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Pipeline |
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[From the Altus Times-Democrat, September 9, 1927] Redwood Man Had 14 Years in His Field Native Son of California Lays Redwood Pipe G W Null, construction engineer for the Redwood Manufacturing company, which supplied the pipe carrying the water to from the dam to the city lake, has had 14 years of experience in engineering work, three of which were spent in the engineering corps of the U S Army, and one of which was spent in the Orient. Null, a graduate of Lleland Stanford University, Palo Atlo, Calif., in the class of 1914, was regimental adjutant of the 209th Engineers during the war. He spent most of his time in the service training engineering troops at Camp Sheridan, Ala., at Humphreys, Va., Vancouver Barracks, Wash., and Chatanooga, Tenn. Null a Native Son Null, whose home is San Francisco, Calif., first joined the Redwood firm in 1917, and has been with them all the time for the past five years. He has supervised quite a number of pipe-laying jobs. He was in charge of...laying...the main water supply line from Lake Hialeaha to the city of Miami, Fla. This [ten mile] line supplied water for the entire city.... He also supervised the laying of three miles of pipe at Wichita Falls, Texas, and while doing hydro-electric work with the Western States Gas and Electric company at Placerville, Calif., he was in charge of...laying...four miles of 54-inch and 60-inch pipes. Null arrived here last December 13, and [the] actual laying of the pipe was begun about the middle of January. He brought with him four superintendents who were experts in pipe building and used local labor for the remainder of the work. When construction work was progressing rapidly, Null had an average of about 80 helpers. Eighteen Miles of Pipe Approximately 18 miles of pipe were necessary to empty the Lugert Dam water into the reservoir on the north edge of the city. Null supervised the laying of 24,200 feet of 24-inch pipe, 42,100 feet of 20-inch pipe and 24,200 feet of 18-inch pipe. The Redwood Manufacturing company, which supplied the Remco pipe for the job, has a mill at Pittsburg, Calif., and logging camps at Casper, Calif. The wood used in these pipes is air-dried redwood with a moisture content of approximately 10 percent or less, according to Null. Every effort is made to keeps the staves dry until the pipe is built and bound, Null said. The pipe then is filled with water, and saturation and swelling takes place. This swelling makes the pipe tighter and causes the leakage to be less. The longer the pipe lasts, the less leakage becomes, Null explained. Company's Guarantee The company guaranteed a leakage of 200 gallons or less per inch diameter[,] per mile[,] per 24 hours from the moment the water started running through the pipe. There is no danger of tuberculation or corrosion in a wood pipe as there is in an iron pipe, Null said. The work of laying the pipe was delayed for three weeks by the storm April 12, and was delayed another three weeks by a storm May 23. With the exception of those times, the pipe was laid as rapidly as could be expected. Buckstays were laid beside the pipe in the deepest part of the ditch. Buckstays are supports placed on the horizontal center line of the pipe to prevent external loading from flattening or deforming the pipe, Null explained. Eighteen staves to the circle were used in making the 18-inch pipe, 19 staves to the circle in the 20-inch pipe and 23 staves to the circle in the 24-inch pipe. These staves were connected end to look by metal tongues 1 [1/2] inches wide and [1/8]-inch thick[,] which protruded a little on either side of the stave and clamped fast the adjoining staves. |
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Last reviewed: 2004-Jan-21 |