Q 56
LOAN WORKS.
SHING MUN VALLEY Scheme-2nd SECTION.
215. 24" Diameter Trunk Main-Tenders for the supply of mild steel pipes were received through the Crown Agents from leading firms in England and from the Hume Pipe (Far East), Ltd., Hong Kong in January. The tender of the Hume Pipe (Far East), Ltd. was accepted and on March 5th a contract was signed with them for £12,871-11-0. The manufacture of pipes and specials at the Tsun Wan Works of the Company commenced in June and by the end of August the heavy section pipes 12,837 feet in length were completed. During the month of November the whole of the pipes and specials for the light section-3,449 lineal feet--were manufactured together with the reconditioning of a number of spare pipes and specials from the first main thus completing the contract.
16
The pipes were made from Messrs. Colvilles, Ltd., steel plates, $\frac{5}{16}$" thick for the heavy section and $\frac{1}{4}$" thick for the light section, rolled to 24" outside diameter and butt welded by the Hume patent process. The steel shells were then rotated in a bitumen bath while a double layer of hessian was wrapped on the outside. After removal from the bath the pipe was rolled on a bed of fine sand and finally a lining of cement mortar $\frac{1}{2}$" thick was spun into the pipes by the centrifugal process. The pipes and specials were tested at the works, the heavy section to 800 feet head and those for the light section to 600 feet head.
On 28th May a contract for $15,729.30 was signed with Messrs. Woo Hing for the transportation of pipes and the cutting of trenches.
The laying and jointing of pipes which is being carried out departmentally commenced on July 3rd at the junction of Nathan and Waterloo Roads and good progress was made for the remainder of the year. By the end of December the pipe line had been practically completed as far as Wong Uk Village by way of Nathan Road, Taipo Road and Castle Peak Road a total distance of 12,050 lineal feet.
Pipes were transported by junk from the Hume Pipe Company's Works at Tsun Wan to Tai Kok Tsui whence they were strung out along the line by a specially adapted 3 ton lorry.
The tender of Messrs. Blakeborough & Sons, Ltd., amounting to £568-5-0 was accepted through the Crown Agents