PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2846, 10 August 1916, Page 7

PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

TECHNOLOGICAL SECTION MEETS.

A meeting of t«he Technological Section of the Philosophical Society was held in tho Dominion Museum last night, Mr. F. W. Furkert presiding. Mr. J. E. L; Cull,-A.M.1.M.E., consulting engineer of the Public Works Department, read a paper on ferroconcrete construction. in marine work. Tho speaker described interestingly the design and construction of- tho ferroconcrete wjiarf at Queens Street, Auckland, and the: "drainage work at Orakoi. An interesting feature touched on by Mr. Cull was tho driving in of the very long piles (100 feet) of the Queen Street Wharf. Mr. Cull expressed himself as firmly convinced, upon his own experience, that given careful supervision and good design, the lasting qualities of ferro-concreto in marine work are all'that can be desired.

An interesting discussion followed the paper, in which Messrs. Furkert, Ferguson, Holmes, Marchbanks, and Professor Eastcrfield took part. 'Ho lecturer was accorded 1 a hearty vote of thanks for his very interesting paper. Mr. E. Parry, chairman of tho Technological Section, who, through indisposition, was unablo to attend, wrote dealiug interestingly with a paper he had previously written on tho matter of concrete, and which, had appeared in an English engineering journal. Mr. Parry contended that although it was generally supposed that concrete was completely hydrated it is only hydrated to oho extent of 20 per cent., and further, that the sand grains arc only contact to tho extent of 30 per ccnt. Mr. I'arry's letter was freely discussed.