RECORD IN BUILDING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20384, 12 October 1929, Page 2 (Supplement)

RECORD IN BUILDING.

EMPIRE'S BIGGEST BLOOK.

HIGH-SPEED CONSTRUCTION

GREAT HUSTLE AT OLYMPIA

The new building at Olympia, two sloroys of which have to be ready for tho British Industries Fair next February, is not only to bo (lie biggest building in the Empire, but it is breaking all records for speed in construction. The architect responsible for tho hustle, Mr. Joseph Emberton, A.R.1.8.A., recently gave some facts and figures. " During tho last ten weeks," lie said, " 5000 tons of steel have been erected —an average of 500 tons a week, as compared with tho normal rato in London of 100 tons a week. During (he week before August Bank Holiday 800 tons were delivered and erected. /

"Eighty-four engineers haVo been employed in the calculation and design of the steel structure. Ninety erectors have been working continuously, and two shifts have been employed each day. " All the steel has been manufactured in the rolling-mills of Messrs. Dormfin Long and Company> and the fabrication has been carried out in numerous engineering works in tho Midlands and

Middlesbrough, it being beyond the capacity of any one works to produce' the completed material quickly enough. " Some -of the girders weigh twentytwo tons each, and some of the steel columns carry 1500 tons. For the erection of these ponderous members, two 20-ton cranes were brought from Newcastle, where they were used in the erection of the great Tyne bridge which was opened last year by the King. Cranes of this size have never before been used in this country for other than large bridgo works. " In the covering of the front of the building, 1400 cubic ft. of reinforced stone have been manufactured per week, and sonic of the stones weigh as much as live tons each. This is probably a recordsized stone for facing purposes. The use of stones of that size was not possible until the introduction of reinforced stone. " In addition to the steel erectors, 300 men havo been employed continuously on the job, and 40,000 sq. ft., of concrete flooring have been laid in seven weeks. Four steam navvies havo been used for the excavations, and 30,000 tons of earth have been removed from the site in twenty weeks. " All this had to be done in order to produce the necessary floor space for the next British Industries Fair. The especially large steel members were necessary because "it is essential for exhibition purposes to have large spans of open floor space unencumbered by columns. Tho spans at Olympia are probably the largest.

in llio country, the columns being placed over 50ft. apart, " Five months ago wo liatl not started to demolish the houses which stood on the site. One month from now the second floor will be roofed in arid made watertight, and that part of the building to be used for the next Fair will thus be secured from the weather."