NEW TOP FITTED TO GASOMETER

Southland Times, Issue 23735, 6 February 1939, Page 6

NEW TOP FITTED TO GASOMETER

——« — CONTRACT AT CITY WORKS RENEWAL AFTER FIFTY YEARS Extensive repairs to one of the three gasometers at the city gasworks are at present in progress. After constant use for 50 years, the gasometer of ijltermediate size, with a capacity of BU,OVU cubic feet, became so seriously corroded that further patching was impossible and the City Council let a contract several months ago for the fitting of a new top. The work has been delayed by late delivery of steel and bad weather, but is now well advanced and will probably be completed within a few weeks. The task of constructing and fitting the new top is a difficult one and men have been engaged on the work for several months. The contract price is about £lOOO and a considerable portion of this amount will be spent on labour. About 430 sheets of steel are required for the work. All had to be cut to the required shape in the workshop of the contractor, Mr R. Parsons, and drilled at each edge with many holes for riveting. Altogether about 26,000 rivets will be required to link all the sheets strongly together. Before the work on the gasometer could be started it was necessary to empty the gas from it. This was done with the aid of a booster which drew off the gas to the mains and the gasometer was filled with water as the gas was removed. The removal of the water became a serious problem as the top of the gasometer was then only slightly above ground level and the base of it about 30 feet lower. The pressure pump used by the city fire brigade was brought into use for several days and a considerable proportion of the 500,000 gallons of water in the holder was drawn out before the level dropped so low that no more could be drawn up. Another difficulty was that heavy rain at that period filled the holder almost as fast as it was emptied. After the water had been removed, the contractor was able to start his work. The old corroded roof of the gasometer was cut off, exposing the frame-work of the structure. Extensive scaffolding had to be provided for the workmen about seven feet beneath the roof level and this was suspended from the framework and moved as required by the progress of»the work. At present, two gangs of riveters are employed joining the sheets of steel as they are placed in position. Portable forges are carried on the scaffolding for the heating of the rivets which are thrust through the steel from underneath and spread from above. The outside courses of sheet steel have oeen completed and the area remaining to be treated is steadily being reduced. When the work is finished, the gasometer will be tested for soundness under air pressure and after the tests it will be filled with water before gas is introduced into it. It will provide a reserve supply of gas and will permit more convenient operation of the works. At the present time only the biggest gasometer is in use. The smallest of the three at the works has been out of repair for some years and it is not intended at the present time to renew it.