THE WALL IS: the side of a room or building, between the floor, foundation, and the ceiling, root, a structure of stone, brick, or other material, built up to enclose, divide, support, or protect.¹ The wall is a barrier; separating and containing spaces, defining public and private relationships, dividing natural and cultured environments. The wall is both visual image and physical realization. TRANSITIONS ARE: a change or passing from one condition, place, activity, topic to another (a time between distinct periods.)² Transition implies movement. Movement in terms of time and relationships. Movement from one point to another; gradual or direct, vertical or horizontal, slow or fast. Transitions define and clarity the issue and the structure. THE INBETWEEN IS: that which is in the middle, that which comes in the space of time separating two places or persons. That is neither one kind nor the other, indifferent or uncommitted; a person or thing inbetween.³ The inbetween as public domain or private realm. An implied wall which separates and contains objects, defines public and private relationships, dividing natural and cultured environments. The inbetween as both implied wall and defined space. / Master of Architecture

“For it is ultimately the function of art, in imposing a credible order upon ordinary reality, and thereby eliciting some perception of an order in reality, to bring us to a condition of serenity, stillness and reconciliation; then leave us as Virgil left Dante, to proceed toward a region where that guide can avail us no farther." T.S. Eliot This thesis is a search for an imposed credible order in a town library. As such it is simply a vehicle developing a process to produce architecture which is stable, whole and meaningful. / Master of Architecture

Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio University, June, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Liberty University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Solitude is a National Register historic property that is today a central part of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University campus. The property was purchased in 1872 to create the site of the land-grant college that later became VPI. The focus of this study is a log dependency associated with the extant nineteenth century mansion on the property. Both buildings have suffered extensively from deterioration in recent years, but are now receiving some attention. By substantially augmenting a historic structure report on the outbuilding filed in 1989, this thesis contributes to the building's documentation and accurate interpretation. As one of two early structures on the site that still retains a large percentage of its original fabric, it is an important artifact that should be preserved for posterity. Documentation through meticulous research is an important part of preservation. When the building is physically gone, knowledge of it will survive. Little was known about the dependency prior to the completion of this research. The best guess on its age appears to have erred by thirty years. The building's original function has long been the subject of debate. If it was a dwelling, there are no historic documents by which to identify the occupants. This study examines various aspects of the building, including its present condition, construction practices and materials, dimensions, form and function, location, age, historical context, and buried cultural deposits around the building. The biological agents that have attacked and caused severe deterioration of the building are identified, as well as the conditions that precipitated the attacks. The methods employed or explored in this research include archaeological excavations, artifact analysis, relative dating methods, wood identification and pathology, dendrochronology, basic chemistry, database generated spatial imaging, library searches, measured drawing, and photography. Use of these methods has provided insightful information regarding construction materials and their properties, construction practices, date of construction, and the history of the building's use and maintenance. Information about the building's occupants has also come to light, such as their socio-economic status, their standard of living, i.e. the goods they consumed and the comfort of their quarters, and their refuse disposal practices. Considering all the information revealed, a strong case is made that the building was originally a domestic slave's dwelling, constructed in the early 1840s. / Master of Science

