CO129-350 - Public Offices - 1908 — Page 84

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greater factor of safety than was actually done.

12. As regards the comments in Mr.Smith's lethr

on the remarks in thememorandum by the Director of Public

Works it will be seen that the manufacturer admits that

an occasional pipe out of a large supply may come off the

lap in the course of rolling and so appear as if it had

been made butt-welded; but his remark that it is impossible

that butt-welded pipes could have been sent instead of lap-

welded is borne out by Mr. Chadwick who states that butt-

welded pipes of this diameter are much more costly to manu-

facture than lapwelded. We understand that in the pipe

returned from the Colony and referred to as butt-welded

there are indications, due to the process of manufacture,

which shew it to have been part of a supply of lap-welded

pipes. It would appear therefore to be of the nature of

a "freak" which if it passed the pressure tests could hard-

ly be detected by observation.

13.

Mr.Smith gives what he considers is the explana-

tion of the breaking away of the pipes at the screwed ends

and Mr. Chatham will probably agree that in so difficult

a piece of work when apparently a great number of pipes

have to be bent the explanation is a possible one.

14. Mr.Smith's contention that the practice of bend-

ing such large diameter pipes cold is one to be discouraged

is borne out by other makers as well as by the Inspecting

Engineer.

sible.

15. We do not think that Mr.Smith can be held respon-

He suggested the thickness on the information before

him, but it was open to the Consulting Engineer to amend the

suggestion if from his knowledge of the use to which the

pipes