COUNTY EXPERIMENTING WITH MANUFACTURE OF CONCRETE BLOCKS

Wanganui Chronicle, 8 November 1946, Page 6

COUNTY EXPERIMENTING WITH MANUFACTURE OF CONCRETE BLOCKS

HOUSING CONSTRUCTION

Experiments with the manufacture of hollow, concrete blocks for use in the construction of houses are being carried out by the Rangitikei County Council al its Kakariki pipeworks.

The engineer, Mr. S. A. R. Mair, said at the monthly meeting of the council yesterday, that at p:esent experiments were being made with different aggregates and cement mixtures so as to get down to an efficient and economic limit.

Accompanied by Mr. R. Dukeson, county overseer for the southern portion. Mr. Mair recently inspected a dwelling constructed at Miramar, Wellington. The type of concrete block used there, said Mr. Mair, had been generally adopted throughout New Zealand by a Wellington architect for many years.

"Through his courtsey we were able to inspect hand and power block-mak-ing machines and much other data including photographs and testimonials regarding houses in Hastings and Napier which not only efficiently withstood the 1931 earthquake, but have proved thoroughly satisfactory for all residential purposes,” said Mr. Mair.

‘‘Our investigations also extended to Palmerston North, where a large warehouse has recently been built largely of these blocks. We are firmly convinced that the hollow concrete block is efficient in every way for earthquake resistance and business and residential purposes, but we are not yet able to give comparative costs with wooden or brick buildings.” Mr. Mair added that he proposed carrying investigations further and would report at a later date, more especially on a mechanical machine for moulding the type of block which the council was now manufacturing.