes the book more than a catalogue of equipment: it asks how a producer can organize work to make a dependable product.
For a practical-craft collection, the volume offers a view of the transition from making an individual object to operating a manufacturing shop. Material selection, handling, curing, records and sales all become parts of the same undertaking.
Location, equipment and layout
The second chapter addresses location, equipment and layout. Machinery is considered in relation to the movement of materials and the way products are formed. Illustrated examples include pressure machines and arrangements for producing blocks.
This attention to the plant is useful because the finished unit is only one visible result of a larger process. The distance materials travel, the space needed for handling and the arrangement of equipment affect both cost and consistency. Later examples return to these questions through descriptions of actual operations.
The book’s historical machinery photographs are also valuable to industrial-history readers. They show the physical scale and working arrangements behind products that may otherwise appear only as anonymous blocks in a wall.
Materials, mixtures and curing
A substantial chapter covers materials, mixtures and manipulation. Cement, aggregate and water are treated as essential ingredients whose quality and proportions matter. Whipple also emphasizes the skill used in handling and finishing the material.
Curing has a separate chapter. Natural curing and steam curing are discussed, with attention to protecting products while they gain strength. The discussion makes clear that removal from the mold is not the end of manufacture.
These sections are especially useful when read together. A unit’s appearance immediately after forming does not reveal whether the material selection and subsequent care were adequate. The book repeatedly connects an attractive product with the less visible conditions of its manufacture.
Molds, patterns and surface effects
Special molds and patterns lead into a chapter on surfaces. Simple forms for items such as sills and lintels appear alongside more elaborate work. The relationship between woodworking, mold preparation and concrete production is evident in the illustrated details.
Surface treatment receives more than a decorative role. Whipple considers how the face of a unit contributes to its architectural effect and how poor imitation can undermine the result. Photographs allow the reader to compare textures and completed work.
This material will interest readers studying architectural craft as well as industrial production. It shows how repeated manufacture and intentional design could be combined, while also recording contemporary criticism of unsatisfactory concrete products.
Records, tests, selling and plant examples
Shop records and cost keeping bring the discussion into production management. Building regulations, tests and specifications follow, then selling the products. The final chapter provides examples of layout and operation, making the earlier discussion more concrete through actual plant arrangements.
The costs, regulations and test requirements are historical information. They cannot be used as current compliance criteria or production estimates. Their value lies in showing what manufacturers recorded, measured and argued about in the period.
Audience and scan navigation
This free ebook suits architectural researchers, industrial historians and readers interested in mold-making and small manufacturing. Current production and structural use require modern testing and standards. The PDF contains 254 digital pages, including preliminary matter, photographs and an index. It is image-based without searchable text. The chapter list near the beginning and printed index near the end provide the most useful navigation aids.
Book details
- Author: Harvey Whipple
- Publisher: Concrete-Cement Age Publishing Co., Detroit
- Year: 1915
- Edition: Published February 1915; no numbered edition stated
- Digital length: 254 PDF pages
- Language: English
- File size: 7.38 MB
