235. Value Of Records

In conducting work in which the use of cement enters as a prominent factor, it is not only necessary to know that the cement used is of a good quality, but also to be able to show at any future time what tests were made to establish its value. This fact, as well as the convenience of the work, demands that a record shall be kept of all the tests made. These records may be more or less elaborate, according to the kind and amount of the work in hand, but in any case, enough detail should be given to make them intelligible to other engineers.

236. Marking Specimens

There is sometimes a temptation, in making tensile specimens, to stamp upon them many details of the test, and for this purpose an elaborate cipher system has sometimes been used. But this method is to be strongly deprecated. Each briquet should receive its proper consecutive number, as mentioned in §189, and the details concerning it should be placed in the record book.

237. Records Kept At St. Marys Falls Canal

In the tests of cement at St. Marys Falls Canal, during the construction of the Poe Lock, a system of records was used that gave entire satisfaction. At the time the largest amount of cement was being used three molders were employed, each making fifty briquets per day of eight hours. Over one hundred thousand briquets were made in five and one-half years. Although the system of records used at this point may be more elaborate than is often necessary, yet the system will be described, and certain modifications will be suggested for places requiring less complete records.

238. Barrel Records

The barrels receive consecutive numbers after they are tiered up in the warehouse. The "receiving book" is a simple transit book in which are entered the date of the receipt of each cargo, the name of the boat (or the car number, if shipped by rail), the brand of cement, the number of barrels, the first and last barrel number of the cargo and the warehouse in which the cement is placed. The next book to be used is the " barrel book," in which the numbers of the barrels are entered consecutively in a column at the left, each barrel being given one line. This book is also of transit size, but might well be larger. The headings are given below.

Sample Page Of "Barrel Record"

When the barrels are sampled and briquets made, the date sampled is entered in the second column of the barrel record book. The other columns will be explained later.

239. Molders' Records

Separate sheets of paper ruled and headed as shown on page 148 are used by the molders to record the details concerning the making of briquets.

Separate sheets properly ruled and headed are also given to the assistants who test time of setting and fineness. These record sheets, when filled in by the assistants, are copied the following day by the bookkeeper, into the permanent " record book." At the end of the month these separate sheets, containing original records of work done, are folded and filed for future reference.

240. Briquet Record

The briquets are made in sets of ten for convenience. Each set is given a page in the " record book," as is indicated on page 149 where the form for this book is given. The size of page is 9 by 12 inches. Paper having the same ruling and column headings is convenient for reporting tests to the chief engineer.

241. Summary Book

The data for each set of briquets are copied from the record book, in a condensed form, into the "summary book," one line of the latter containing a page of the former. In the summary book each brand is given a few pages by itself, so that this book corresponds to a ledger in form. By this means a large number of tests on the same brand may be looked over at once. The summary book might be omitted where a smaller number of tests are to be made, or it might be slightly modified and take the place of the record book. A sample page is given below.

Sample Sheet, Molders' Record

Sample Page Of "Briquet Record" Book St. Marys Falls Canal, Mich

Cement Tests

Sault Ste Marie, Mich., Sept. 6, 1895. Test No. 61691 — 700 of Natural Cement.

Received 8/26 1893.

Brand, Milwaukee.

Where made, Milwaukee, Wis.

Per cent, of bbls. sampled, 33 1/3

Tests Made From Cement As Rec'D, With St. Sand

From Milwaukee Cement Co. Briquets made, 8.00 A.M. Sept 6, 1895. Briquets broken, Sept. 13, 1895.

Age when broken, 7 days.

Sample Page Of "Summary Book" Milwaukee

242. Records Of Fineness, Time Of Setting And Soundness

Although provision is made in the record book for recording time of setting and fineness, it has been found that where a large amount of cement is being tested it is more convenient to have separate books for each test. Especially is this true as it has been judged necessary to test but a very small percentage of the barrels for fineness, while a larger percentage of the barrels are tested for time of setting and soundness. The "fineness book" is as simple as possible and need not be illustrated. A sample page of the "pat book" is given below.

Sample Page Of "Pat Book" Or Record Of Time Of Setting And Soundness

Lagerdorfer Portland Cement Pats, Two from Every Third Barrel.

Sample Page Of "Series Book" For Special Tests

Comparative Strength, Different Samples Same Brand.

243. The Diary

When the bookkeeper has copied the data contained on the record blanks into the record book and summary book, he turns to the proper page in the diary and records the briquets to be broken. Thus, if briquets made May 17th are to be broken at three months, he enters the numbers of these briquets and the tank in which they have been placed under the date Aug. 17th. This leaves no chance of allowing briquets to go beyond the proper time of breaking.