Engineering Heritage Victoria Newsletter – October 2013

This is an occasional newsletter from Engineering Heritage Victoria sent to all members on our mailing list. Enquiries,discussion or correspondence related to the Newsletter should be directed to the Editor at doring.belgrano@bigpond.comor address postal correspondence to the Chairman, Engineering Heritage Victoria, Engineers House, 21 Bedford Street, NorthMelbourne, Vic 3051.

Contents

1. Guest Speakers & Other Functions — Future Functions this pagePast Functions:

National Steam Centre Heritage Recognition Ceremony – This PageWheelers Bridge Heritage Recognition Ceremony – Page 2The Victorian Electricity Transmission Network from its Inception andA Ceremony to Mark the Placing of a Headstone on the Grave of John Harry Grainger – Page 3The Great Ocean Road Engineering Heritage Recognition Ceremony – Page 4

2 Large Ruston Hornsby Suction Gas Engine at Chewton. Page 5

3. The Story of Wheelers Bridge over the Birch Creek at Lawrence, Victoria. Page 6

4. The Power of Myths – Reflections on Engineering Design and the Persistence of Misinformation Page 10

5. Events & Publications of Possible Interest Page 12

1. Guest Speakers & Other Functions – 2013

FUTURE FUNCTIONS — ( 2013)

Phoenix Foundry Engineering Heritage Recognition Ceremony at Ballarat – on Saturday 12 October 2013.th

[This ceremony is planned as part of the Engineers Australia Victoria Division Country Weekend at Ballaratin October. More information about time and place will be available closer to the event. – Ed.]

The Phoenix Foundry Company Limited was one of the larger foundries in Ballarat, employing at least 250workers at times. Its main output was initially machinery for the mining industry but after the construction oflocomotives started in 1871 there was an emphasis on this work with a total of (at least) 203 locomotives being builtduring the period 1873 to 1886. The foundry buildings have been completely removed, and the site is now occupiedby the Central Square Shopping Centre which covers the site completely. This site will not be involved in theproposed heritage recognition ceremony. However, there is a railway turntable pivot foundation, originally associatedwith the foundry, and adjacent to the foundry site but within a public street, which provides the opportunity for a linkbetween the Phoenix Foundry and this surviving relic associated with it.

FUNCTIONS PAST — (2013):

National Steam Centre Heritage Recognition Ceremony – happened on Sunday 29 September 2013 th

The event took place at the National Steam Centre of the Melbourne Steam Traction Engine Club (MTSEC)at 1200 Ferntree Gully Rd, Scoresby, Victoria.

The National Steam Centre at Scoresby has one of the largest and most diverse collections of industrialheritage machinery in Australia. Starting with steam-powered vehicles and traction engines, the collection now hasmore than 500 items including stationary and portable steam engines and all kinds of internal combustion machinery.

The MTSEC which operates the site was formed in 1963 and held its first Steam Rally in 1969. This has nowbecome the annual Scoresby Steamfest rally held in March each year. As well as operating the Centre, the Clubconducts training courses and has an extensive library and archive. Engineering Heritage Victoria is recognising thesignificance of the collection with an Engineering Heritage Marker as part of the 50 anniversary celebrations of theth

Club.

Engineering Heritage Victoria Newsletter — October 2013 Page 2

Wheelers Bridge Heritage Recognition Ceremony was held on Saturday 15 June 2013.th

Wheelers Bridge, at Lawrence, near Creswick, is a Monier concrete arch bridge, designed and built by JohnMonash, (later General Sir John Monash) in 1888-9. Engineering Heritage Victoria (EHV) has a sub-program withinits Heritage Recognition work to recognise structures built by General Sir John Monash, the firm Monash andAnderson or later iterations of companies with which Monash was associated, as a contribution towards thecelebration of the centenary of the ANZAC Campaign in 2015. Heritage recognition ceremonies alreadyaccomplished in this regard are:

• The dome of the Reading Room of the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne• Janevale Bridge at Laanecoorie in Central Victoria• Yallourn Power Station in the Latrobe Valley• Fyansford Monier Arch Bridge near Geelong

Wheelers Bridge is significant as it was one of the earliest bridges built by Monash & Anderson to the Monier Patentsin Victoria. The Anderson Street (Morell) Bridge in Melbourne and the Fyansford Bridge in Geelong were slightlyearlier.

The Engineering Heritage Marker and the interpretation panel are located so viewers are facing the bridge.They are alongside the road and under a large gum tree on a rise above the north end of the bridge. The marker andpanel were unveiled by Dr Marlene Kanga FIEAust CPEng FIPENZ FAICD, National President of EngineersAustralia, and Councillor Bill McClenaghan, Mayor of Hepburn Shire. It was a cold day with a wind like an icy knife,so everyone was well rugged up, and the hot coffee provided by “bean me up” mobile coffee van was very popular.

Above: The crowd at the ceremony – well rugged up

Right: Marlene Kanga and the Mayor of Hepburn Shire unveil the

plaque and interpretation panel.

The story of Wheelers bridge will be found in Section 3 below.

Engineering Heritage Victoria Newsletter — October 2013 Page 3

The Victorian Electricity Transmission Network from its Inception a talk by Martin Mahood FIEAust MIETThis talk happened on Thursday 20 June 2013 at the EA John Connell Auditorium in North Melbourne.th

The talk defined the difference between transmission and distribution and why transmission is necessary. It thendiscussed the three main transmission voltages used in Victoria and why each voltage was chosen. It outlined theneed for changes in transmission voltages and the capabilities of the transmission. It indicated some of the reasonswhy particular terminal points were chosen and how the systems at each voltage evolved.

Martin Mahood joined the State Electricity Commission of Victoria (SECV) in February 1963 followinggraduation from the University of Melbourne and an Overseas Fellowship (Graduate Apprenticeship) with GEC inthe UK. He spent a number of years on transmission planning and generation planning and in the mid 1970s wasappointed to the transmission Plant Division where he worked on HV and EHV switchgear and rotating plant. Heretired in 1997 but later worked for SP AusNet as a high voltage plant engineer on a part time basis for 12 years.Martin worked on many projects during his career. He served on CIGRE committees for insulation coordination andHV switchgear and the Standards Australia subcommittee for insulation coordination. He has held the posts of SECVGeneral Plant Engineer and EHV Switchgear Engineer.

A Ceremony to Mark the Placing of a Headstone on the Grave of John Harry Grainger on 21 June 2013.st

John Harry Grainger, father of the famous composer Percy Grainger, was a talented and creative engineerand architect. He won many design competitions including those for the Albert Bridge in Adelaide, Princes Bridgein Melbourne, the Sale Swing Bridge and the Administrative Block for the Melbourne Town Hall. He designed 14bridges, five water supply schemes and a large number of buildings, many of which are on heritage registers inAustralia or New Zealand. He died in 1917 and was buried in an unmarked grave in the Box Hill Cemetery.

Thanks to a long campaign conducted by engineer David Beauchamp and the late architect and composerGeorge Tibbits, Engineers Australia, through Engineering Heritage Victoria, has had a headstone erected on JohnHarry Grainger’s previously unmarked grave. A short ceremony was held at the Box Hill Cemetery. The ceremonyincluded thanks to those who made the erection of the headstone possible and a short summary of John Grainger’slife and works.

Thank you to the donors who made this possible: Andrew Dodd; Australian Institute of Architects, Victorian Chapter; David Beauchamp MIEAust CPEng; Di & GeorgeTibbits; Engineers Australia, Victoria Division; Engineering Heritage Victoria;, Engineers Australia; Grainger Museum,University of Melbourne; Miles Pierce FIEAust CPEng(Ret)

Here are links to a Wikipedia article about John Harry Grainger, and the Age article by Deborah Goughpublished after the ceremony:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Harry_Grainger http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/monument-dedicated-to-percy-graingers-father-20130621-2on1g.html

Owen Peake (left), David Beauchamp, Lyn Howden & Di Tibbs stand with the headstone erected on the site of John Harry Grainger’s

previously unmarked grave. Photo: Simon Schluter, The Age.

Engineering Heritage Victoria Newsletter — October 2013 Page 4

The Great Ocean Road Engineering Heritage Recognition Ceremony happened on Friday 30 August 2013.th

The ceremony was held at the Great Ocean Road Arch, Eastern View, 5 km west of Airey’s Inlet. The plaqueand Interpretation Panel were unveiled by Dr Marlene Kanga FIEAust CPEng FIPENZ FAICD, National President,Engineers Australia, Mr Gary Liddle, Chief Executive of VicRoads and Mr Savaas Aidonopoulos, Group MarketingCommunications Manager, Citywide.. To visit the site and see the plaque and the interpretation panel, the mapreference for Eastern View is VicRoads Country Street Directory Map 93 B9.

The Great Ocean Road is an outstanding example of significant engineering and human endeavour. Initialconstruction work was carried out in the 1920s. The Great Ocean Road is 241 kilometres long between the Victoriantowns of Torquay and Allansford, 20 km east of Warrnambool. The road was partly built by returned servicemenas a memorial to their comrades who were killed in the First World War. The Great Ocean Road is now the thirdlargest tourist attraction in Australia because of its magnificent scenic coastal views. The diverse landscapes andstunning views along the coastline have made the Great Ocean Road an important economic artery and touristdestination, as well as reminding travellers of the participation of First World War returned servicemen in itsconstruction.

Above: Members of the Great Ocean Road Trust soliciting for donations

outside the Geelong City Hall in 1918. F B Alsop Collection.

Above: D iggers at work on the Lorne—Apollo Bay section of the Great

Ocean Road on Friday September 19 1919. F B Alsop Collection.th

Left: A postcard picture of the Great Ocean Road at M t Defiance, taken

circa 1920. The Rose Series Postcards, P.4008.

Above: Repair work on the Great Ocean Road after a landslip in 1952.

F B Alsop Collection.

Left: A recent photograph of the Great Ocean Road, taken by Owen Peake.

Engineering Heritage Victoria Newsletter — October 2013 Page 5

2. Large Ruston Hornsby Suction Gas Engine at Chewton. — from Miles Pierce

So-called suction gas engines were once widely used as an economical source of mechanical power to driveindustrial machinery such as pumps, compressors and electrical generators. The gas engines utilised relatively lowspecific-heat producer gas, with its combustible components consisting of mainly carbon monoxide and somehydrogen that was generated in an adjacent gas producer plant. The gas producers could be fuelled with coal, coke,charcoal and even firewood, which was partially combusted to yield producer gas. The resulting combustible gas wasthen passed through a scrubber tower to remove tar and other impurities and cool the gas before delivery to theengine. The suction created during the inlet stroke of the engine cylinder(s) drew air into the gas producer and thusgas production matched the engine fuel demand. This arrangement obviated the need for a small steam boiler anda gasholder, as required for conventional Dowson producer gas plants.

In the early twentieth century, suctiongas engine plants were extensively used formunicipal electricity generation in regional citiesand towns on account of their ability to use fuelthat could often be locally sourced or otherwiseobtained at a lower cost than, for example,petroleum based fuels for oil engines or dieselengines. These plants were also generally lesscostly to install and operate than comparablesteam boiler and steam engine plants unlesssteam was also required for other processes atthe site. By the second decade of the twentiethcentury Victoria had some 57 regional townelectricity supply undertakings using suction gasengine plant to drive alternators or DCgenerators, with the majority of the enginesmade by Hornsby. (Churchward M, 2009).

The development ofcentralised large-scale electricitygeneration, transmission anddistribution, post WW1, progressivelysuperseded local municipalgenerating plants. The eventualwidespread availability of mainselectricity supply resulted in stationaryengines of all types being replaced byelectric motors for other than someremote industrial sites. Only arelatively few suction gas engineinstallations have survived intact.

One quite large suction gasengine plant still substantially intact inVictoria is located at the Forest CreekGold Diggings at Chewton nearCastlemaine. The author recentlyarranged to inspect and photographthis two-cylinder Englishmanufactured Ruston Hornsby enginethat was used at the site to drive acentrifugal pump for hydraulicsluicing, starting in the late 1930s.

The producer gas plant at Chewton, Victoria. Photo M iles Pierce

The Ruston Hornsby Engine at Chewton, Victoria Photo M iles Pierce

Engineering Heritage Victoria Newsletter — October 2013 Page 6

The engine itself dates from 1920 when it was purchased new to drive an ammonia refrigeration compressorat the Orchardists Cool Stores Coy, East Doncaster. A local Chewton miner, Alf Cox, acquired the engine in 1937and set it up at Forest Creek to drive a Thompson double-suction centrifugal pump by belt from the 5t flywheel tosupply high-pressure water drawn from a nearby dam for gold mining by means of hydraulic sluicing. Coxconstructed a producer gas plant, fuelled by locally sourced firewood, adjacent to the engine shed and connectedthe engine to it. Most of the gas producer plant also remains in situ.

An information board in the engine shed gives the twin cylinder, horizontal engine specifications as 430 boreby 483 mm stroke (17" x 19"), giving a total swept volume of 140 L and a power rating of 120 kW (160 hp) at200rpm. It is not stated whether the above power was with producer gas fuel or town gas, as an adjustable manualvalve on the fuel gas inlet on each cylinder has positions for both fuel types. On this basis, the above engine powerrating most likely referred to town gas, with a somewhat lesser power output being available when the engine isfuelled by producer gas (author’s comment).

Although the Parks Victoria brochure for the 'Forest Creek Historic Gold Diggings' and the overall 'Park Note'on the 'Castlemaine Diggings National Park both mention the engine, with the latter saying: "see one of Victoria'sunique gold mining gems - a massive Ruston and Hornsby gas engine", it is not normally accessible to the publicbeyond a dim view of it through the small barred windows of its corrugated iron shed. According to a member of theFriends of the Mount Alexander Diggings with whom the author arranged his visit to inspect the engine, the Friendsgroup used to open the shed for guided tours in the past, but this rarely happens nowadays. The locked shed doesseem to have largely protected the engine, although some parts have regrettably disappeared, including the twomagnetos.

Other places in Australia known to the author where suction gas engines and associated producer gas plantis still extant are the former water supply pumping station at Lake Canobolas near Orange in NSW, and the formerpower station, now incorporated into a museum, at Longreach in Queensland. The latter site was recognised in Maythis year with an Engineering Heritage Marker.

Reference and further reading: Churchward M, 2009, Gas Engines in Victorian Industry, 1870 - 1950, Proceedingsof the 3rd Australasian Engineering Heritage Conference, Dunedin, New Zealand.

3. The Story of Wheelers Bridge over the Birch Creek at Lawrence, Victoria. — from Owen Peake.

Who was Wheeler?The bridge is named after James Henry Wheeler who represented the district in the Legislative Assembly

for more than 20 years between 1864 and 1900. The bridge carries the Creswick-Lawrence Road over Birch Creeknear Lawrence. When the bridge was named, this was an important gold-mining area and a busy road in the late 19th

century, so the naming would have been quite an honour. All that remains of the once thriving town of Lawrenceis a couple of farmsteads, a number of mullock heaps and a ruined engine house. The area is substantially denudedof trees – whether they were all poisoned by gold smelting fumes or burnt to produce steam for the winding enginesis a moot point. The little Birch Creek cuts through a flat bare plain in the bottom of a steep sided deep valley, sothe road sweeps steeply down to the bridge on one side and up again on the other.

A photograph of the second Wheelers Bridge taken on 30 March 1900, opening day, (see page 8)th

beautifully demonstrates the nature of the bare country, the steep valley sides, the little creek winding under thebridge and the busy town of Lawrence beyond it.

The First Wheelers Bridge over Birch CreekThe first bridge at this site was built in 1866 . This bridge, with some later modifications, remained in service until1

shortly before the building of the present Monier arch bridge in the period 1899–1900. The two span bridge consistedof a timber superstructure with stone abutments and pier.

About 1887 the level of the deck had been raised some 2.7 metres by extending the pier and abutments.By 1898 the bridge was distressed and the timbers were rotting.

Information from Meg Barry of the Creswick Historical Society.1

Engineering Heritage Victoria Newsletter — October 2013 Page 7

The Lead Up to the Monier Concrete Arch BridgeIn May 1898 Carlo Catani, the Chief Engineer of the Department of Public Works of Victoria, reported on thedilapidated state of the old Wheelers bridge.

Conventional options for replacing the bridge, as proposed by Catani were (a) a timber bridge of four spanswith a total length of 47.5 m, costing about £900 and (b) a single stone arch with a span of 15.2m costing about£2750. However, on 14 May 1898 the Shire Engineer, Mr W. H. Gore, visited the engineering firm of Monash &Anderson in Melbourne to discuss the possibility of using Monier concrete arches. Gore was accompanied by hisfather who had seen Monier arches during a visit to Italy and heard favourable reports from Italian engineers. Hisfather had previously been Shire Engineer for Creswick, but seems to have been working for the Public WorksDepartment about the time of his visit to Monash & Anderson. He told Monash & Anderson that he and his son hadbeen sent by Catani.

In June 1898, Monash & Anderson prepared a drawing showing four alternative Monier schemes. Agreementwas reached to develop a design with two spans, each 75 feet clear (22.9m). The resulting drawing and specificationswere presented to Council on 6 July 1898, about the same time that Monash left Melbourne to take part in a legalcase in Western Australia. This proved to be much more prolonged than expected and, apart from attending a militiatraining camp the following Easter, he did not return to Victoria until about 4 July 1899. Thus Anderson must havebeen wholly responsible for subsequent consultations with the Shire Council and its Engineer and for the technicaldesign of the bridge. Carter Gummow & Co. in Sydney carried out independent designs as a check but not all their2

advice was accepted by Anderson. (This led to some friction as Gummow and his chief designer, William JuliusBaltzer, tended to adopt a more cautious approach than Anderson).

Monash & Anderson estimated the cost of the bridge and approach works at £2450. Initially they hoped toundertake the entire project themselves, but Anderson's attempts to raise financial backing were unsuccessful.Furthermore Gummow, who controlled the license for this form of construction, preferred that Monash & Andersontender for the Monier arches alone, and they themselves had begun to fear that their quotation was pitched too low. Anderson therefore negotiated an agreement by which he adopted the initial role of consultant to the Shire,responsible for preparing the specification and drawings. The overall contract was won by Jenkins Bros of Ballaratat a price of £3300 and work commenced on site about December 1898.

Construction of the Bridge.Disputes erupted immediately between the contractors on the one hand and the Shire Engineer and his

inspector, Mr S Jory, on the other. These concerned the quality of Victorian versus imported cement, of sandobtained from nearby mines, and of the stones removed for reuse from the pier of the old bridge. The contractorsproposed modifications to the structure which they argued would save money without reducing its strength and couldnot understand why the Shire Engineer would not accept them. They became concerned that extra work was beingordered without adequate documentation. They accused Gore and Jory of "pure malice" and of demanding3

impossibly high standards in materials and workmanship. Gore in his turn accused the contractors of trying to "work points" and skimp on standards. There were4

suggestions that Jenkins Brothers had realised they had bid too low and were trying to slide out of the contract.Matters were complicated by Gore's continuing ill-health. Anderson was asked by both sides for advice and supportas an impartial authority and his efforts to remain aloof were not entirely successful.

A drawing of June 1898 by Monash & Anderson showing various alternative designs for W heelers Bridge Jack Thomas Collection

Carter Gummow & Co of Sydney held the Monier patents for reinforcing concrete with steel bars.2

Source not identified.3

ibid4

Engineering Heritage Victoria Newsletter — October 2013 Page 8

Despite these vicissitudes, Jenkins Bros didcomplete the substructure of the bridge: the foundations,abutments and the mass concrete 'skewbacks' on whichthe ends of the arches would rest. They also built thecentering – the timber structure that would support thewet concrete of the arch – although not to the satisfactionof Monash & Anderson. In September 1899 a specialgang of Monash & Anderson's workers, directed byAnderson himself, cast the first arch strips, comprisinghalf the width of the bridge over both spans. However,disputes and difficulties continued and in October 1899the Council terminated the contract and Jenkins Broswithdrew.

By this time Monash had returned from WesternAustralia and he conducted the negotiations which led toMonash & Anderson taking over to complete constructionon favourable terms. He made his first recorded visit tothe works on 29 December 1899 and gradually took thegreater share of responsibility as Anderson concentratedhis attention on other projects. To complete the bridge itwas necessary to build spandrel walls along the edges of

the arches and fill the space between with rammed earth to form the roadway. Because of heavy commitments elsewhere, the firm had difficulty in arranging for competent on-site supervision of

this portion of the work. Their trusted foreman Chris Christensen was discontented for various reasons, including thepresence of assistant engineer Arthur Timmins on site. To placate Christensen, Timmins was replaced by Herman Roth,Monash's cousin and clerk to the partnership.

Some records suggest that Council staff took more responsibility for operations than was defined by their official role.Disputes and problems concerning the sourcing and quality of cement and concrete continued even under the partnership'sdirection.

Monash made regular visits to the site until the bridge was completed early in March 1900. The load test and openingceremony took place on 30 March 1900 in the presence of the Minister, the Hon George Graham; Messrs Peacock andGrose, MLAs; the ex-President of the Shire Mr A L Nase; Councillors of the Shire and Borough of Creswick; a MrsSpringfield; and Monash and his wife. The event was reported in the Argus as follows :5

"Advantage was taken by themunicipalities of Creswick borough andCreswick shire of the presence of Mr. Graham,the Minister of Public Works in the BallaratDistrict on Friday last to arrange for the testingand formal opening of the new Wheeler'sbridge, near Creswick, built on the Monierprinciple. The Ministerial party, which wasconducted through the district by Mr. Peacockand Mr. Grose, M.L.A.'s, proceeded by train toCreswick and was driven thence to the site ofthe bridge at Lawrence. The official test tookplace immediately, and consisted of runningseveral times over the whole of the roadwaytwo heavy traction engines, weighing in all 22tons. The bridge, which consists of two spanseach of 75ft., with a width of roadway of 24ft.,withstood the test to the entire satisfaction ofall concerned, Mr. Graham remarking that itwas a highly creditable piece of work, andmarked a distinct era in municipal engineeringpractice. After the test, Mr. Graham wasentertained at luncheon by the president of theCreswick shire, and, in replying to the toast ofhis health, highly complimented the district forits enterprise. The bridge, whose total cost was a little over £4,000, was erected by Messrs. Monash and Anderson, ofMelbourne".

The official opening day, with traction engines running over the roadway. Source unknown.

The centering in place on W heelers Bridge piers Source Richard Venus

The Argus, Melbourne, Tuesday 3 April 1900, p4.5

Engineering Heritage Victoria Newsletter — October 2013 Page 9

Early Problems after the Bridge was CompletedWithin a month of the opening ceremony, concern arose over the safety of the spandrel walls which were

bulging outwards. Monash & Anderson denied responsibility, arguing that inadequacies in materials and constructionwere due to interference by Council staff. However, they agreed to contribute slightly more than half the costs ofrepair, as long as they were left entirely to their own devices. In August 1900 the walls were demolished andreconstructed, partly in masonry, and strengthened with iron cross-ties before back-filling. Unfortunately, disputesarose over the adequacy of the repairs and the quality of finish. Monash & Anderson provided a formal five-yearguarantee but local attitudes remained soured.

The Bridge in Later LifeThe bridge still stands after 113 years in service. A 15 tonne load limit has now been applied. It is apparent

that there have been several incidents causing damage to the parapet walls by vehicle impact. The aesthetics ofthe bridge are somewhat spoilt by this damage and displacement of parts of the parapet walls .6

W heelers Bridge today after 113 years of service Photo Richard Venus

Observation by Owen Peake on site on 5 March 2013.th6

Engineering Heritage Victoria Newsletter — October 2013 Page 10

4. The Power of Myths – Reflections on Engineering Design

and the Persistence of Misinformation — from David Beauchamp

At two recent heritage engineering events the persistence of myths about historic events became apparent. The first event was a VicRoads Centenary Function held by Aurecon on 25 July. David Beauchamp, the deputy chairEHV gave a short address on Monash & Monier Reinforced Concrete Bridges. The presentation covered how theMonier reinforced concrete system was first used in Victoria when Carter Gummow & Co., a Sydney firm who hadthe rights for the system, convinced the Public Works department to use a Monier reinforced concrete arch for theMorrell Street bridge over the Yarra River in1897.

Monash & Anderson saw that if they could get the Victorian rights for the Monier system it would help theirstruggling firm to survive and give them an edge over other consulting firms.The first myth is that the Morrell Street Bridge is still regarded as being a ‘Monash’ bridge and some in the VicRoadsaudience thought that this was the case despite the bridge being designed & built by the Sydney firm of CarterGummow & Co. The first Monier arch bridge designed and constructed by Monash & Anderson was the FyansfordBridge near Geelong, completed in November 1899, followed quickly by Wheelers Bridge, completed in March 1900.A further 14 Monier arch bridges were designed and built over the next five years by the firm.

Because the technology for Monier arch bridges was new many of the early bridges were load tested bydriving traction engines over the bridges. All but one of the bridges withstood this test. The one that failed was King’sBridge at Bendigo resulting in the death of a bystander. Monash & Anderson rebuilt the bridge at their own expenseusing two arches with spans of 14 metres instead of the single 28 metre span originally used. The replaced bridgeis still in use but with a 20-ton load limit.

Collapse of the Monier Arch King’s Bridge in Bendigo during

load-testing by traction engines. Source not known.

The 1897 Morell Bridge over the Yarra River, at the end of Anderson St, South Yarra.

This bridge was designed by Carter Gummow and Co, a Sydney firm of engineers,

who held the patents for the Monier reinforced concrete system

Engineering Heritage Victoria Newsletter — October 2013 Page 11

The reinforcing in the Monier arches provided an extra margin of safety against flexure or buckling due tohigh point loads or inaccuracies in construction but was not taken into account in the calculations. The next step wasto see how the tensile strength of reinforcing rods could be utilized in the design of girder bridges.

In January 1903 Monash decided to explore the use of reinforced concrete for bridge girders. He studiedthe technical literature in French and German of the latest theories of reinforced concrete, which developed theconcept of T-girder bridges. The first bridge built using this principle was at Stawell Street, Ballarat in 1904. Theproblem of shear in reinforced concrete beams was not understood and this bridge developed diagonal shear cracksat the supports and despite repairs was demolished after a few years.

Monash’s next T-girder bridge was built in 1905 to carry St Kilda Street over the Elwood Canal. This wasmore successful and is still in service, although it was in recent years strengthened with carbon fibre to overcomeshear problems caused by increased loading on the bridge. This firm went on to build around 70 T-girder bridgesin Victoria up to 1915. The longest of the T-girder bridges built was the Janevale Bridge built in 1911 with 10 spansof 12.8 metres.

Above: The St Kilda S t T-girder bridge over the Elwood Canal

undergoes testing by traction engine.

Right: Monash’s 1911 Janevale Bridge over the Loddon River at

Laanecoorie in Victoria.

Monash’s innovation in bridge design was not without problems. The lack of an adequate theory to be able to designfor shear in reinforced concrete girders created problems with the T-girder bridges. Bridges such as the Benalla Bridge,1910, and the Janevale Bridge had to be strengthened because of shear cracks that developed. The design of shearreinforcement was still changing in the second half of thelast century.

