CEMENT PIPES AND THEIR MANUFACTURE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8294, 24 November 1906, Page 6

CEMENT PIPES AND THEIR MANUFACTURE.

A VISIT TO THE LOCAL WORKS.

A short distance past Messrs Levin and Co.'s hulk store, at the uommencemeut cf the Akura Road, there stands a large corrugated iron building, which except for the incessant dull grinding noise of 1 machinery in motion, does not the average passer-by with the extent and importance of the work that is being carried on. But,. nevertheless, tbern flourishes an important local industry, and the only one of its kind in the North Island, viz., the manufacture of cement pipes. A representative of the "Wairarapa Age" recently paid a visst; to the works, where he was courteously shown round by the manager, Mr Thos. Evans. At the time of the visit work was in full swine, tbe staff being engaged in executing an order for pipes from the Hamilton Borough Counoil. The making of the pipes is an interesting prece-s. In the first plaoe the pipes consist of an admixture of cement and sharp sand, the latter material being ob tainud from the adjacent river bed. After being thoroughly mixed Bnd moistened in a pan mill tbe aggregate is gradually fed into a machine known hs the Kielberg pipe making machine. At first sight the working o 1 tbe machine appears to be decidedly intricate, but in reality it is very simple. When a pipe has to bs made, a mould, the size of the pipe required, is plaoed in the machine in an upright position, directly under a solid Steel worm screw, which revolves inside the mould, and as the mixture is fed in at the top of tbe mould it is caught by the screw ana ground down hard on the butttom. The pipe is thus gradually bnilt up from the bottom, the screw rising as tbe pipe is formed. Tbe time, required to make a pipe varies from one to five, minutes, according to the size of the pipe. When the length of pipe is finished, the mould with pipe inside is removed from tbe machine. Tbe mould is then stripped off and the pipe left standing on a wooden 'tray, hard enough to haudle the pipes are staoked outside - and allowed to mature for several months before going into use. Mr Evans explained tha tthe Kielberg machine was only for the manufacture of drainage and sewage pipes ap to a size of 2ft in diameter, the average drainage works seldom requiring pipes any larger. MONIER PIPES. In another building at tbe back of tbe main works, a separate staff was engaged in manufacturing Monier pipes, tbe prooesg being totally different and very muoh slower than that for, making the Kielberg pipes mentioned above. These pipes are ohiefiy used for culvert work and are made both round and oval shape. The Oomcany stock them! ap to three feet in diameter and four feet in length, but are in a position to' make, almost any size. Considerable care and skill has to be exercised when making them, and as tbe pipes are all hand made, the work is naturally slow. A pine ' three feet in diameter takes about half a day to complete. Tbe pipes are built up on steel drums, aooording to size of the diameter, of the required pipe. A ooat of aggregate is first laid on the drum and over this wire netting ia bound and on the top of this again a strong steel wire is wound tightly round froni end to end forming a spiral half an inch apart. Another ooat of aggregate is then applied and over that a second steel wire, and finally a third ooat of aggregate is necessary to finish the pipe. The insertion of the steel wire in the pipes adds greatly to their strength and allows of their being made much thinner, and, consequently lighter. As an instance it may be mentioned that, a pipe three feet in diameter is ouly 1 % inches in thickness. The Company guarantee the Monier pipes to stand tbe heaviest road traffic. Recently a Ihree foot pipe was tested by loading tons on tha bare pipe, standing above ground, and it was subsequently found that there was not the slightest sign of fracture caused by this weight. The test, of course, was not a practical one, as in aotnal use tbe pipe ypould be greatly strengthened by the support of tbe surrounding earth. It is just two years since the Company started operations in Masterton, and right through! that period they have been fully occupied. Work will be particularly brisk for the next few months, as there are extensive orders to complete''for the Hobson County Oounoil (North Auckland), Hamilton Borough Counoil (Walkafcoj, Wairoa County Counoil (Hafcke's Bay), Dannevlrke Borough Counoil, besides orders for local bodies in this district. The Company are supplying regularly a large number of local bodied between Nap'.er, New Plymouth and Wellington, besides many private individuals. Over eight miles of pipes have been supplied to Uannevirke Borough Council, and the order is'not yet completed. The firm find that County Oounoils are gradually adopting cement pipes in plaoe of wood for culverts, the strength and lasting quality of the pipes proving more economical than timber.