SAFETY OF ARAPUNI.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 276, 21 February 1929, Page 4

SAFETY OF ARAPUNI.

STATEMENT ON DAM. Dan~er Scoffed At. A very important statement in regard to the safety of the Arapuni dam, which should dispel the fears of some people in the Waikato, which have been roused chiefly by propaganda, was made by Mr. T. C. V. Rabone, engineer-in-charge, on Saturday last, when the party of members of Paliament touring the Putaruru district visited the dam. The statement was prompted by direct questions put to the engineer by Mr. J. A. Young, member for Hamilton, and Mr. F. Lye, member for Waikato, in whose constituencies apprehension in regard to the dam is most marked. “ If as an outsider I were asked to inspect the works for danger spots the dam is the last place in which I would look for them,” stated the engineer.

Mr. Rabone then went on to explain that the total weight of the dam was 175,000 tons and not 150,001 tons as originally stated in the contractors’ notes on the works. The dam wall was what was known as the horizontal type and depended on its great weight for its strength, and not on the curve. The curve upstream was purely an additional safeguard, and had not been taken into engineering consideration when the type of dam was decided upon. The dam was of the gravity type, and few people realised that the dam was nearly as broad at its base as it was high. Every advantage against “ slide ” was also taken by utilising irregularities in the formation of the bed, which had been thoroughly combed to remove any rotten or loose rock, and which had been thoroughly explored in every possible detail. “ The dam is the last place where I would look for any weakness in the whole works,” repeated Mr. Rabone. *' The biggest concern is not for Arapuni but for the people living below r whose fears have been worked upon. I T believe that some women have be- | come so nervous that they are insisting on their husbands selling their

property and removing. That is a bad state of affairs, and there is no possible ground for it so far as Arapuni is concerned.” Mr. W. E. Parry, M.P., then remarked that as a Labour representative he was fully satisfied was no ground for fear. At the request of the Minister for Pub.ic Works he had made a thorough inspection of all the bores on the dam site before work was commenced. He had done this to satisfy himself that it was fit country to work before the men started, and as a practical miner of 20 years experience he had no hesitation in saying there was no ground for the fears which had been circulated, so far as he could see. Mr. F. Lye then asked: “ You are absolutely satisfied then, as engineer- , in-charge, that the dam is safe ?”

Mr. Rabone: If an earthquake were to flatten out the country from Taupo to Auckland, I believe that the dam would still remain intact, so satisfied am I as to its strength.” Mr. Lye: But if that happened the sides would be down and the water get away. Amidst the laughter which followed Mr. Rabone remarked amusedly “ Well, of course.” “ And there’s as much likelihood of the moon hitting the earth as that,” stated a member of the party. At another stage Mr. Rabone gave the following further details of the dam which show how thoroughly the engineers have done their job. “ Much has been made of the supposed leakage,” he stated. Mr. Rabone explained that of the three streams which flowed on the bottom side of the dam two were arranged for in the plans. The one in the centre was a drain placed there to take the water from the expansion joints, while the other was from a system of drains put in to take the water from underneath the dam to prevent upward water pressure. The third was from a spring which was there before the dam started, and wh’ch appeared to come from underneath and from the other side of the gorge. There had been no increase in the flow.

The crushing strength of the concrete in the dam was 250 tons per square foot, while the greatest pressure of water was orlv eight tons oer square foot. Every bit of country had been carefully searched and combed, the bulk of which work had been supervised by himself, and he was absolutely satisfied there was no danger.