ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE ABROAD.
In 1927, Sir Alex. Binnie, Son & Deacon wrote to Mr. Stilgoe, asking him if he could recommend an Assistant Resident Engineer for the Scheme of Water Supply from Johore to Singapore, and on Mr. Stilgoe's recommendation I obtained the position, and sailed for Singapore in 1927.
I was first employed as Assistant Engineer on the construction of Pulai Dam, a gravity concrete dam faced with granite, 120 feet high and 600 feet long.
When this work was finished, I was transferred to Pontian, and was first in charge of the construction of the South Dam, an earth dam 50 feet high and 3,000 feet long with a concrete core wall and with a cut-off below the core wall consisting of "Universal" steel piling driven 40 feet deep. The water face of the Dam is faced with granite blocks 3 to 5 tons in weight.
Upon the completion of this work I was placed in charge of the construction of the Pumping Station and Intake Culvert. This is a concrete building 160 feet long, 100 feet wide, with a wet well 40 feet deep, and houses eight Pumping Units of 340 h.p. each. The roof is carried on 34 reinforced concrete trusses cast in situ. The Intake Culvert consists of 4-feet diameter precast "Hume" concrete pipes laid in heading and surrounded with concrete. A screen chamber is incorporated in the Pumping Station, and there is one concrete valve shaft and one reinforced concrete bottom intake.
All the above Works were done by direct administration, with Chinese or Indian labour.
In August, 1931, I was promoted Resident Engineer for the whole Works, and was responsible for the finishing off of other works such as pipe line, main dam tunnel, aerating tanks, engine and pump efficiency tests, etc.
SALARY (IN
LAST POSITION).
£1,000 a year, with free furnished quarters.
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