HYDRAULIC PIPE DREDGE
N
FOR THAILAND T
PORT PROJECT
O KANTANG
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HE Government of Thailand has initiated an extensive programme of port development which will see expansion and improvement of all the country's major ports. The first harbour to be so developed is the Port of Kantang.
Located in Thailand's southern part that borders the Andaman Sea, Kan- tang, situated 18 kilometers up the Kantang River, is the principal centre for export-import trade in that sec- tion of the nation. It is Thailand's third ranking commercial port.
To underwrite Kantang's develop- ment, the Government appropriated a budget of 38 million Baht ($1,900.- 000 U.S.) and preliminary work got underway in 1964. This consisted of various topographic and hydrographic surveys followed by exploratory bor- ing and probing along the river bed. This information was necessary to make appropriate plans for actual construction and excavation opera- tions.
This phase of the project will be started this year. An estimated 2,000,000 cubic meters of underwater earth materials will be removed from the river's channel leading from the harbour of Kantang to the estuary of the river. The channel will be dredg ed to a depth of 4 meters below the lowest low water level with a 1:3 side slope.
To carry out the dredging, the Harbour Department of the Ministry of Communications ordered a 14 in. portable hydraulic pipeline dredge from the Ellicot Machine Corpora- tion, of Baltimore. Maryland, USA. with the cooperation of Unity En- gineering Co.. Ltd. of Bangkok. manufacturers representatives. The dredge was shipped from Baltimore, in late December, and will be opera- tional in Thailand later this month. Built in matchmarked parts, the unit was transported disassembled and re- assembled near the dredging area.
Caterpillar Engine
The floating excavator. whose pump is powered by a Caterpillar 747 h.p. diesel engine, is capable of dig- ging to a maximum depth of 10 meters (33 ft.). The sectionalised hull, consisting of five parts. is, when assembled, 70 ft. long, 26 ft. wide and 511⁄2 ft. deep. The draft is 31⁄21⁄2 ft.
Output of the dredge is rated at not less than 250 cu. meters of solid ma- terials per pumping hour when dis- charging materials containing appro- ximately 50 per cent. silt and 50 per cent. sand through 800 meters of pipe- line with a terminal elevation of 3 meters above the water level.
The dredge, named "Chao Tha Kho II" will join other units already
working in Thailand for the Port Au- thority and Royal Irrigation Depart- ment. One dredge was recently em- ployed on a major undertaking in the northern region of the country in- volving cofferdam excavation and ag- gregate production at the Yanhee Dam, site of a large hydro-electric power facility.
VISIT TO CHINA
On April 1, 20 members of the Insti- tution of British Engineers will leave London for a visit to civil engineering sites, power stations, new bridges. steel works and other industrial in- stallations in China.
The trip is being made with the approval of the authorities in Peking and meetings have been arranged with the Sino-British Trade Council and the Chinese Society of Civil Engineers.
The party will spend ten days in China followed by two days in Hong Kong. Through its departments of public works and commerce and trade the Hong Kong Government is orga- nising visits for the delegation to con- struction sites and factories.
Ellicot dredge assembled at Kantang
Far East Architect & Builder March, 1966
ROAD RECONSTRUCTION
Work is to begin shortly on road improvements at the junction of Caine Road, Arbuthnot Road and Upper Albert Road, Hong Kong.
The scheme is designed for integra- tion with the Mid-Levels/Central Area link, which was completed last year, in order to improve traffic flow to the Central district and western
areas.
The work consists of the demolition of premises at 1, 3 and 5 Caine Road, the formation of new retaining walls and the filling over of the site oc- cupied by these buildings as well as part of the present Glenealy path. Also included in the scheme will be a pedestrian subway to link the upper and lower portions of Glenealy.
Tenders for the work, which will take about ten months to finish, are now being invited.
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