GRAFTON BRIDGE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 66, 18 March 1910, Page 6

GRAFTON BRIDGE.

SOME FACTS ABOUT ITS CONSTRTJC- .. -~ , V •;■_;-. .'"TION.''. '/ : " : v.. V" STATEMENT BY MR. MOORE, C.E. Mr. B. F. Moore, late chief engineer oi the Ferro-Concrete -Company, writes: — " It is interesting to note the series ol test,s made -,on; the Graf ton Bridge,.' now that the work has beqn completed; bu! for some unaccountable reason my name has been left, put- of the .official-list pub lished in connection "with this work. 1 feel that a considerable slight has beer placed. i'poir"'mej' considering ..that .I, as eHlcii ''-'engintfer for the Ferro-Cpncrett Company of 'Australasia, had the whole responsibility • iii • co'nn'edtion 1 with' tlie 'de' sign and construction of this hi™ work and that 1-havebeen at the"latei- stage: of the work practically" ignored. When the-CHty Xsoujiejl'<rallett for t&ricfers fov th< Cemetery bridge, they asked for alternate designs in steel 4ihcli ierro-eoneTete, an< I was responsible _ for the design sub mitted. This was girder approaches ant one-arch of large span aver- the gully- J had to decide every detail in connectioT with the ea.]<iulaitions-.of all the structure which were carried out "by my able, as sistant and his , subordinates in the office , Sfr. R'oseffjjer, Mr. Watkins, Mr. Edyecti th;c and r Mackay,' the latter, two be ing juniors l on the , engineering staff. '"''J had :to decide whether i would accept tb( responsibility, of the construction of th( great arch,'the stability of the founda' tibris,"'the- necessary • timber'superstruc tureto carry the great- loads imposed ii^on ,l them-; and to ■sign'-aB documents plahaaiid specifications in-connection witl thewdrk. To' ensure .that ; the calcula tl6nS of, the arch rings were perfectly saf< I submitted si skeleton" plan of• the arc! rings, fo Professor Meraeh, of Germany wittfMa'thi, greatest living' authority lipon ' three-ringed arclvin reinforcet cbiYcrofe, '^HbAvirig -all-the loadings. Hi replied', 'giving -KiS'.opinion, which ,, gaV< nie.-evbry' confidence iri■■ the *6rk ai carried r, out'-in ray bflice, so much so thai I" n& c alteration'from the origina design. ■'Phe plans ami specification ,wer( not -vaficd-from; and' »rt''-4o«t>e> seen to plktis most complete in everj detail, beautiful drawings' carried-out Mr.-. Wntkins..- To make sure-, that n< fault or .[hitch .should take place,,.! gav< every detail my own personal supervision both-in. the-coiiKSe of the design and tin course of- construction, until the arcrings, bracing columns, and girders wen completed. . .'."'. "After tile - work was completed, then remained fjhc secondary beams and decK ing to* complete, -unfortunately, '. signed a six months' agreement with mj company, releasing them of a further si: months, which was my due, owing t< representations that th« company -woult go insolvent if I did not do so. Mi Robertson, the general manager, then as snimed charge, and remained to corap)eti the work I had carried out. Before left I lowered the timbering from tin arch rings, and left the work perfectly safe. I asked the company for a release which they declined to give, therefore considered that us architect for this grea work my legal responsibility only ceasej after Athe bfi'dge- had been tested am taken over_ by_ the City Council. Mr ■Tylerf-Ene- l e6uncii's,3^ble 6 works, mc every assistance in thi fulfilmcTit' of 'a great aiid worrying.tasK I ask you to publish— letter ,in jus tico to . myself, as .many .statements have been -made that I nad nothing to do witl this vast work. Had any accident hap pened, either before or during the test I think I should have been made the re sponsible party, as I was entirely thi originator of the whole design, and re sponsible for its proper fulfilment."