Table No. 3 shows the actual and recommended area of warehouse floor space served per elevator. The three classifications in the table assist in observing the effect of the length of turnover of goods on the elevator requirements. While the length of turnover is indefinite and, in most cases, not obtainable, the nature of the business handled justifies the classification given. The table indicates a considerable range of values particularly between the storage warehouses and those where the turnover is moderately rapid. Seldom are the exact requirements of a railroad warehouse known at the time of its construction. It is, therefore, very desirable to build a warehouse with a reasonable range of adaptability, so that its usefulness will not be unduly restricted. Of the five railroad warehouses included in this study (Nos. 5, 6, 9, 10 and 14) all have been

TABLE NO. 3-WAREHOUSE FLOOR AREA SERVED PER ELEVATOR

*Column 5 divided by Column 7 of Table No. 1.
†Warehouses in connection with L.C.L. freight houses.

NOTE-Warehouse No. 14 has 18,140 sq. ft. of warehouse floor space per elevator, but is not included in above table, as it is divided into relatively small compartments with a view of leasing each compartment to an independent party, which necessitated an elevator for each section. The number of elevators installed was, therefore, dictated by conditions other than floor space and turnover of goods.

designed for moderately rapid turnover and are included under that classification. For this reason, and in order to reduce the effect of variables, only the requirements of warehouses with a moderately rapid turnover will be considered. Information on storage warehouses and others designed for special requirements will be included in all tables for purpose of comparison.

The army warehouses have been designed for a special kind of service. Two of them have their elevators located in batteries with central operator control. This arrangement, while increasing the effectiveness of its elevators, is hardly adapted to the needs of general warehouse service. Their elevator service is also supplemented by numerous derricks, cranes and whip hoists. We must, therefore, be governed principally by the information contained in the third classification of the table. A review of this classification with due regard to comments in the remark column, effect of number of tenants and size of elevators, would indicate that a floor area of 40,000 sq. ft. per elevator is a reasonable allowance. (This allowance might be increased to 60,000 sq. ft. per elevator where the warehouse is used for storage purposes only.)

It might be added in this connection as a matter of interest, that some building ordinances in limiting the space between fire walls automatically limit the amount of floor area which may be accommodated per elevator. Shipping Platform Space

The information relative to shipping platform space required appears in Table No. 4. By shipping platform space is meant the area of platform adjacent to the railroad siding used exclusively for warehouse shipping. In numerous warehouses this space is made larger than required for shipping purposes in order to provide a small amount of storage space which, under certain conditions, is very desirable. The platform space for the six warehouses under the third classification, Table No. 4, do not include this excess space, but are used purely for shipping purposes. The amount of space actually required in proportion to the total storage area of the warehouse depends largely on the extent to which the warehouse is supplied by rail. The two warehouses in the second classification were designed primarily for rail to boat shipments and for the purpose of our study should not be given as much weight as warehouses included under the third classification. The range of values for warehouses with moderately rapid turnover is from 2.7 per cent to 5.2 per cent, with an average of 3.8 per cent. However, warehouse No. 15 is for one tenant and for a general study of this character should be considered too low.

From the data given it would appear that an allowance of 4 per cent would be ample and should allow some space on platform for storage purposes. The information would indicate that 3.5 per cent might be considered a reasonable minimum allowance.

U. S. Army Warehouses (Marine); Shipments Principally Are Rail to Boat.

NOTE-Warehouses Nos. 4, 6, 9, 10 and 14 are not included in this table, as their platform space is used jointly with freight house and the exact amount used by warehouse cannot be deter

mined.

The Amount of Railroad Car Trackage

Table No. 5 contains information on the amount of railroad car trackage. The amount of trackage required depends upon the extent to which the warehouse is supplied by rail and whether the shipments are from rail to rail or from rail to team or rail to boat. It is evident that the trackage requirements should be the greatest when shipments are from rail to rail. The length of turnover also influences the amount of trackage required. Under these conditions a large variation in the amount of trackage provided at various warehouses is to be expected. In most warehouses, particularly if more than one tenant is involved, it is only possible to make one car setting per day. In other cases, where but one tenant is involved, it may be possible to make two or more settings per day. In arriving at an estimate for the amount of trackage required it is felt that an estimate should be sufficient to make possible the operation of the warehouse with one setting per day. By referring to Table No. 5 it is to be observed that Warehouse No. 1 has a very large storage space per car. In all probability, when this warehouse is being operated to full capacity, the cars are pulled two or more times per day as one tenant is involved. As has been the case in preceding tables, we must be guided principally by the data presented in the third classification of the table.

The storage space per car in the six warehouses in this classification varies from 14,105 sq. ft. to 20,196 sq. ft. From the information presented, it would appear that an allowance of 17,600 sq. ft. of storage space per car siding is reasonable.

TABLE NO. 5-WAREHOUSE FLOOR AREA PER CAR LENGTH OF SIDING

NOTE-Warehouses Nos. 4, 6, 9, 10 and 14 are not included in this table, as their shipping space is used jointly by freight house and warehouse and the exact amount used by warehouse cannot be determined.

Tailboard Frontage

The amount of tailboard space required is dependent upon the frequency of turnover and the extent to which teaming is used as a means of handling goods to and from the warehouse. The warehouses listed in Table No. 6 have been divided into three classes to assist in illustrating the effect of the variables above mentioned on the amount of tailboard space required. The information given for the warehouses under the first classification will not be of value in this study and that under the second classification will be of value for comparative purposes only. Unfortunately, there remain but four warehouses under the third classification where the turnover of goods is moderately rapid and in the case of warehouse No. 15 the tailboard is supplemented by lighterage shipments. The table shows the amount of tailboard frontage in comparison to both the storage space of the warehouse and the amount of railroad trackage. The relation with the former will first be considered. The floors for warehouses 7, 8 and 13 vary from 861 to 1,306, with an average of 1,030.

This is a large range and insufficient data from which to make a very valuable suggestion as to proper allowance of tailboard space, but it would appear from the figures presented and observation of the warehouses that an allowance of 1,100 sq. ft. of warehouse floor space per foot of tailboard frontage is reasonable.

If we use this figure and the suggested 17,600 sq. ft. of storage space per railroad car, it follows that 16 ft. of tailboard frontage should be provided per car. By referring to the fourth column in Table No. 6 under the third classification, it will be noted that the values for warehouses Nos. 7, 8 and 13 vary from 10.8 to 19.8, with an average of 15.7. The values for the last two mentioned warehouses, which are recommended figures, are above this amount. It, therefore, appears that 16 ft. of tailboard frontage per car of siding is a reasonable allowance.

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Warehouses Where Shipments Are Primarily from Rail to Boat or Rail to Rail,

NOTE-Warehouses Nos. 5, 6, 9, 10 and 14 are not included in this table, as facilities are used Jointly with freight house and exact amount used for warehouse purposes is not available.