OBITUARY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21949, 5 November 1934, Page 9

OBITUARY

SIR ROBERT McALPJNE

BRITISH CONTRACTOR

(Received November 4. 5.5 p.m.)

LONDON, Nor. 8 The death is announced of Sir Robert McAlpine, contractor, who built the Wembley Stadium.

The late Sir Robert McAlpine, pioneer in the use of reinforced concrete, was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland in February, 1847. After starting'his working career in the building trade he launched out in business for himself. Hia first contract was for £2 10s. Later in life bis enterprises involved hundreds of thousands of pounds. A man of frugal habits and studious bent, he devoted all his spare time to the consideration of materials in their application to construction work. Meanwhile his business extended, and lie was gradually accumulating capital. In 1877, however, his bank failed, and all lie possessed was swept away. Vi ith dogged perseverance he started again, and in eight years had made such progress that lie was able to undertake the construction of a section of the Lanark and Ayr railway—a contract involving £60.000. He carried out the work so well that other contracts for important undertakings went to him unsolicited. These included the construction of large buildifigs, piers, docks and similar works. Sir Robert was among the first to use concrete for such purposes. But where exceptional strength was required he tried the experiment of embodying steel in the concrete. Finding the- combination highly successful, he employed it in all his big undertakings.

Sir Robert's firm carried out many great contracts in Britain and abroad. One of these was the building of the huge stadium at Wembley, an undertaking which he superintended on the spot daily. In 1918 he was created a baronet. His firm had branches all over the world and in it he was joined by his five sons, and later by grandsons. Sir Robert was always of abstentious habits and, eating very, little meat, lived mainly on fruit and vegetables. In February, 1932, when 85, he admitted that he was not an early riser. Ho had not got up for breakfast, h© said, 10 times in 30 years. . The heir to the baronetcy is Mr. Robert McAlpine, eldest son of deand hi, first Ag=«> Hepburn, who died m IbBB. -lhe new baronet was born in 1000.