1 Managing Director, Construction Techniques Group Ltd

CEMENTING NEW ZEALAND’S POSITION AS INNOVATORS IN CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION

Paul Wymer 1

SUMMARY The concrete construction industry in New Zealand has been in operation for over 150 years. In fact, the first delivery of cement into NZ is recorded to have taken place around 1840 and one of the first reinforced concrete structures in the world was the Addington Water Tower in Christchurch – built in 1883. The pioneering spirit of early New Zealander’s is well known and throughout New Zealand’s history, the people of this nation have been quick to adopt new materials and technologies. The objective of this paper is to provide a journey through the development of the concrete industry in New Zealand and to recognise and celebrate some of the notable achievements. An appreciation of our heritage is both interesting and important and it is hoped that this overview will enable us to reflect on some of the key projects, people and processes which have featured in this development. Introduction The inspiration for attempting to prepare a paper on the history of the New Zealand concrete industry was partly provided by Gavin Cormack in his address to delegates at the NZ Concrete Society conference in October 2002. Gavin was invited to talk so that he could provide an informed historical perspective on the industry and it was a most interesting and informative presentation. In his opening statement, he noted, “Some believe concrete to be a boring inanimate compound. This is, of course, not so. It has been the object of great thought, pain, and passion, has created great beauty, and for some has also created great wealth.” He went on to outline how the technical societies and industry bodies within New Zealand contributed in arousing these powerful emotions and, provided us all with some motivation and inspiration to continue to do so. Some additional motivation for preparing this paper has arisen from a personal involvement in the concrete and construction industry – being surrounded by people who participate in, and achieve great things in the development of our buildings, infrastructure and other structures. This relates to the academics, designers and architects as well as the contractors, manufacturers and suppliers. It is certainly gratifying to be associated with this large network of capable people – and we can all play a role in further enhancing our place on the New Zealand and international stage, further strengthening our position as innovators in concrete construction. There are many published and otherwise available documents which provide valuable and detailed

information on the development of our industry. Regrettably, this information is not that well known about either within the industry or by the greater public at large. The detailed content pertaining to this subject cannot be reproduced in this paper, but it is hoped that the general content and list of attached references will provide a backdrop and allow us to pay tribute to the achievements, whilst taking those lesser informed people on a short journey through the history of our industry. The paper is more of a project showcase, featuring prominent structures and some of the key personalities who featured at that time. It focuses on innovations in particular – our New Zealand and world ‘firsts.’ It cannot hope to mention all key projects or people from every sector of our industry – but hopefully, it will motivate us all to look more closely at all of the industry sectors and record for future reference, the achievements which have been made. A summary timeline is appended at the end of the paper which shows a chronological listing of some of the main points mentioned in the paper. Origins of Concrete in New Zealand The term “concrete” is a fourteenth-century derivation from the Latin concretus meaning ‘grown together, hardened.’ As is well known, concrete has been around for a very long time but it only came into general use late in the 19

th century. Its

revival and development in England is credited to a Leeds engineer, John Smeaton. In 1759, he was given the task of replacing the Eddystone Lighthouse (a timber structure destroyed by a gale) and used blocks of stone bonded together with a cement mortar (Figure 1). In 1813, a young Leeds bricklayer by the name of Joseph Aspdin read

about the lighthouse work and it inspired him to develop the cement technology further. He created and patented the first Portland cement – so named because its colour was similar to that of the building stone quarried on the Island of Portland, in England. The patent was issued in 1824 and over the next two decades, Aspdin’s company developed Portland cement and its use became more widespread.

Figure 1 – Eddystone Lighthouse It is reported that the first barrels of cement were received in New Zealand around 1840 – about the same time as the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. Clearly, the use of Portland cement in the remote and newly established colony of New Zealand fell quickly on the footsteps of developments in England. It is interesting to note that early settlers in New Zealand in the mid-late 1800’s made considerable use of concrete. Why this was the case is not accurately known – but the following explanations are provided by Geoffrey Thornton in his book, “Cast in Concrete – Concrete Construction in New Zealand 1850-1939.”

A shortage of skilled tradesmen such as stonemasons and bricklayers.

Concrete was considered a more permanent material when compared to traditional timber construction and was favoured by the settlers in Central Otago and South Canterbury.

The pioneering instinct of settlers resulted in a greater readiness to experiment with new ideas.

The new immigrants from Britain were mostly skilled and motivated – prepared to embrace the freedom and opportunity which existed in a new and developing country.

Concrete was more resilient to fire which was a real threat to 19

th century timber structures.

