A Plank Frame Applied to
a Skating Rink.
From N. B., Sussex, N. B.—We want to erect an auditorium, 50 × 200, with 16-foot posts and 12-foot sheds at each side for offices, waiting rooms, saloon, etc. We want galleries all around and a large band stand at one end, suspended from the roof. The building is to be used for a skating rink in winter and for public meetings during the summer. Will the plank frame system described in Carpentry and Building be suitable for the frame?
Answer.—The above inquiry was submitted to Mr. Shawver, who contributed the recent articles on plank frame construction, and in reply he says:
The plank frame is admirably adapted to such a building as that described, and can be quite cheaply constructed. In Fig. 1 of the sketches is shown one of the bents near the end on which the band stand is located, indicating the manner in which it is suspended from the roof by the rods A A, together with truss rod B. The galleries appear at either side, above which and beneath the eaves are the windows. If lighted by dormer windows, or if artificial light is employed, the shed roofs may be of the same pitch and a continuation of the roof of the main building, in which case the galleries may extend back beneath the roof of the sheds, and they need not extend out further than the purlin posts. The sketch, Fig. 2, shows an interior bent without the band stand. The end bents will be constructed in a manner similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of my article on plank frame barns. A 200-foot building should have 17 bents placed 12½ feet apart.
Fig. 1.—Bent Near the Band Stand.
Fig. 2.—An Interior Bent.