Page 25 - Minutes of Proceedings of Civil Engineers Vol CXCV 1913-14 Part 3 Correspondence

1.10 coItRESPoNDENcE oN TIIE coNSTRucrroN oF [Minutes ol Mr. Reicl. ascerL.r,ined. The importnnt feature of the Author's calculations was the ossumption of the nngle of roposo of the material at tho bnck of the wrll, which wl,s given as 26o. Mr. Reid believed thrt these ossumptions rvolo rlwnys lrrr,sed by engineers upon experienco. lt would be very useful if The Institution would collocb rlrrhr, of this kintl, so tlrrtt tho younger members of ths plofossion nriglrt lur,vo tlro belclit of the longer experience of those rvho lulrl rlotlb rvith urrclr rrrrttters, On p. 68 the r\uthor used 15" ls tlto nnglo of l'ol)oso, rrntl it rvirs not rluite clerr why he should clrltrgo flour rrn :rssrrurpl,iorr of 26". lrr.Robs,rn. Mr. J. J. .llonsox trrngr,:ltulr,tetl the Anthor.not only upon the Itrcirlity of tlro l.t:r,pcr, lnt also upon thc gerrerll excelleuce of thc tlosigrr rr,rrrl tho successful rr,cconrplishurent of the rvork. IIe consideled tlrrtt the tlillicultics, rvhich usurllly rvere insepar:rble from works of this cluu'rcter', hrrtl been surnrounted rvith the skill derived from experi- clrc(). 'l'he rrrethotl of plocedure atloptetl wir,s correct, fol it u'ns obvious th:tt tlre utilization of the river-b:rnk rvhich enclosed the site, to erurble the greater portion of the work to be executed in tho rh'y, rvrrs both convenient l,nd economicrr,l. When the valious stnges of the rvolk wele cousidered, the time occupied in its construction (5 yerrs) rvas not excessive. Ilad the rvork been expedited unduly it rvoultl have been nt the sacrifice of economy. Nor rvns the total cost, <.rf tho work excessive rvhen the prirrcipal featur.es of the schenre rvcro considered, nunely, the nl,ture of the site and subsoil, the grcnt tlepth of the tlock, and the conveyance of the spoil tr, distrnce r.rf 95 rrrilcs to seir. \Yhen the lrr,st point rv:ls consideletl, a certlin elctttottt of utttrertrrinty tvrts introduced itrto tho tinre of cornpletion, 'I'ho l):r,pcl h;rtl becrr prepared so crr,refully that little roortr rvl,s left fol cliticisrrr. lt rva,s superfluous to discuss rvhat ruight lrrrve lrrryponorl lr:r,tl the Sonther,nrpton docks been pltnned originally in ru rlifl'elcnt rnilnncr. The designers rnust be given crcdit (having rcg:rnl to t,ho circuutstances and meir,ns at their dispostl) for rlr.rnng- irrg thcir rvoll< rvith the saure consitleratiorr and foretlurught rs wns cxcrcisetl irr urotlclu drlys. IIe rvould like to rr,sk rvhy the dock u'rs nntlo 40 foot