PILE-DRIVER COLLAPSES
Pile-driving for the twin 1381 ft motorway bridges across the Walmakariri river stopped on Monday afternoon when this 30-ton rig i collapsed. The sub-contractors, J. I IL Williamson, Ltd., of I Auckland, had driven 178
piles and still have 78 to drive. The big rig had been set up to drive the one hundred and seventyninth pile late on Monday afternoon when it began to tip. A rope was secured around the bottom of the pile to hold it, but a chain broke and the 47ft 6in concrete pile
flipped over on to the cab of the rig. The pile, valued about £l4O, snapped near the top, and the pile-driving machine was extensively damaged. It is the only one of its size in the South Island and its repair depends on the availability of spare parts.
Mr N. Brown, who was operating the pile-driver, jumped clear when the boom bent. Minutes before, two men had been at the top of the boom releasing strops. The western bridge is due to be completed on August 6, 1967, and the eastern bridge on May 6, 1969.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31069, 26 May 1966, Page 14
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186PILE-DRIVER COLLAPSES Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31069, 26 May 1966, Page 14
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