More Than Just Military Shelters: Quonset huts
View PDF | Print View
by: fredthompson
Total views: 136
Word Count: 552
An unusual concept in temporary housing designs, Quonset huts are indeed an innovative conception. Quonset huts are essentially lightweight buildings designed from galvanized iron structured with in a hemispherical cross section. The original design of Quonset huts was similar to the Nissen hut building, and gained acceptance post World War I when the English used these structures. The Nissen hut itself had several disadvantages such as the complicated unit of corrugated steel and the insulation which was derived from the way the panels were put together, so the Government suggested improvements to make shipping and assembly easier. Quonset huts were named after the first manufacturing site, Quonset Point, Danisville, which was part of Rhode Island. The original design was 5 m by 11 m and was framed with semicircular steel pipes 2.4 m in radius, which were covered on the sides with corrugated steel sheets. The sides of the main unit was cut out to include the doors and windows in wooden ply, and the thermal protected central area had wooden flooring.
The concept of this kind of temporary accommodation increased in use during the 1941 when the US Navy required a dependable housing facility. The answer lay in constructing a lightweight shelter that could be readily shipped anywhere and did not require expert hands during assembly. The structures needed no special flooring to assemble on and could be placed as easily on the ground as on steel pilings or hard concrete floors. The interior space is an open area allowing maximum flexibility, which means the facility could be used as housing, office or medical space, military storage units or even barracks. Quonsets instantly provided the US troops with better comfort than did other temporary shelters such as tents with wooden platforms, which were the common structures used then.
From its application as military shelters, many other contractors began developing their own versions of the Quonset hut for other uses. The basic structure has undergone several redesigns and the major one occurred in 1943 when the manufacturing unit at Quonset Point was reestablished as part of the Stran Steel Division of the Great Lakes Steel Corporation. The variant of the Quonset huts thus developed had a more elongated design and applied the full arch corrugated pipes that was part of the intial model. Versions of the Quonset hut model were manufactured to meet specific requirements, a prime example being the Pacific huts, which helped even conserve metal reserves. Some designs of Quonset huts were even constructed as air raid cover. Several larger units and multi arched Quonset huts have also been built as a response to special requests, government or civil.
Although Quonset huts began as a product of a military necessity, it has rapidly diversified into an iconic symbol of sorts. In current times, Quonset huts are receiving better recognition as a form of housing, and are an indicator of the American belief in creativity. Quonset huts are certainly an exclusive phenomena, where the novel and the extraordinary merge seamlessly. See more Steel garage ... Portable garages ... Metal garage buildings ... Metal building manufacturer ...
About the Author
Read more articles about industrial steel buildings, visit this page.
Rating: Not yet rated