Cement was used to create all manner of plain concrete structures, many of which were farm buildings in isolated districts away from the towns. Perhaps the ready and ample availability of fresh water, sand and river gravels provided the ideal conditions to commence early creations in concrete. On an international scale, the foray into the use of concrete in New Zealand was more widespread than in most other countries in the 19

th

century. An early example of creative and innovative use of concrete is found in the Karori Reservoir in Wellington which was constructed in the early 1870’s (Figure 2). The early developments of reinforced concrete began in the mid-1800’s. The British, French and Americans all developed various techniques for incorporating iron and steel into concrete elements. However, it was Francois Hennebique who is acknowledged as the pioneer in reinforced concrete – determining the correct and most effective position to place the reinforcement and using steel rather than iron. His studies started in 1879 and his ideas were patented in 1892.

Figure 2: Karori Reservoir Valve Tower 1873. The tower has a concrete shaft and the reservoir has a concrete lining. New Zealand was quick to adopt this emerging technology – then referred to as “ferro-concrete” and its early record is one to be proud of. An excellent example of this is the New Zealand Railways Workshops Water Tower in Addington, Christchurch (Figure 3). Built in 1883, it was designed by Peter Ellis, then Chief Draughtsman for the Railways Department. In what we would

now truly identify as “Kiwi ingenuity”, he used several tonnes of scrap steel as the reinforcement. The actual composition of this reinforcement is unknown, but this tower is recognised as one of the world’s first structures in reinforced concrete. Meanwhile back in Britain, the first reinforced concrete water tower is reported to have been built in 1900, using the reinforcing technology developed by Hennebique.

Figure 3: Addington Water Tower So, the scene has been set and it is quite apparent that the early settlers were motivated to embrace the new materials and technology for the purposes of developing the infrastructure in New Zealand. Pioneers in the Development of Concrete Thankfully, this paper is not about the development and use of cement in New Zealand or the quest for who was first to manufacture and supply reliable cement within our shores. This is a totally separate subject and one which is surrounded by some difference of opinion – but nonetheless makes for fascinating reading in a number of quality publications as referenced in the bibliography. Needless to say, the early entrants in the manufacture of New Zealand cement also feature in the development of the concrete industry. It is fascinating to briefly outline who these players were because this offers a valuable insight into the names and brands we still recognise today.

Wilson Cement – Nathaniel Wilson was regarded as the ‘father’ of cement in the colony and emigrated from Scotland, reaching Auckland in 1842 aboard the Jane Gifford, one of the first two immigrant ships into that settlement. He was only seven years old when his family arrived in New Zealand and he and his brothers (James and John) eventually formed John Wilson and Company in 1878. The core business was related to the production of hydraulic lime near Warkworth in the North Island but they were also involved in building concrete houses in Auckland. Wilson progressed into the manufacture of Portland cement and some reliable product was being produced by the late 1800’s. After experiencing some resistance from the largely British regulatory authorities, it took some time for the locally manufactured cement to be accepted. However, in 1897 some 1500 tonnes of cement was being produced with quantities rapidly increasing thereafter.

McDonald’s Lime and Cement – James McDonald was an early pioneer in the South Island. He had been operating lime works on the Otago peninsula since 1876 and his cement works were officially opened in Fairfield, Dunedin in 1886. After a very busy start, the financing commitments proved too much of a drain and the company became insolvent.

Milburn Lime and Cement – In 1888, the Milburn Lime and Cement Company was incorporated to purchase certain business interests of the failed McDonald cement venture. Initially, the McDonald cement works sites were adopted but better sites were found and improved equipment was constructed in due course. These facilities chiefly serviced the requirements of the South Island. This was the forerunner to Milburn New Zealand Ltd and Holcim as we now recognise the brand.

Golden Bay Cement – The Golden Bay Cement Works originally began operations in 1908 at Tarakoe, near Nelson. The works were adjacent to its own wharf, which enabled shipping of product directly into the North Island.

“Necessity is the mother of invention.” The progression from the basic use of cement to the wider use of reinforced concrete is not surprising given the need for infrastructure development in early New Zealand. As previously indicated, the stepping stones had already been placed and the emerging technology of reinforced concrete was quickly being adopted. A different collection of people led this development – many of whom were the founding members of the Public Works Department. By Design, a book which commemorates the centenary of the Ministry of

