T h e New Gulf Research Laboratory at Harmarville
T
H E G U L F R E S E A K C H LABORATORY was organized in A u g u s t ,
1927. Within a few m o n t h s i t comprised a group of a b o u t a dozen chemists and physicists, stationed a t t h e Mellon Institute o f Industrial Research, a larger group of geophysicists, temporarily located in an office building, a n d a well-equipped instrument shop in an industrial building, all awaiting the design
which permits of extremely good lighting, especially with t h e use of extra wide windows carried up close to t h e ceiling. This type of building is well fitted for the general chemical and materials engineering work occupying one of the three-story buildings, and t h e administrative, physical, and geophysical work which occupies t h e other. These buildings are 51 X 163 feet and contain approximately 80 rooms each. The third building is the industrial monitor type, 83 X 272 feet. T h e cafeteria is located in one end, in a large room, 40 X 60 feet, which also serves as an auditorium. T h e engineering offices are arranged around the outside bays of 12-foot height, and in t h e opposite end from the cafeteria is the machine shop, equipped with suitable light and heavy machinery for all kinds of machine work, from instruments to h e a v y engineering equipment. T h e central bay, 40 feet wide, is under the monitor, with 22 feet clear height, and a bridge crane serves this entire area, which includes most of the m a c h i n e s h o p and all of t h e engineering t e s t floor. Inasmuch as this suburban territory had no gas, water, light, telephone, or sewer service, it was neces-
UPPER: PHYSICS, GEOPHYSICS, AND ADMINISTRATION BUILDING CENTER: CHEMISTRY AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING BUILDING LOWER:
ENGINEERING BUILDXNG
and construction of a new laboratory. T h i s 80-room building, situated o n a 1.2-acre tract of land at Craft Ave. and the Boulevard of t h e Allies, near the c e n t e r of Pittsburgh, was completed early in 1930. T h e laboratory was crowded from t h e day of occupancy a n d , as new activities were added, space was acquired by renting properties in various sections of t h e city and outlying districts. When the laboratory was incorporated a s t h e Gulf Research & sary to provide an 8-inch water line from the Suburban W a t e r Co.'s Development Corp., and its activities still further expanded, it plant across the river, carried under t h e river and u p t h e bluff, became necessary to provide additional facilities. reduced to 6 inches a t t h e plant. In addition, a 6-inch gas main After careful consideration i t was decided to abandon the Craft was laid from below the town of Harmarville. A complete sewage Ave. property a n d erect a n e w plant in t h e country. A splendid disposal plant, including Imhofï tank, trickle filter, sludge bed, and location a t Harmarville, overlooking t h e Allegheny River, a n d chlorination is provided for the disposal of sania b o u t 10 miles airline from t h e m a i n Gulf Buildtary sewage. Chemical sewage is separately ing, was selected. This p r o p e r t y is a level treated and the effluent from both systems, along tract of 4 7 acres situated on a plateau rising with t h e storm sewer discharge, empties into a b o u t 135 feet above the river. T h e buildings Deer Creek, which bounds the north end of t h e were ready for occupancy t h e latter p a r t of property. April. After a study of various constructions, t h e A 2300-volt 300-kilowatt power line was buildings, except the foundations, were built of brought to the plant and stepped down t o 220 reinforced Hadite concrete. This particular volts f o r p o w e r a n d 110 volts for lighting. mix of concrete gives relatively light weight, Motor generator sets are provided for special t h u s reducing t h e stresses. T h e interior partidirect current service. A t r u n k cable was intions are a l l hollow tile, plastered and painted. stalled for telephone service, with through lines to t h e Pittsburgh Highland exchange a n d t o Two buildings, running approximately north the Gulf Building. Telegraph service is secured and south, are arranged three stories i n height, through Western Union Simplex typewriter on w i t h basement, a b o u t 10 feet clear ceiling height. ENTRANCE TO GEOPHYSICS, PHYSICS, a leased wire. M o s t of t h e rooms are 14 X 20 feet inside, AND ADMINISTRATION BUILDING 203
