ENGINEERS CONFER

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 152, 24 March 1944, Page 3

ENGINEERS CONFER

Practical Representation On Senate Urged

The annual conference of the New Zcaland Institute of Engineers, which opened iu Wellington on Wednesday under the chairmanship of the president, Mr .1 G Lancaster, continued yesterday. ‘ The education of engineers was discussed mid there was a very strong feeling in favour of engineering representation on the Senate of the New Zealand University. It was fell that H was not in Ibe interest of engineering edueattou, of the Dominion, flint the syllabus shon d he prepared, and administered entirely from the teaching angle, and Uta it would bring the nioro in line with realities if the senate eon la incd »sonie incnibprs who had a lifelong persona) contact with engtncenng Details of the amendment proposed tn connexion with the various extimimit.ons l™<liiv- to the B.E. degree were fully discussed. On the presentation of the report of the members ai-rviiig on the • Engineers' Registration Boa d.- it was stated that the anomaly whereby unregistered engineers evitlil control the expenditure of public money vvhtle the •tradesmen working under their direction mostly registered, should not be allowed to continue. , . The following resolutions were adopted:— . ’ . , “This meeting . . . recognizes the need of independent association to promote tlie economic welfare of profesisona! en“This meeting . . . recommends to the incoming council that consideration be given to the sotting up of general engineering committees to give free. adv ice concerning any proposed schemes in connexion witlv rehabilitaitou either by Government or local body works. .

The conference had before it a paper bv -Mr. H. F. Toogood, which dealt with the works erected to deal with the sewage from a military camp. Mr. Toogood dealt fullv with the biochemical reactions on wbicdi this plant relied, and with the details of the structure provided as a locus in which tlie reactions could take place. In addition to full details ot tlie piant. he gave details of tlie purifying result obtained, and tlie methods of testing. The paper was illustrated by it series of slides showing the design and the construction. Tlie works were of special interest in that thev had to deal sufficiently with the sewage from a large military camp, while not being 100 large, hud expensive to serve economically later a hospital iu which a much smaller number of persons would be.accommodated after the military necessities had ceased. Another paper referred to the 55 aikarcmoana lower hydro-electric development, and was presented by Messrs. G. P. Anderson and 55’. A. Bloodworth. Mr. Blo.odworth outlined generally the salient features of the whole nioana scheme, which will utilize tlie 1485 feet, of head existing between the lake and the riverbed at Piripaua. Three steps are involved, the lower one of 370 ft. recently constructed, the middle one of G7'sft., installed many years ago, and the upper step of 440 ft.. now in course of construction. Between upper and main steps is Lake Kaitavva, and between the main and lower is Lake 55’hakamarino, a sheet of water obtained by building two earth dams.

The most imposing portion of the work was the funnel over one and three-quarter miles in length by 1G feet, diameter. One portion of the length was an inverted syphon under a pressure head of 170 feet. Special care was taken to reinforce the tunnel against any tendency to erack with either internal or external pressure, and the finnl result had Jieeu entirely satisfactory. The reinforced concrete gates controlling the flow into the tunnel were adopted in view of .the steel scarcity, and had been quite satisfactory. Tn replying to questions, the writers stated that, no measurable leakage occurred. Some very valuable lessons‘were learnt in connexion with the behaviour of the welded joints in the penstocks. An interesting and Spectacular occurrence mentioned was the floating -up of large areas of raupo swamp which was inundated when Lake Whiikaniarino was raised. The floating islands were drawn into the crest, gates and passed through successfuly. but logs simultaneously floating on a flood did cause a little trouble. Today further papers will he discussed and after an informal luncheon at the E.S.U. rooms the address by the outgoing president will be delivered and the. new president, Mr. Malcolm Corkill will be inducted.