Works (1870 -1970) provides a detailed account of the early developments of concrete structures and the people who facilitated the design and construction. In its opening chapter, “The Genesis”, it refers to a quote, “In no other country has a Public Works Department fulfilled such a wide role in the development of the country and its landscape.” In the early days, this was certainly true and a closer reading of By Design will attest to the many achievements by the early engineering pioneers. The book also clearly outlines the vast contributions made by others including City and County Engineers, Defence Department staff and private companies. The early 1900’s saw some remarkable structures built and this started the journey. The Changing Face of Concrete in the 20

th

Century Early 1900’s The George Street Bridge in Dunedin is recognised as a landmark in the history of bridge design in New Zealand (Figure 4). The designer was believed to be H. Langevard of the city engineer’s staff. Completed in 1903, it is thought to be the first reinforced concrete arch bridge in the country. The bridge spans some 12m and springs from solid concrete abutments. Consistent with other contemporary arch bridges, it retains heavy ornamental detailing and stone facings on the abutments. In this manner, it appears similar to traditional masonry arches and disguises its ‘modern’ concrete construction medium. The bridge is recognised by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a pioneer example of engineering technology.

Figure 4: George St Bridge, Dunedin Reinforced concrete bridges feature prominently in this early period and the Taranaki County Council provided a real boost for this mode of construction when it decided on a policy of replacing existing bridges with the newer material.

Concrete was expected to cheaper, quicker to build and would have a longer life with less maintenance. A 58m bridge over the Waiwakaiho River on the northern side of New Plymouth was completed in 1907 and was the longest reinforced concrete bridge at that time. A total of nine bridges were built out of concrete as part of that particular replacement regime – each with a slightly different structural configuration. It is quite remarkable that the Taranaki County Council could undertake such a series of projects using the design and supervisory skills of its engineer, E.C. Robinson, rather than a more prominent consulting engineer. The greater use and acceptance of reinforced concrete was quickly adopted in Auckland and 1907 heralded the start of some significant projects. The Ferro-Concrete Company of Australasia under its Engineer-in-Chief, Mr Moor and engineer, W.H. Hammer, stated that it was the first in New Zealand to undertake construction and erection of reinforced concrete using the Hennebique system. Its order book recorded a series of early wharves, buildings and bridges under construction at that time. Grafton Bridge was one of the projects noted as being undertaken by the Ferro-Concrete Company in 1907 and at this time, it had the largest reinforced concrete arch span in the world (97.6m). It was designed by R. F. Moore, Chief Engineer of the Ferro-Concrete Company and the work was carried out under the supervision of Auckland City Engineer, Mr W. E. Bush.

Figure 5: Grafton Bridge, Auckland Grafton Bridge has the highest classification given by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, in recognition of its outstanding technological merit and magnificence as a townscape element (Figures 5 & 6). In 2004, it was further recognised by the international engineering community when it featured in the American Concrete Institute publication, Concrete: A Pictorial Celebration – published to commemorate the American Concrete Institute’s Centennial.

Figure 6: Grafton Bridge (pier detail)

Figure 7: Hawera Water Tower, 1914 In another remarkable demonstration of the ‘can do’ attitude by county engineers, the construction of Hawera Water Tower commenced in 1912 and was completed in 1914 (Figure 7). Working in conjunction with the town's insurance companies and the Office of the Inspector of Fire Brigades,

borough engineer, J. Cameron and consulting structural engineer S. T. Silver designed a water tower that would give sufficient pressure and volume to fight fires effectively. The concrete water tower in Hawera has national significance as the largest, reinforced concrete water tower then constructed in New Zealand. It represents a major engineering achievement and has considerable technological importance – especially when its construction in reinforced concrete came at such an early time in the development of this material. The building is a significant landmark. At more than 50m high, it can be seen from all directions, both during the night and day, and has become a symbol of Hawera. The tower has local interest for its close associations with the development of the town, as well as providing wider historical insight into the importance of fire-fighting techniques in New Zealand before the First World War. The tower is also interesting as a dual-purpose building; the incorporation of aesthetically pleasing features and a viewing platform attracted numerous visitors to the area. Described as Hawera's icon, the water tower is held in high esteem by the local community and is the primary feature on the district Heritage Trail. During 2004, the water tower underwent an extensive restoration so that it could be preserved as the icon it is, and returned to service as a tourist attraction. It is of interest to note that the reinforced concrete elements were in remarkable condition, considering that the structure was one of the first significant reinforced concrete structures built and it is nearly 100 years old. 1920-1940 In the period just prior to the First World War and the ensuing two decades afterwards, there was a very large amount of reinforced concrete work carried out on all manner of structures around New Zealand. This involved dams, power stations, bridges (numerous configurations including some spectacular suspension structures in majestic surroundings), buildings, industrial facilities, churches, wharves, grandstands and domestic housing. An overview of this period of rapid development is not possible in this paper – but there can be no doubt about the knowledge, confidence and creativity being exercised at that time. Although many of these structures may not lay claim to being world firsts or new innovations, there can be no doubt that they would all have been significant contributions to the development and consolidation of concrete construction. It would come as no surprise that some new innovations in concrete were probably just around the corner and in 1926, French engineer, Eugene Freyssinet began on prestressed concrete in

France. New Zealand’s foray into prestressed concrete was to come a little later. However, research for this paper did reveal another intriguing trial with an early form of prestressing. It is said that the Public Works Department used pre-tensioned No.8 wire in concrete fence posts after roads were realigned in the early stages of constructing the Waitaki Dam in 1929! The question begs, was this the origin of the term, ‘Kiwi No.8 wire ingenuity’? From the 1930’s, the development of infrastructure continued and there was a growing technical influence from places other than Britain. It is noted that the US Bureau of Reclamation and the US Army Corps of Engineers were developing expertise in concrete design and quality assurance and this became the basis of New Zealand practice. The Ministry of Works continued to be a leader in the design and construction of all manner of structures and were experts in concrete technology. About this time, private individuals were also beginning to emerge as significant contributors to the advancement of concrete practice and construction. In 1938, Certified Concrete was founded under H.W. (Sandy) Cormack, a concrete materials specialist by both profession and experience. Sandy’s vision was to foster quality, innovation and new products and to wrest the tight controls away from the Government employed engineers. His strategy was to develop independent, industry regulated quality control, and to convince purchasers and specifiers to accept concrete that only came from plants that had passed the industry standard for Plant Grading and Certification. This ideology educated the public on the benefits of quality and eliminated the threat to both industry and public posed by competition from low cost and low quality producers. And so began the Plant Grading and Certification process and the foundations had been laid for the greater formation of industry bodies to technically promote and develop the uses of cement and concrete. It is significant to note that the Plant Classification Scheme operating within the ready mix industry today is a continuation of this farsightedness of some 70 years ago. 1950-1970 In 1948, the cement manufacturers decided that the technical promotion of cement and concrete should follow the lead from of other countries (the US, UK and Australia) by setting up a Cement Association. Sandy Cormack was again the prime instigator and the New Zealand Portland Cement Association (NZPCA) was established. His influence, together with that of one of his former employees, M.A. (Monte) Craven, who was the first

general manager of the NZPCA, greatly encouraged the establishment of specific interest industry groups in the 1950’s and 1960’s. The rationale was that a specific sector of the industry represented by (only) those closely concerned could more effectively concentrate research, development, training and promotion of their area of interest than could the industry as a whole. The result of this was the establishment of industry groups including Concrete Masonry Association, Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Precast Concrete Association and the Aggregates Association. Understandably, there continued to be a high volume of work carried out through the 1950’s and 1960’s. This was a time of great hydro-electric development, lasting for some 20 years, when a vigorous effort was made to meet the growing demand for electrical energy and to overtake the backlog of building which had developed over the war and immediate post-war years. As can be anticipated, there was also the continuation of some ‘firsts’ for New Zealand. The Hutt Estuary Bridge – hailed as the first major prestressed concrete bridge designed and constructed in New Zealand. The bridge was completed in 1954 for the combined local bodies of Lower Hutt City, Wellington City, Petone Borough, Eastbourne Borough and Hutt County. The designer was W.G. Morrison Consulting Engineer and the contractor was Wilkins and Davies Construction Co Ltd (Figure 8).

Figure 8: Hutt Estuary Bridge The unique features of the bridge, uncommon at the time, included:

The adoption of a post-tensioned, prestressing system with no precedent in New Zealand

The engineering solutions adopted for casting, storage, handling and erection of the 80 precast concrete beams each spanning over 30m and weighing 40 tonnes

The quality controls involved in mixing, placing and curing of the high strength concrete

demanded by the prestressed concrete solution

The development and implementation of quality controls associated with the prestressing operations

This bridge was recognised as part of the IPENZ 1990 commemoration of New Zealand’s engineering heritage. It acknowledges it as the first major prestressed concrete bridge designed and constructed in New Zealand and recognises the enterprise and courage of those who made it possible. The theme of prestressing continues to be prominent in this era as does the input of a man named Morley Sutherland, an enthusiast with a passion for prestressed concrete. Certified Concrete (Sandy Cormack) employed him to promote the concept of prestressing throughout New Zealand. At this time, there was much investment in large power station projects and the development proposed for Benmore demanded some special considerations for the penstock pipes. In the 1950’s, the power stations built on the Waikato and Clutha rivers had short steel penstocks built of steel. They were approximately 5.5m in diameter and were prefabricated in rings. These rings were assembled by way of an aerial cableway. The configuration for Benmore power station required penstocks which were 5.3m diameter, 130m long and laid on a rock spur at a slope of 35°. The static head was double that of the earlier projects. An aerial cableway would not be suitable for installation. Having learned about this challenging project, Morley Sutherland convinced prestressing expert, M. Yves Guyon of Freyssinet to visit New Zealand and work on an alternative proposal to the steel penstocks. As Gavin Cormack recounted in his address to the New Zealand Concrete Society conference in 2002, the prestressing concept was devised by Yves Guyon in a small restaurant using only his ink pen, slide rule and several paper table covers. In 1962, the Ministry of Works, as consultant to the New Zealand Electricity Department made a decision to adopt the prestressed design for the penstocks. By the end of 1964, the prestressed concrete penstocks had been successfully installed, heralding the end of this remarkable undertaking (Figure 9). Several technical papers have been written on this project and the most recent one was presented by David Braithwaite at The New Zealand Concrete Industry Conference in 2004. David, formerly Senior Engineer for the Ministry of Works modestly presents some information on the project and a photo of the final precast section of the penstock gives some perspective to the significance of this undertaking (Figure 10).

Figure 9: Benmore Power Station penstocks

Figure 10: Benmore precast concrete penstock He makes a fitting comment in his paper about the courageous decision by the Ministry of Works Chief Engineer (Power) to use the untried (but well trialled) prestressed concrete configuration. And he also modestly omits that this project was recognised by the international engineering community when it featured in the American Concrete Institute publication, Concrete: A Pictorial Celebration – published in 2004 to commemorate the American Concrete Institute’s Centennial. The Benmore penstocks were the first penstocks in the world to be constructed using post-tensioned prestressed concrete and the construction is credited with the largest use of precasting for pipes

of this mass and size. One of only two New Zealand entries in this publication, it certainly deserves some recognition as a great innovation and a courageous achievement by all of those associated with the work. With prestressing playing such a prominent role in many projects of this time, it is of no surprise that this sector of the industry demanded some greater focus. Under the stewardship of Sandy Cormack, the New Zealand Prestressed Concrete Institute (NZPCI) was established in 1963, with him as its founding President. The strategy was to promote prestressed concrete by integrating the universities (teachers and researchers), the contractors, the suppliers of prestressing materials, the consulting engineers with the Ministry of Works and local authorities. By creating an industry group of all related parties, communication could be improved and an enhanced learning environment could be formed. The introduction of concepts, education and encouragement of design, manufacture and construction was therefore the initial brief for this organisation. The steering committee which finally created the NZPCI comprised Monty Craven (NZPCA Chairman), Sandy Cormack (Certified Concrete), Bob Norman (Ministry of Works) G. Cooper (Consultant), M.O. Glew (Certified Concrete) and C.F. Martindale (Consultant). 1970-1990 During these two decades, we would see the emergence of two world renowned leaders in the development of the design of reinforced concrete structures, Professor Robert Park and Professor Tom Paulay. From their long-time base at the University of Canterbury – Department of Civil Engineering, they had significant involvement in researching and understanding the behaviour of reinforced and prestressed concrete buildings and bridges when subject to earthquake-induced motions. Professor Park in particular, was one of the key people involved in the creation of the seismic design method called capacity design – a key innovation with regard to reinforced concrete structures and a notable development in the history of earthquake strengthening. He also had great influence over provisions for earthquake engineering and for reinforced, precast and prestressed concrete in the national building code. He was described as ‘an ambassador for excellence in New Zealand Standard development.’ Professor Park was also very active within the various New Zealand concrete industry bodies and spent some 25 years actively involved in the New Zealand Concrete Society Council – and then the balance of his lifetime until 2004, continuing his contributions by ongoing research, lecturing, publishing of technical papers and hundreds of presentations. His outstanding skills in

teaching and research facilitated communication across all industry sectors and that played a major part in creating a more cohesive and unified concrete industry. He represented the New Zealand Concrete society with distinction in almost every official capacity possible (President in 1975, 1976), an outstanding contribution to the growth of the Society, to its technical development and to the wider recognition of New Zealand’s concrete design and construction expertise. He was made an Honorary Member of the Society in 1987 in recognition of this contribution. In addition, he also received honours and awards from numerous other professional bodies including the Royal Society, the American Concrete Institute, the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand, Standards New Zealand, the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering and the New Zealand Structural Engineering Society. Bob is credited with facilitating the start of a golden age in New Zealand engineering. A time when concrete was receiving more prominence, advances were being made in designs and new methods of construction were being developed involving more extensive use of precasting, prestressing and post-tensioning. It was a heady time for those involved in the various industry sectors and regulatory bodies with technical, political and commercial challenges aplenty. Near the start of this period, in late 1960’s-early 1970’s, the Thorndon Overbridge project in Wellington was under construction. Although not common knowledge, this coveted project still remains one of the largest undertakings involving a prestressed concrete roading structure ever built in New Zealand. With over 300 post-tensioned ‘I’ beams utilising some 800 tonnes of prestressing, it was a mammoth undertaking for the National Roads Board and contractor, Wilkins and Davies Construction Co Ltd/Taylor Woodrow (Figure 11). The design was again carried out by the Ministry of Works. As the photos show, it is a substantial and imposing structure.