A mail survey of the US secondary wood products industry was conducted to assess the current species used and the market potential for the use of "non-traditional" species. Seven market segments within the secondary wood products industry were surveyed including the cabinet, flooring, millwork, office furniture, dimension and component, window and door, and household furniture market segments. Information from three hundred and fifty-seven was analyzed for this research. The results indicate that the secondary wood products industry is using a majority of "traditional" species to manufacture their products. For the industry as a whole, oak was the most popular species, which included the use of both red and white oak. Red oak average board footage use was calculated to be 1.3 million per year in the secondary industry. "Traditional" species for the component manufacturing segment were determined to be red oak, white oak, hard maple, cherry, ash, and soft maple. These species are being produced because of consumer demand. The component segment sells most of its products to the household furniture and cabinet market segment. Both of these markets are driven by fashion trends and what consumers view as "in-style." The component segment will be able to produce more "non-traditional" wood products when their customers (i.e., the six other market segments that were surveyed) begin to make finished goods with these species. Analysis showed that significant differences did exist between "non-traditional" species using companies and "traditional" companies on their ratings of component and component supplier attributes. Consistent supply was one attribute that was rated higher by many segments' "non-traditional" species users. The issue of supply will need to be addressed before many of these companies will be willing to use more "non-traditional" species. Within the overall secondary industry there was a significant difference between the importance that "traditional" species users placed on consistent supply and the importance that "non-traditional" species users placed on this attribute. "Non-traditional" species users were more concerned with having a consistent supply of their raw material and component products. For "non-traditional" species to be successful within the secondary wood products industry, a proven supply line must first be established. There is a potential to use "non-traditional" species in all of the markets that were surveyed. The millwork segment displays the most potential. This market segment already uses a wide variety of wood species, which shows there is no dominate species that is desired. The office furniture market segment also displays potential for "non-traditional" species. This segment desires a low priced raw material and "non-traditional" species can fulfill that need. / Master of Science

The purpose of this thesis was to study the economical aspects of the present boiler feed water treating system at the VPI Power Plant. In carrying out the investigation, two testing periods were conducted, each lasting for four weeks and the first period was preliminary in nature. The experimental results revealed that the cost on caustic soda(NaOH) could be reduced by improving the performance of the mechanical degasifier; the cost on neutralizing amines (Nalco 35) was insufficient to insure maximum protection against corrosion; the cost of blowdown was too high; and the cost on sodium orthophosphate and ligin derivatives (Nalco 728) could be reduced. Recommendations are made based on the test results and plan for future expansion of plant capacity. It is recommended that the degasifier be overhauled; the optimum blowdown quantity be studied; the Boiler No. 5 be inspected for leaks; a better method found for feeding Nalco 35; and the installation of an automatic pH meter and a continuous conductivity recorder for the main condensate return line. The average cost for feedwater treatment at the VPl Power Plant from March 25 to April 20, 1958, was $ 1.334 per thousand gallons of New River water demineralized. / Master of Science

A study was made in an effort to discover the effect of extra-curricular activities pursued by college students upon the grades which they attained. As a vehicle for research, one class entering Virginia Polytechnic Institute was studied and analyzed statistically. As a means for establishing criteria for the time expended on each type of extra-curricular activity, the student leaders currently attending Virginia Polytechnic Institute, were canvassed to determine the average number of hours per week that each consumed in the pursuance or each extra-curricular activity in which he engaged. An average of the times reported by these student leaders was taken as a numerical index for each type of extra-curricular activity. The class referred to above was divided into two groups, the control group consisting of students with negligible participation in extra-curricular activities; the variable group, those active in extra-curricular activities. Academic attainments between groups was compared. Subdividing the above named groups by schools within the college, academic attainments were compared. Subdividing these same groups in a manner to require each pair or groups by school to consist of only students who could be identically matched according to the index they attained on the Otis Gamma Test for Mental Ability, academic attainments were again compared. Under five different conditions, the hours of extracurricular activity pursued were statistically correlated with the academic progress of each student. The results were statistically without significance. The statistical treatments previously stated indicated that, in general, the extra-curricular activities pursued by students had little, if any, direct influence upon the academic grades that they attained. This study indicates that no action is warranted to restrict the quantity of extra-curricular activities that a student may carry. / M.S.

M.S.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) passed legislation requiring its member institutions to publish their graduation rates. Institutions may now count athletes as graduates if they have earned degrees from another institution. The purpose of this study was to assess a graduation rate that included those athletes, with at least a 2.0 QCA, who departed Virginia Tech between 1975 and 1985. An additional purpose was to determine why these athletes left. There were seventy eligible participants who received questionnaires via mail. Forty questionnaires were returned, of which, thirty one were usable. Seventy nine percent of the responding athletes earned a degree from another institution. Of these athletes, ninety seven percent enrolled at another institution within one academic year of leaving Virginia Tech. Forty two percent of the responding athletes chose their sport of participation as the major reason for departing, followed by Virginia Tech in general, and personal reasons. / Master of Science