INDUSTRIAL· A N D E N G I N E E R I N G
204
T h e buildings a r e placed on three sides of a q u a d r a n g l e , in order to give complete daylight l i g h t i n g in every room. T h e three main buildings a r e heated from a central boiler plant in one of t h e 3-story laboratories, a n d 100-pound compressed air a n d 15-inch v a c u u m service are pro vided for t h e group in t h e same location. Steam "at 100 pounds pressure is a l s o f u r n i s h e d for chemical experimental work, de livered b y an electrically heated boiler. F o r t h e various low-tempera ture and refrigerator services, there are provided a small cold room operating as low a s —25°F., a large cold room for engine tesfCR\FT AVENUE ing capable of handling 1O0 horse power engine a t 0 ° F . , a pour test bench for three different temperatures down "to - 7 0 ° F . , a n d a distillation bench. T h i s refrigeration service covers about five different t e m p e r a t u r e levels, supplied from five separate a u t o m a t i c refrigeration systems. Iced drinking water i s provided for t h e three buildings b y two additional cold-water refrigerating units. There is also o n e constant t e m p e r a t u r e room which m a y be operated a t elevated o r depressed temperatures. F o r certain experimental work, particularly that in physics and geophysics requiring very steady foundations, separate concrete firm bases h a d t o be constructed in several of t h e laboratory rooms, and these concrete bases a r e mounted directly on t h e ground, independent of the building f(. . uliitions. T h e three buildings contain approximately 72,000 square feet of n e t floor space, which is nearly three times t h e size of the origi-
CHANGE OF ADDRESS. When sending in any change of address, please also forward information regardino position held, compa-ny or business connec tion, and class of -products manufactured to AMERICA.» CHEMICAL SOCIETY, 728 Mills Bldg., Washington, D. C.
FRANZ A B B O T T h a s resigned his position as development engineer with t h e Goodyear Tire & R u b b e r Co. t o become technical superintendent in charge of compounding a n d development a t t h e Ohio R u b b e r C o . , Willoughby, Ohio. The National A c a d e m y of Sciences, a t its annual meeting on April 25, elected to its membership three men well known in chemical circles : N O R M A N L E V I B O W E N , petrologist, G e o p h y s i
cal L a b o r a t o r y , Carnegie Institution of "Washington; GORTNER,
professor
of
biochemistry,
Ross
University
of
M i n n e s o t a ; HAJROLD C. U R E Y , professor of chemistry, Columbia University. At t h e D i a m o n d Jubilee celebration of t r i e Louisiana
nal laboratory building a t Craft Ave. E v e r y effort was m a d e , in laying out these buildings, t o ob tain t h e m a x i m u m available floor space per dollar of cost w i t h o u t the sacrifice of durability a n d a p p e a r a n c e . T h e architectural t r e a t m e n t w a s definitely chosen with a view t o its suitability in concrete, h a s a simple character, and has resulted in a satisfactory effect. T h e appearance will, of course, be greatly enhanced when the landscaping is completed. T h e buildings a r e connected by tunnels which were neces sary for t h e piping a n d electrical distributing s y s t e m s , b u t were m a d e sufficiently large t o serve as passageways b e t w e e n t h e LABORATORY buildings in bad weather. W i t h so large a layout, this conven ience feature will be of considerable value. Besides t h e three m a i n buildings, a p u m p house is provided in which is installed a 217 C F M 500-pound compressor, a small 4000-pound compressor, and a group of mixing a n d measuring tanks. T h i s e q u i p m e n t is used in connection w i t h t h e experi mental 94-foot derrick a n d well for s t u d y i n g various designs of pumping e q u i p m e n t . T h e derrick is equipped w i t h a s t a n d a r d walking b e a m , reduction gear, a n d electrically driven p u m p i n g unit. A fireproof storage house contains ample barrel and small sample storage for all petroleum products under investigation. A 5-car garage for company cars a n d trucks a n d small t e m p o r a r y buildings for special work complete t h e p l a n t . An additional building for chemical process research has been authorized, b u t construction has not y e t s t a r t e d . Parking space is provided for 275 c a r s .
