SEA WALL JOB

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 11324, 30 September 1930, Page 5

SEA WALL JOB

HEATED DISCUSSION BY BOARD

ENGINEERS AT LUG GER HEADS EACH SUBMITS DRASTIC REPORT.

The sea. wall contract, a. frequent bone, of contention during recent mofiths, bulked, largely in discusskm at tho monthly meeting .of ..tlie Gis~ ; borne Harbor Board..;yesterday, inaccordance with a prqy.ipi.LS. decision of the board, the consulting , engineer, Mr. Leslie H. Reynolds, submitted' a, report ; on. this work, while, at tlie invitation of the chairman (Mr J. Tomhlesoh) the resident engineer, Mr. 0. F. Marshall Smith, also presented a report in reply to that ot Mr Reynolds. Each engineer, in lv.s report, voiced stringent criticism .ot ilie other,, the, actual harbor work under review being forced well into the background. Eventually, alter some heated discussion, the hoard resolved that the reports lie oil the table. The appointment of a foreman for tho job, which is noiv being canned out bytho hoard on behalf of the guarantors of the contractor, also evoked some brisk exchanges between hoard members before it was resolved to retain the present man in the position.

CONSULTING FNOIN FFit’S

REPORT.

METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION

AND WORKMANSHIP WAS START MADE AT BEST END?

In the course of his report, Air. Reynolds stated, inter alia, the ioliowing:—

“Main tie or stress holts, leave alone others, hn.ve in many, places seemingly been ignored, doubtless with the very doubtful privilege or purport of putting them in alteiwarcls, whereas they -should have been incorporated in the. structiue at the moment, and so should have been the boulder or stone hearting. Sheeting timbers, in many ' places, are far apart from their correct positions and are not, bolted to tlie lower walings. ; There are instances where main tie bolts have been P n ° in, and where the bolt threads en-, onlv one-half of tlie threads ot

the nut. “Referring to the question ot tlie boulder filling, .1 have always bepn surprised that the contractor judged it advisable to adopt the very doubtful procedure of attempting to handle the stone direct from badges alongside the wall, instead of conducting the loads up the river to a site near the present slip, a h| l ] he ." C p truck to the structure. Had tee contractor seen ht to adopt t ■ thod, probably there would hnye hcen more often .periods during stone supplies could hate bt < ilv handled, this is assuinmg that the sea conditions permitted loading at Tuamotu Island. Had this method of procedure been adopted, works could have been proceeded with as originally thought lit by tn contractor, that is, in the direction of facing the seas, winch direction should have been adhered to. A' an index of how i opined the bos wav of tackling this undertaking, 1 included in the specification, under rails and sleepers, the following:— ‘Rails and Sleepers: The contractor will be allowed free use ot a quantity of 551bs. rails and also sleepers sufficient for approximately 2500 feet of track—all. to be returned in good condition and to he stacked where directed by the engineer or lus representative.’- . , “From tins it is surely evident that 1 foresaw the difficulty of attempting to land stone m the open seaway alongside the. wall, and chu is what I have reason to believe your contractor found next door to impossible. hence, probably, bis change ot method to the other, or old groyne end, for the continuance ot his work, and cutting a gap in the old groyne for the ingress of the barges, with the view of having the stone laden punts under lee of the work. Dus change-over policy was a iat-al mistake as evidenced by the work today, both as regards the wall and the incast sand filling of the wave trap basin. r ~ “From my examination of tlie van it is a surprise to me that as constructed it Was not wrecked to a much greater extent. I have before me a report to your board irom the engineer under date 12th ultimo (the day after our combined examination). Tn that report- there is embodied the following ‘Calculations show that the seaward piles .were subjected, to an upward pull of .over 80 tons per pile while the landward piles were m compression to the extent, oi over 110 tons per. pile. These are conservative figures, assuming a wave lorce of only 1 ton per square foot oi surface. 1 “I do not prefer to go inio any calculation in this matter as I have had no invitation to be .m touch with the driving, nor the. construction of the wall, therefore, cannot verify this conclusion, on. the ..part oi ?our engineer. 1 can only say tna if each pile had a withdrawing value of 80 tons it is a marvel to me that they withdraw without fracture, '-i is also past comprehension to understand that, with 80 tons pull por senward pile, the structure hi led some appreciable distance back Imm the immediate, wreck; this is mi vmvy ■ ol the flexible nature ol th‘e_ piled A piping - when unsupported by honldot hearting. However, l cannot go rinto in this matter. Personal y . fancy that there might have been some weak piling, but-cannot say. e - “Truly, my examinations pi tne structure caused me considerablexhs- ; appointment. It is probably d Pig tliat as tlie desigucr, I had not fiocn more often invited to examine,.th? Work, and therefore have .been more in touch with its,.' .-building. v tainly cannot bv any stretch .oi imagination find- it incumbent upon mo to eulogise the construction of. the work, in its present state. •... (' < ‘Two significant points are outstanding via., the desigii of t ie ivmll. •is correct, the seas have its utility or purpose is likewise jP ing proved, in that, even- with; the wall in its lialf-fimshed. state, the harbor entrance, per its agericy, is cfiK? cleared of. the .shoal throng the sea rip along the wall, '. ns and |the reducing of wave within thq harbor are tlie special purposes idr |which the wall was advocated and i Ue “fh© shoaling of tlie wave gap jarea would never have occmwed>ad the building of the sexual iollovyea 4he correct method, that is,.. The seas, or in the direction from the diversion cut to the groyne. H • .;„ n rmrely logical deduction. 1 “TS hicasttof sand to the wave trap basin wholly through construct-. waif .from the groyne' end - : fhoimh ■ proving, the, utility ot the •wall."lVa? seriously, curtailed the b<Mn area; and a.s .the reinovnl ot the ;groyne' extends, a-W ld H^ s q W tity of sand, is,sure to tnHl its u.iy ’into the: fairway. . i '“Dob-sider ing the wall geilerally i Midge that, to complete the work ’upon a satisfactory .basis,;M: occ K. Ihv sbtrib' eight to nine, njonths. in. ! cdhcVu'si'qn) I .must, -esrpresa; ■^ I that- T have had occasion to;i>qn such ia ' lbpoH' upon, the iinSolfeisiaetory J state hf tlie work.” ' ‘ "

, The Wn.ngp.nm Gas .Department has been urged from time to time to use as much New 'Zealand coal as jnossible in the nVaiiiifacture of gas. 'Representations have been made: to {the Mayor at various times and he ioommunieated with the- Mines Deipartnieht.on. the .matter. ..At a. recent meeting of th'o City . Council a defter from the .Under■‘Secretary; of ■[Mines., stated that the use of AusiltraHan coal tended to-create laienijployment ip Dominion .mines, tie acicord.inglv urged that the Gas, Denartment should carbonise .. As milch of thpAfew. Zealand pinduct.as. possible. The council condiirml and an assurance that that was: being done was voiced bv the Mayor on the recommendation of the gasworks manager.