Quonset huts: An Innovation In Structural Design
Posted 06/03/09
Quonset huts are a unique architectural phenomena, a revolutionary concept in temporary housing. 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. The name Quonset was derived from the initial site of manufacture, Quonset Point in Davisville, which is a village in 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 solution was simple, and the Navy used the lightweight structures which could not only be effortlessly transported but also needed no skilled labor to set up the Quonset huts. 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. These buildings provided the US military with enhanced facilities and were a far cry from the inconvenient tenting on wooden bases that were usually used at that time.
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. This modified Quonset hut was more stretched out and had a structure that used the original full arch rib. Some variations of the Quonset hut structures were created to serve special needs, such as the wooden Pacific hut, and many of these did save valuable metal resources. 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 truly a one of a kind blend of practicality, and a unique mixture of the unusual and the innovative.