State
U n i v e r s i t y on April 13, C H A R L E S E D W A R D COATES, d e a n of
a n d a s s u m e d t h e duties of chief chemist in charge of com p o u n d i n g a n d fabric development, control, a n d research for t h e I n d i a Tire Co., Akron, Ohio. NORMAN W . K R A S E , of t h e University of Illinois, will lecture on " N e w Applications of Pressure S y n t h e s i s " before t h e following local sections in Michigan i n connection with a t o u r arranged b y the secretary of the G r o u p of Local Section Officers: D e t r o i t , M a y 2 1 ; A n n Arbor, M a y 2 2 ; E a s t Lansing, M a y 2 3 ; M i d l a n d , M a y 24. R. Y . M A C I N T Y R E , representative of the Link-Belt Co., h a s been transferred from Memphis, T e n n . , t o Dallas, T e x a s . E D W I N G. P I E R C E , former chairman of t h e Cleveland Section a n d general chairman of t h e recent Cleveland convention of t h e AJVIERICAN C H E M I C A L SOCIETY, c o m p l e t e d a t o u r d u r i n g t h e
week of April 15, giving a talk on "Boulder D a m a n d t h e C h e m i s t r y of C o n c r e t e . H i s appearances before groups of chemists included: t h e K a n a w h a Valley Section, Charleston, W . V a . ; Ohio University, Athens, Ohio; Marshall College,. H u n t i n g t o n , W. Va.; M o u n t Union College, Alliance, Ohio.
t h e College of Pure a n d Applied Science, w a s one of those who received t h e degree of doctor of laws. The degree was a w a r d e d " i n recognition of long years of distinguished services i n t e a c h i n g and research, loyal devotion t o the university a n d t o the cause of science, faithful efforts to advance t h e cultural a n d industrial interests of southern life, contributions t h r o u g h Louisiana S t a t e University t o t h e world community; teacher, scholar, scientist, friend of learning a n d of men." R A Y M O N D M . FTJOSS, winner of t h e AMERICAN C H E M I C A L S O
CIETY Award i n P u r e Chemistry (initiated by A. C . Langmuir) for 1935, has recently joined t h e staff o f Gustavus J . E s selen, I n c . , in a n advisory capacity. In t h e fall a n d w i n t e r of 1933-34 D r . Fuoss w a s International Research Fellow a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y of Leipzig w i t h Professor Debye a n d last s u m m e r h e w a s I n t e r n a t i o n a l Research Fellow a t Cambridge U n i v e r s i t y w i t h Professor Fowler. J O H N L . H A L L , of C h o a t e , Hall & Stewart, Boston, Mass., h a s been elected a director of t h e Westinghouse Electric & M a n u facturing Co., E a s t Pittsburgh, P a . W. W. ALDRICH, H . B . R U S T , a n d S.
V O L . 13, N O . 9
H E R B E R T S. K A R C H h a s resigned from t h e B . F . G o o d r i c h C o . ,
Personalia
AIKEN
CHEMISTRY
M. V A U C L A I N were reelected m e m b e r s of
the
board. G. A. H T J L E T T w a s a p p o i n t e d t h e representative of t h e A M E R I CAN C H E M I C A L , S O C I E T Y t o t h e Fifth National M e e t i n g of
P u r e a n d Applied Chemistry, held in Sardinia M a y 1 to 7 . W I L L I A M F . Z I M M E R L I will represent the AMERICAN CHEMICAL.
SOCIETY a t t h e Fifteenth Congress of Industrial C h e m i s t r y , which will t a k e place in Brussels, September 22 t o 28. T h e s e a p p o i n t m e n t s were made by President Roger A d a m s .
Necrology. John Livingston Rutgers Morgan Τ L. R,. M O R G A N , professor of physical c h e m i s t r y a t C o l u m b i a %} · University since 1905, died in t h e Medical C e n t r e of N e w York, April 13, after a long illness. H e w a s 62 y e a r s old. Dr. M o r g a n was born June 27, 1872, in New Brunswick, N . J . H e received t h e B.S. degree from R u t g e r s University i n 1892,. t h e A.M. a n d P h . D . a t the University of Leipzig in 1895, a n d t h e h o n o r a r y Sc.D. from R u t g e r s University i n 1916. After teaching a t Stevens I n s t i t u t e of Technology a n d Brooklyn Poly technic I n s t i t u t e h e w e n t to Columbia i n 1897 a n d for t h e past t h i r t y y e a r s held t h e r a n k of professor t h e r e . F o r m a n y years h e was secretary of t h e Faculty of P u r e Science. H e was a m e m b e r of t h e C o m m i t t e e o n Instruction a n d t h e University Council. H e w a s t h e a u t h o r of several books on chemistry,, a n d con t r i b u t e d m a n y papers t o t h e Journal of the American Chemical Society, t h e Journal of Physical Chemistry, as well as German, chemical j o u r n a l s .
H e was a m e m b e r of t h e A M E R I C A N C H E M I
CAL SOCIETY, t h e American Physical Society, a n d t h e E l e c t r o chemical Society, a n d a fellow of t h e Chemical Soeiety of London..
