Monday, Late Start

Re: Monday, Late Start

Used in some very old construction, in a figurative way, in a Man's Home. A more modern usage was for the tracks for the creeper cranes used to construct a certain stainless steel arch on the banks of the Mississippi, although finding evidence of that is more difficult than seeing evidence in the older constructions referrenced earlier.

The ancient Egyptians used a technique very similar in some of their buildings, too.

Fred

Under clear skies in Eastern Missouri

Used in old construction yes.. but

not at all figuratively. This was a real practice used for a reason. Wouldn't be a bad use today if alteratives weren't more efficient.

Re: Monday, Answer

Put Log Hole---In old construction especially with English, Flemish and Monk brick bonds some of the spaces (about every fourteen or so courses) where the brick appears to be a half brick was left unfilled. Into these spaces and over several courses a �log� really just fitted lumber post was placed in the hole of the missing brick forming a perpendicular post sticking out of the wall. On these posts were placed planks which then served as scaffolding for the wall's masons. After the wall was completed the posts were removed from the top down and bricks inserted in the proper place. By the time the wall was finished no one would know that the wall itself served as the anchor for its scaffolding. In Pennsylvania sometimes the bricks were never replaced and served as hot air escape for some barns.

Frederick

Sorry. I misinterpreted figurative. You meant as a design and I thought you meant figurative as opposed to literal. You are correct the holes were sometimes left open as a design.

Re: Monday, Answer

Put-Log holes were used extensively in the construction of castles, and many are still visible in the curtain walls of old castles and fortifications. (My figurative usage was from the old quote "A Man's Home is his Castle.")

In a castle, the higher put-log holes were left open both as drains from the deck behind the parapet, as well as for constructing hoardings, platforms for fighting men just outside the crenelations of the curtain wall. The hoardings would only be build when they were needed, as when they were anticipating a seige.

The modern equivalent on the St. Louis Gateway Arch were holes in the outer skin used to anchor the tracks for the creeper-cranes during construction. When the tracks were removed, the holes were filled with a plug that was ground smooth and polished flush with the surface. The site of one of the plugs is nearly invisible from the ground.

Fred

Just goes to show ...

that the questioner can get schooled. Way back when, I was new to Pittsburgh Des Moines Steel after the arch. They called it a creeper crane and said it was like a cog engine. I never gave much thought to how the cogs were placed.