PROGRESS AT AVIEMORE

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30939, 21 December 1965, Page 16

PROGRESS AT AVIEMORE

With the first full year of major construction work on the Aviemore hydro-elec-tric scheme drawing to a close, there is much evidence of good progress by the Ministry of Works towards the target of producing power from the new station in 1968.

The first major achievement, that of diverting the Waitaki river from the construction area, was achieved on August 1 this year. Since then excavations for the main concrete structures, the concrete section of the dam and | the power-house, has pro-

gressed well and to secure a solid rock foundation, some 140,000 cubic yards of overburden has been removed from the area over which the river previously flowed. Other aspects of the £22,000,000 project are forging ahead and some 85,000 tons of concrete has been poured into the first sections of the concrete dam. This structure is being constructed in 18 separate blocks, the first of which has now reached some 100 feet. Concrete foundation work for the power-house, sited immediately downstream from the concrete dam, is also well under way with some 15,200 tons having been poured into walls up to 80ft high. The concrete transfer cableway system greatly

assists the placing of material in these main structures, up to 140 cubic yards an hour being poured. A second concrete mixing plant is at present being erected and will assist in production in the New Year. Final excavation work for the earth dam wing, which extends from the Otago side of the concrete structure, is continuing and placing of the impervious clay core material has commenced. In the coming year construction work will build up to a maximum, many phases of the complex scheme reaching critical stages. Many thousands of tons of concrete will be produced and placed in the dam and power-house, as well as in other minor structures.

A good proportion of the earth dam will be placed by this time next year. This section of the dam will be basically similar in structure to Benmore’s huge earth dam, with shoulders of gravels and sands supporting the central waterproof clay section. A start will be made next year also on the erection of the penstocks—large steel pipes which will feed water from the lake, through the dam, to drive turbines in the power-house. The sections which will be joined to make up the penstocks are at present being manufactured in Christchurch and transported to Otematata as they are completed. Transporation of these 52 sections, which are up to 28 feet wide. 15 feet

high and 18 tons in weight, is an important aspect of the job. Construction work on the permanent village of about 30 houses with amenities will also commence. The New Zealand Electricity Department’s station staff will occupy this village when the station is operating. Site stripping and layout work has already started in this area which is on the opposite side of the main Kurow-Omarama highway from the construction area.

The photograph shows a general view of the Aviemore construction area featuring, at centre right, the first blocks of the concrete section of the dam, with powerhouse foundation to the left Above these are the 230 ft high tall towers of the concrete transfer cableway system.