CEMENT SHORTAGE AND FLOOD WATERS DELAYED CHURTON CREEK SCHEME

Wanganui Chronicle, 1 September 1950, Page 7

CEMENT SHORTAGE AND FLOOD WATERS DELAYED CHURTON CREEK SCHEME

After some delay during the winter because of a shortage of cement and hlso flood watersand damp conditions generally, work has been resumed on Churton’s Creek, where a concrete culvert is being constructed to replace the present open channel. The scheme is one of the City Council’s drainage works for which a loan was raised five years ago. Provided supplies of cement come to hand and reasonably fine weather is experienced good progress is expected from now onward.

The work is being undertaken by the city engineer’s department, and the constructip/i of the culvert, each section of which is fabricated in three stages, began at the Taupo Quay end. The channel has been excavated as far as Maria Place, and when completed the culvert will extend to Selwyn Street.

The actual construction work on the culvert has proceeded as far as a point between Ridgway Street and Maria Place Extension. This represents about one-fifth of the distance to be covered.

Originally it was intended to use large reinforced concrete pipes to replace the open channel, but as it was impossible to obtain pipes in the larger sizes a design was prepared for a reinforced concrete box culvert. jAfter many delays in the early stages it became apparent, however, that reinforcing steeel of standard quality could not be obtained a't reasonable

market prices. Consequently, a mass concrete arch design was evolved, and after further delays in procuring suitable timber for falsework panels the job was started in Decembe.r 1948, the first concrete being poured in January, 1949. Each section of the culvert is being erected in three stages and the false-

work is fabricated in complete panels which can be assembled and dismantled by means of bolts only. The falsework for the underside of the arch is mounted on portable trucks which are raised into position by heavy jacks. After the concrete is poured and set, the trucks are lowered and wheeled along the floor to the next position. Up to March 31 lasfc, total expenditure on the Churton’s Creek scheme amounted to £3614.