[Rich D.]

Today I was ripping out a set of old concrete steps to make way for new footings and a composite set of stairs.

I know all old stairs are filled with rubble. These were but also they had a bunch of square flu looking objects stacked up in there as fill also. They were about 3.5' long and probly 14-16" wide they had multiple cells unlike a normal flu pipe and were clay material.

I'm thinking it's some sort of flu or something. There was writing on it that said national fireproofing company on it but I couldn't make much of the writing out.

So who's got the answer?

 

[fjn]

If memory serves,those clay tile were used at one time by utility companies to insert their cables and wires.

 

[mako1]

I don't know what they are but have seen the same thing in IL.Was doing the same type of job yesterday and drilling into old concrete and ruined 3- 3/16 Milwaukee in no time with my Bosch hammer drill.I've tore some out around here and found whiskey and vodka bottles used for fill.Who knows?

 

[Rich D.]

Just started searching alittle bit more..

Found this

Dont know if its relevant. If you search natco hollow fireproofing company you can see there 1915? Catalog on archive.org. Pretty cool

 

[fjn]

I'M sticking to my original story.:laughing: Those tile were for utilities. They were nicknamed telephone tiles.




http://historicbldgs.com/telephone_tile.htm

 

[Tscarborough]

Looks like a SCT, maybe designed specifically for utility work. Sold as fireproof because they are.

 

[Tscarborough]

You are correct, FJN, the rounded corners are the dead give away. SCT would not have them.

 

[Tscarborough]

They are still SCT, but specialized, just like the silo tiles.

 

[tedanderson]

Here is some more insight:

http://historicbldgs.com/telephone_tile.htm

 

[fjn]

Here is some more insight:

http://historicbldgs.com/telephone_tile.htm

Copycat ! Just kidding !:laughing::laughing:

 

[dom-mas]

I've seen them often enough in old institutional buildings like hospitals, like the other have said, for running utilities. They are still sold (New old stock maybe?) as wine racks at my main supplier

 

[Rich D.]

Looks like fjn got it right! Awesome.. I like Learning about what I'm smashing :laughing: I actually have 2 hole units sitting in the dumpster. Maybe I'll cut them into 12" pieces and make a wine rack? Alittle piece of history saved from the dump?

The ones I encountered did not have bell ends though.

 

[muskoka guy]

We redid a large department store building built in the forties. The walls were structural timber frame made from large timbers. The spaces in between were infilled with tiles that looked just like those. The outside was plastered with cement. They called them speed tile. They were non structural but met the fire requirements of the day. They were quite easy to remove in the areas that we removed them. Could possibly be speed tile.

 

[rosethornva]

I'M sticking to my original story.:laughing: Those tile were for utilities. They were nicknamed telephone tiles.


http://historicbldgs.com/telephone_tile.htm

What a fun find!

I've seen these too, but never knew what they were!

 

[Rich D.]

Little update :whistling: