Page 17 - Minutes of Proceedings of Civil Engineers Vol CXCV 1913-14 Part 1

r', "',r.rlings.l TIIE "wHlTE STAR" DocK aT SouTITAMPTON. 57 ,1,,1,1,,',1 beea,use it was thought that the absence of joints in the r,, rrl, of tho wall would render the whole structure moro monolithic ,,,,1 Llrolefore stronger, and also because it was estimatetl that the , ,, , ,s rvork rvbuld be cheaper than block work for the hearting. As a ,,r rl.l,rrl of fact, the gain from the absence of joints was probably ',,rllilitxl by the fact that the mass concrete varied somewhat in ,1'r,,lit;y. On the whole it was good. Two blocks cut at random , , r l, of the heart of the wall showed a crushing-strength of 2,460 lbs. ' t,, r' s(luare inch, but here and there were patches and seams of cnd poor concrete. In other parts of the work, where the ',,,rglr ,,'r('t'ote was deposited in absolutely quiet water, it was practically ,',rl,ossible to distinguish it from similar material laid in the dry. lirrl, rt this wall the concrete w&s more or less disturbed by the trrl:r.l current, which apparently washed the cement off the outside ,'l rrirch boxful as it was deposited. The cement gradually settled ,l,,srr again on the concrete, and with it a considerable quantity of lirr. silt from the dredgors and grab at work near by, forming , sonp-like crust, which in places was 2 to 3 inches thick. 'l'lris crust was carefully removed by divers with water-jets before ,l,,positing a fresh layer, but thero was always a risk that small ;':l1,