A BIG UNDERTAKING.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 13, 16 January 1926, Page 10

A BIG UNDERTAKING.

— ■ — — ». -. — THE DILWORTH BUILDING. SEA-WATER IMPEDES WORK. MILLIOXS OF GALLONS POirED WKKKI.V. Few among the hurrying thousands who daily pass the north-east corner of Queen and Customs Street luivt* the foggiest notion of the magnitude of the construction work going on behind the high fences which shut off the site of the nld Thames Hotcle from the public gaze. AViiter flowing in the gutters, big cracks in the pavement nsphalt, the clatter of machinery and the sound of the hammer give a hint that things nre moving towards the building of n "skyscraper"' to the extent of ten floors, but the difficulties which the contractors have encountered are beyond the ken of the man in the street. Day nnd night work is proceeding apace under the most adverse conditions, since the workmen are impeded by sea water, which flows into every cavity more than eight feet deep. An electric pump brings to the surface 15.000 gallons of water every hour. Two hnndpumps, each manned by a "crew" of three, have been working night and day for a month, discharging each hour 2000 gallons. Three shifts are employed in each period of 24 hours, in order to make •workpossible in the excavations. Nearly half a million gallons of silt-laden water arc discharged every day. The Footpath Subsides. Fifteen huge piers have been put in during the last three months. They are built of concrete, and nre packed into wooden casings measuring 3 feet by 0 feet. Four more of these piers have yet to be put in. Deep holes have to be dug in order that the foundations of these piers may be well and truly laid. The deepest liolc so far has gone to a depth of 44 feet. Since the level of Queen Street is only ten feet above high water mark, it will be realised that the contractors (the Fletcher Construction Co) have experienced great difficulty in setting the piers in position. In each gallon of water pumped out of the holes, there is a great deal of silt, which, when dry, is as powdry as the finest flour. It is n form of quicksand. The removal of large quantities of this sand from below the surface has resulted in a settling down of the surface. Xearby buildings are not endangered, experts say, but the surface has been sufficiently disturbed to cause large cracks in the footpath. In order to minimise the risk of disturbing the pavement and footpath to any serious degree, a row of wooden piles was hammered into the ground on the Customs Street side, and some idea of the tremendous werght thrust upon them may bo pained from the fact that they are bent back under the strain. Hauling the Concrete Piles. An acre of ground is required for the manufacture and seasoning of the 40-foot concrete piles, which are being driven in on the north side. The contractors cannot build piers on this side, by reason of the proximity of a large building, which would be endangered by pumping operations. Each of these tall piles weighs four tons. Scores of them are being used. They are hauled while the city sleeps, being brought from the waterfront between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. The 4-ton piles are placed on jinkers, which are towed by powerful motor trucks. When Customs Street is reached, the piles are mechanically slung on to a slipway. It is hoped that the foundations will be completed by the end of February, and, .though the building will not be finished for at least two years, the upper portions of the structure will begin to show above the level of the contractor's fences early in the year. Some day the Waitemata Hotel is to be demolished, and a start will be made on the erection of another building for the Dilworth Trust Board. The two large structures, which are to be of handsome and impressive design, will, it is anticipated, form a fitting gateway to the city. Much less difficult conditions will obtain when the second building is commenced, since the basement on the western side of Queen Stret is on a higher level.