On 15 August David Beauchamp gave apresentation to EHV on the Lock Bar Pipe : AnAustralian Invention, a Global Success. The talkcovered Mephan Ferguson’s invention in 1896 of thelock bar system of joining steel plate to make pipesthat utilized the full strength of the steel, unlike rivetedpipes that could utilize only between 50 to 75% of thestrength of the metal in the pipes.

The system gained worldwide attention whenMephan Ferguson’s firm won, in 1898 againstinternational completion, the tender to supply the pipesfor the Coolgardie goldfields water supply scheme. This scheme, designed by the chief engineer for theWestern Australian PWD, C.Y. O’Connor, was for adam at Mundaring and then a 563 km pipeline with 9pumping stations to pump the water to Coolgardie andKalgoorlie. The scheme was estimated to cost£2,500,000.

Engineering Heritage Victoria Newsletter — October 2013 Page 12

The second myth, which some in the audience thought was true,was that C.Y. O’Connor committed suicide on 10 March 1902 becausethe water did not come through the pipeline when pumping started. Thetruth is that pumping did not start for the first section of the pipeline until31 March 1902; O’Connor shot himself because of the intense andscurrilous parliamentary and newspaper campaign that was wagedagainst him by the Perth interests that did not want all of the State’s loanmoney spent on the pipeline.

Right: C. Y. O ’Connor Source unknown

The British press reported favourably on the use of the lock barpipe system in both Adelaide and Western Australia and predicted itssuccess in other parts of the world. Mephan Ferguson’s firm woncontracts in New Zealand, India and the United Kingdom. The patentrights were sold to Stewart and Lloyds in the U.K. and the Carnegie Trustacquired the USA rights. The system remained in use until the 1930’swhen it was replaced by automatic electric fusion welding by which timemany thousands of kilometres of pipes had been produced and laid. Some lock bar pipes are still in use including some installed by MelbourneWater.

5. Events & Publications of Possible Interest

Melbourne Water’s Western Treatment Plant Open Day, Werribee, Sunday 6 October 2013th

Engineering Heritage Victoria Newsletter — October 2013 Page 13

The Phoenix Foundry – Locomotive Builders of Ballarat – The History of a Ballarat Engineering Company

[This new book published by the Australian Railway Historical Society Victorian Division Inc. costs $66 plus $12postage and handling. The authors are Robert Butrims and David Macartney. It contains an excellent collection ofhistoric photos (most, not surprisingly, of locomotives), a Bibliography, and a fairly comprehensive Index.I only received my copy in the mail recently, so I haven’t had time to read the book, but it appears to cover a lot ofground. Ed.] To order online, go to: http://www.arhsvic.org.au/index.php/publications-sales/books

VicRoads Centenary 1913 - 2013 Celebrations — 'Connecting Victorians for 100 years'The VicRoads Centenary celebrations are three-quarters over, but there are still some events to come, including thelast few of a series of photographic exhibitions:

• August 22 - October 6: East Gippsland Museum, Bairnsdale • September 9 - November 11: National Wool Museum, Geelong • October 4 - November 26: Maryborough Information Centre • November 5-25: Benalla Museum • December 5 - 20: Royal Historical Society of Victoria

Other Centenary activities reported by VicRoads include :• A commemorative magazine featuring stories from VicRoad’s history; • Images from our archives on Pinterest and HistoryPin for you to enjoy;• An interactive timeline of VicRoad’s history is available on their website • An online ‘Storybank’ of reminiscences from current and former employees

For more information go to: http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/AboutVicRoads/OverviewOfVicRoads/HistoryOfVicRoads/

This newsletter has been prepared on behalf of Engineering Heritage Victoria which is a Special Interest Group of the Victoria Divisionof Engineers Australia. The Editor is Margret Doring, who can be contacted on 03 5729 7668 or doring.belgrano@bigpond.com

Contributions for the next Newsletter will be gratefully received.

UNSUBSCRIBE: If you do not wish to receive further material from Engineering Heritage Victoria, please inform the Editor.