Figure 11: Thorndon Overbridge

Closer to the end of this period in 1982, another landmark structure was also being constructed in Wellington, the Ngauranga ‘flyover’ bridges. Designed by the Ministry of Works and built by Mainzeal Construction Ltd, these twin-curved bridges were the first use of the incremental launching method in Australasia (Figure 12). At the opening, the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Muldoon referred to the bridge as a magnificent piece of engineering. In the language of its country of origin, West Germany, the bridge was called a Taktschiebeverfahren, a 20-letter word. Sir Robert dryly went on to add that an engineer had translated this to ‘incrementally launched bridge’ and yet another more down-to-earth engineer who worked on the job, further reduced it to a four letter description, a ‘push bridge.’ Subsequent to this project, four other bridges have been constructed using the same technique.

Figure 12: Ngauranga Flyover Bridges 1990-2005 During this period, the design and development of concrete structures has reached across the full spectrum of design and construction configurations. This involves the wide and varied use of insitu, precast and prestressed concrete for commercial, industrial and infrastructure projects. It has also seen a growing acceptance of concrete as an attractive, robust, cost-effective and energy efficient construction medium for residential construction.

The essence of everything that is concrete – strength, durability, form, performance and beauty – was captured in the concept and construction of Auckland’s newest iconic symbol, the Sky Tower. Standing 328m high, when constructed, it was the eighth tallest structure in the world (Figure 13).

Figure 13: Sky Tower Designed by Beca Carter Hollings and Ferner and architects Craig Craig Moller, it now stands proudly as a landmark structure and an achievement by a large team of New Zealanders – in its architectural and structural design and innovative construction methods. Built by Fletcher Construction, this single structure combines precast concrete, prestressing, large post-tensioned components, a jump formed cast-insitu shaft and some carefully detailed architectural finishes. The development of New Zealand’s infrastructure was the springboard for many innovative developments in the construction industry. Infrastructure relating to New Zealand’s flourishing dairy industry has also stimulated designers, engineers, builders and suppliers to seek new and

innovative techniques to satisfy demands for world-beating production techniques and support structures. The Fonterra Clandeboye processing plant near Timaru is one of the largest dairy processing plants in New Zealand. The new drier required for this processing plant is the largest such drier ever built in the world. The structure which houses it contains some remarkable achievements in precast concrete design, manufacture and installation. Driven by some very tight time frames, design/build contractor Downer Construction worked closely together with its designer Stiles and Hooker to devise a construction methodology to achieve the completion date for this high performance structure. This involved extensive use of precast elements and minimising the need for propping during erection. Approximately 1000 precast units were required to be installed over a 5-month period and some of these units were up to 35 tonnes in mass. Special modular access towers were designed and fabricated to allow rapid access to the wall panels to complete jointing and other work. Special detailing was also developed to ensure safe and effective handling of the large precast elements – minimising the risk of damage during installation. In addition, the hygiene requirements for this structure required a very high surface finish (F5X) to interior faces of the precast concrete cladding panels complete with three-coat paint system. A full technical paper of this challenging and innovative project has been presented separately at this Conference and this will give a greater appreciation of the scale of this achievement. It is a fine contemporary example which demonstrates how the collective resources of the concrete design and construction industry have pushed the boundaries to further reinforce our position as leaders and innovators in concrete construction. The Future When the period ahead is considered, it is difficult to see that the challenges will be any more difficult than those that have already been faced. There is no question that a very robust and competent concrete construction industry exists and the onus is on the numerous industry sectors to maintain communication, unity and plan ahead towards a common goal. The lessons from the past have demonstrated that a cohesive and motivated group of passionate people can achieve some great outcomes. Perhaps one of the big challenges ahead is to ensure that we continue to listen, learn, develop and innovate – always making sure that some time

