Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2020 June 16

= June 16 =

Barrel-roofed building
Hi all. Is there a specific name for the type of building shown here, which usually consists of a shallow barrel roof, small "transepts" flanking the entrance, and (typically) pebble-dashed walls? I come across them from time to time in England, usually used as church halls, churches/chapels, Scout huts, community halls and similar. They are similar to Nissen huts but not identical. I get the impression they are prefabricated (is this right? And if so, who makes them?), and probably intended as temporary buildings. Cheers, Hassocks 5489 (Floreat Hova!)  22:09, 16 June 2020 (UTC)
 * Nor quite the same as Quonset huts. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 01:09, 17 June 2020 (UTC)
 * Oddly enough, you might be looking for Barrel roof. I ran across that after google-imaging "buildings with round roofs". ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 01:15, 17 June 2020 (UTC)

My investigations this morning have been more effective than last night; I think I have an answer! This report about a church in Kent (exactly the type of building I was thinking of) states "a pre-fabricated structure was purchased off-the-peg from a firm in Salisbury". Knowing that the buildings in question are concrete-framed rather than steel (sorry, I should have put that in my original question), this led me to Reema construction – not a great article, but a name I had heard of in the context of concrete buildings. Further Googling led me to the reconstruction of this village hall, a pre-makeover pic of which shows yet another classic example of the above, and which confirms "it is a Reema prefab first erected in the late 1950s". If I can get hold of a copy of the publication mentioned at Reema construction, I'll have a go at improving the article. I'll leave Guy Macon's separate question here for further discussion. Cheers, Hassocks 5489 (Floreat Hova!) 09:15, 17 June 2020 (UTC)
 * Well, done - the almost identical Laverstock & Ford Village Hall is described as "A Reema Public Hall Type 150 built in 1967" . Out of interest, a similar style of roof was used for council housing in the southwest of England in the 1920s, the Nissen-Petren Houses. Alansplodge (talk) 16:07, 17 June 2020 (UTC)
 * Very interesting finds, especially the reference to "Type 150". I've gone ahead and ordered the monograph mentioned on the Reema construction article (a reasonable £3.75), so when that turns up I'll get to work on the article.  And what extraordinary houses pictured in that blog post!  Hassocks 5489 (Floreat Hova!)  16:29, 17 June 2020 (UTC)
 * Yes, I've seen some by the A303 I think. Some Reema history is here on page 5 of 23. Alansplodge (talk) 16:33, 17 June 2020 (UTC)


 * What, exactly, is the difference between a Nissen hut, a Quonset hut, an Iris hut, and a Romney hut? --Guy Macon (talk) 01:30, 17 June 2020 (UTC)
 * The book Supplying the British Army in the Second World War by Janet Macdonald, which you should find on Google Books, has a section "hutting" which has a few paragraphs about each of those hut types, and some (scant) detail of them and the differences. It does that the Nissen huts were too good for storage, hence the development of the other (cheaper) types. It also lists a few more structures of this general pattern, including the WW1 Armstrong and its WW2 equivalent the Turran. A lot of the differences are attempts to cut down on the use of steel and reduce the requirements for skilled labour during on-site assembly. 87.112.210.62 (talk) 13:05, 17 June 2020 (UTC)


 * Within the fire service the term is, but that is based on the truss design and a very general categorization based on associated hazards. The photos look typical for that type of truss. fiveby(zero) 17:09, 17 June 2020 (UTC)


 * The nearest we have to an article about that is Truss bridge. Some of these kinds of huts have that, and it seems some don't (and are supported only by the arch of their roofing members). This shows the interior of a Romney hut which does have at least a simple chord truss (and has a photo comparing adjacent Romney and Nissen huts); this site has other pictures of Romney interiors which also have the truss. The photos in our Nissen hut do not show any kind of truss or joists (just a naked arch). This site (advertising Nissen huts for commercial rent at Cultybraggan Camp) and various online photos of Cultybraggan (which has been proposed to be repurposed for a number of applications) all show the Nissen huts with no truss. A significant difference is the diameter of the two, with the Romney being much wider. I can't find an interior shot of an Iris. -- Finlay McWalter··–·Talk 18:40, 17 June 2020 (UTC)