TEST PILES DRIVEN FOR WAIMAK. BRIDGE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18804, 5 July 1929, Page 3

TEST PILES DRIVEN FOR WAIMAK. BRIDGE.

With considerably less trouble than was anticipated, three of the test piles for the new traffic bridge over the Wai makariri River, which has been rendered necessary as a result cf the River Trust’s flood control scheme have been successfully driven to the required depth. The piles, which are constructed of ferro-concrete. are fortv feet in length, and they have struck hard rock at a depth of twenty-fix e feet below the lowest level in the rive bed. A total of 170 piles will be re quired to support the bridge. Some delay in the erection of the bridge is likely to be cau.sed as a resu’t of the difficulty in obtaining the re •nforcing steel for he piles. No reinforcing steel of the required length could be obtained, and it had to be specially rolled. Supplies are due to arrive next week but, ts the piles w 11 take about a month to mature after the> are made, there will be some fur ther delay before th': main pile-driving operations can be commenced. The rolled steel joists for the main

Jrders and the timber for the job arc already on hand, but it will not be possible to push on with the erection of the bridge with any speed until the piles are ready for driving. The road approach on the south side . the river is well advanced, this worn being carried out by the River Trust. Compared with the difficulties experienced in the driving of the piles for the Selwy. River Bridge, the worK of driving the test piles has been comparatively simple. The first pile was driven to the required uepth after 190 blows from a three ton four cwt hammer. whereas piles o’ ly twenty-five feet in length for the Selwyn Bridge required up to two thousand blows.