is left for sharing and disseminating this valuable information around all related industry associations. As individual companies and organisations, we do not make any progress if we stand still and do not attempt to change with the times – we must quickly adapt to fit into the rapid changes we regularly see in the current business environment. The same philosophy applies to the industry as a whole and the only way we will stay on top of this is to retain the close links with all participants, carefully examine what the goals and needs are, and then pursue them rigorously. We also need to be able to adapt to the ongoing changes to our built environment. In the years to come we will need to be able to demonstrate that we are responsible corporate citizens within our communities, as we respond to a greater emphasis on our natural environment, and our affect on it. Cement based materials are well suited to contribute in a very positive manner to the continued advancement of our built environment. New ideas from new people should always be encouraged and promoted and we hope that this will lead us into an environment where we will be able to build some memorable and interesting concrete structures to showcase in another 25 years. Conclusion This paper started with an impression of concrete as an inanimate material and it is hoped that some of the content of this paper has inspired readers to think a little more carefully about this particular construction medium. Geoffrey Thornton said in his book Cast in Concrete, “For many people concrete brings to mind a heavy, dull grey, uninteresting material having great strength but no beauty.” As has been shown, it most certainly has the potential to conjure up much more emotive, useful and interesting images and the challenge remains for all of us to continue to develop, construct and promote this construction medium so that the myths about the lack-lustre perception of concrete can be dispelled once and for all. Throughout the 2005 Concrete Industry Conference (in the technical sessions, awards ceremonies and social gatherings), you will have heard or talked about many of the names you read about in this paper. This is no coincidence – the names of early pioneers, significant achievers and innovators are often talked about and it is important that we have a working understanding of where they stem from. We need to have a look at where our industry has come from and understand our heritage – and we need to have an even closer

look at how we navigate our way into the future so that we maintain our solid position as a cohesive and competent combined concrete industry. The paper started with comments about inspiration and it is also fitting that it finishes in the same vein. We need little further reminder about the many notable contributions and achievements of the late Professor Robert Park over the past 50 or so years. A true industry stalwart, he attended and presented a paper last year at the 2004 Concrete Industry Conference in Queenstown. His achievements, profile on the international stage, leadership and constant pursuit of excellence in our concrete construction industry provided an excellent foundation for us to build on. Rob Irwin, in his eulogy at Bob Park’s funeral in November 2004 closed with the comment, “Goodbye great soldier; the world is an immensely better place because of your contribution.” Suffice to say, we have a duty to continue with the pursuit of contributions such as Bob’s (and the many courageous pioneers and battlers before him). We may not realistically be able to replicate their efforts, but we can be our own selves and strive to forge our own paths so that the industry and world may continue to hear about our collective innovations and achievements for the next 50 or 100 years to come. Acknowledgements The author is greatly indebted to Geoffrey Thornton for providing information which has been used as the basis for summarising much of the early development referred to in this paper. Geoffrey Thornton has devoted much of his life to researching and recording events related to engineering heritage and his passion for this subject allows future generations of New Zealander’s the opportunity to learn about our heritage. His considerable input into research, lecturing, publishing of books and representations on various heritage and industry related organisations has afforded us the privilege to be more informed about our early engineering development. The following photos were also produced with the kind permission of Geoffrey Thornton (George St Bridge, Karori Reservoir Valve Tower, Grafton Bridge, Addington Water Tower). Additional reference information and photographs were also kindly provided by the following individuals and organisations.

Gavin Cormack

Cement and Concrete Association of New Zealand

Bruce Tait

Fred Thomas

New Zealand Historic Places Trust

Allied Concrete Ltd

Holcim (New Zealand) Ltd

Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand

David Braithwaite

Opus International Consultants References 1. Thornton, Geoffrey G, 2001: Bridging the Gap

– Early bridges in New Zealand 1830-1939. Reed Publishing, Auckland.

2. Thornton, Geoffrey G, 1996: Cast in Concrete – Concrete construction in New Zealand 1850 -1939, Reed Publishing, Auckland.

3. Cormack, Gavin: Transcript of address to New Zealand Concrete Society Conference in Wairakei, October 2002.

4. Irwin, Robert W, 2004: Transcript of eulogy for the funeral service for Professor Robert Park, November 2004.

5. Noonan, Rosslyn J, 1975: By Design – A brief history of the Public Works Department Ministry of Works, 1870-1970. Crown Publishing, New Zealand.

6. Concrete: A Pictorial Celebration – American Concrete Institute Centennial Publication, 2004

7. Morton, H, Johnston, C, Chinn, B 2002: The Cornerstone Century - The Story of Milburn New Zealand Ltd. Published by Milburn New Zealand Ltd, Christchurch.

8. Brice, M.D., 1987: A Quarter Century Young. Proceedings of the Silver Jubilee New Zealand Concrete Society Conference, 1987

9. Richardson, Bill, 1999: Wheels and Deals. Craig Printing Co. Ltd, Invercargill.

10. Braithwaite, D.S., 2004: Construction of Prestressed Concrete Penstocks at Benmore. Proceedings of the New Zealand Concrete Industry Conference, Queenstown, 2004.

NEW ZEALAND EVENTS YEAR INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

1756 John Smeaton produced the first high quality cement since Roman times (rebuilding Eddystone lighthouse in UK)

1824 Joseph Aspdin patented Portland Cement in Britain (named because colour similar to Portland stone)

First casks of cement into New Zealand Treaty of Waitangi

1840’s

1854 William Wilkinson patented reinforced concrete in Britain

Nathaniel Wilson started making hydraulic lime near Warkworth

1866

Burgess Island Lighthouse (24km northeast of Great Barrier Island). Remote and steep site influenced John Blackett (Public Works Department) in constructing purpose-made concrete blocks in Auckland and transporting to site for assembly. Pioneer use of precast concrete blocks for construction in New Zealand.

1882

1883 Addington Water Tower for Railway Workshops constructed in Christchurch. First reinforced concrete structure in the world.

John Wilson and Company marketing a reliable Portland cement. Wilson was the first commercially successful Portland cement manufactured in New Zealand

1885

James McDonald officially opened the McDonald cement works in Walton Park, Fairfield. University of Canterbury - College of Engineering opened.

1887

1892 Francois Hennebique patented his technique for utilising reinforcing into concrete

1896 First successful rotary process cement kiln in the world began operation

First continuous process rotary cement kiln installed at Pelichet Bay, Dunedin. Milburn Lime and Cement Company.

1901

George St Bridge, Dunedin. First reinforced concrete arch bridge in New Zealand

1903

New Zealand Express Company Building, Dunedin (now known as the MFL Building). It was the first time in NZ that precast concrete slabs made off site were used.

1910 Grafton Bridge in Auckland longest concrete arch in the world with 96.7m span

First concrete road constructed in Auckland. The Wilson Portland Cement Company Ltd published, “The Roading of the Future: A Few Facts about Concrete Roads.”

1916

Cape Foulwind Lighthouse. First poured insitu concrete lighthouse in New Zealand

1926 Eugēne Freyssinet (1879 – 1962) began on prestressed concrete in France

NEW ZEALAND EVENTS YEAR INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

New Zealand used pre-tensioned No.8 wires in concrete fence posts after roads were aligned in the early stages of constructing the Waitaki Dam

1929

Napier Earthquake - 3 February 1931. This disastrous earthquake provoked authorities to include seismic design requirements in building codes.

1931

Certified Concrete founded under H.W. Cormack

1938

School Dental Clinic building in Willis, Wellington believed to be NZ’s first reinforced concrete shear wall building over 18m in height.

1939

Long-span concrete arch roof structures built at Ohakea and Whenuapai Air Force Stations (4 hangars each with a clear span of 82.9m). Whenuapai Airport. Concrete runway constructed to accommodate landing facility for US air force.

1940 The war has an influence on the availability of structural steel and reinforced concrete becomes a preferred choice of construction. Growing database of concrete design and quality control results in greater use of concrete worldwide.

New Zealand Portland Cement Association established

1948

Concrete Masonry Industry established and NZ Ready Mixed Concrete Association set up. Aggregates Association established.

Early 1950’s

Hutt Estaury Bridge – a first for prestress technology in New Zealand

1952

Ministry of Works embarked on massive programmes of hydro development and bridging (road and rail). Ready mixed concrete industry well established.

Early 1960’s

New Zealand Prestressed Concrete Institute established

1963

1965 Benmore Hydro-electric power station Penstocks. The first penstocks in the world using post-tensioned, prestressed concrete. The largest use of precasting for pipes of this mass and size

Thorndon Overbridge under construction 1966

Centenary of Ministry of Works (1870-1970) 1970

Commencement of large amount of bridging work for road and rail infrastructure. Main area of work in Wellington and Auckland.

1970’s

Inaugural Hopkins Lecture by Professor H.J.Hopkins, Emeritus Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Canterbury.

1978

Start of New Zealand ‘think big’ projects. 1980

1982 Ngauranga Flyover incrementally launched bridge first such application in Australasia. Sir Robert Muldoon paid tribute to Ministry of Works

Wide and varied use of reinforced, precast, prestressed and post-tensioned concrete in all construction sectors. Increasing use of concrete masonry products. Wider use and acceptance of concrete in residential building. Development and growing use of remedial techniques for repair and strengthening.

1980’s and

1990’s

Sky Tower completed in Auckland. 8th tallest

structure in the world at that time. 1995