PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA Minister of Public Works REPORT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1956-57 Printed by Don McDiarmid, Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty in the right ot the Province of British Columbia. 1957 To His Honour Frank Mackenzie Ross, C.M.G., M.C., Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of British Columbia. May it please Your Honour: Herewith I beg respectfully to submit the Annual Report of the Department of Public Works for the fiscal year ended March 31st, 1957, in compliance with the provisions of the " Public Works Act." W. N. CHANT, Minister of Public Works. Office of the Minister of Public Works, Parliament Buildings, October 9th, 1956. 5*| 8 2£ . .So -J 2 3 _J f_ ■08 cc a ~ 0, s >,"'£ *J - U < 3 O ^ o &»< Q o.s» O O 0. Eh u B 'C Ih -H OJ < O ^ Uj OC « 0 3 •-. 9 a S lis *H__ ■tt -5 _t ex > ssg ao> 0 w •g*l EC c H S 2 «o o s S,-g> n^ i. S a 5 ■§_.« IP o > a £ s I -lit: p. ° c- -_. t 1 .Sj < a.a 0 a a w M 00 ' SI* _.T fi ^ ■so. Is'BS _> 5 ^ - b jfS 0 Si lilt in fS^Misfi S'S bS§.S life 5 v_t=_ 1«|ll §1118, 5»S _at£> Km e <*Q. PUBLIC WORKS REPORT REPORT OF THE DEPUTY MINISTER Victoria, B.C., October 9th, 1957. The Honourable W. N. Chant, Minister of Public Works, Parliament Buildings, Victoria, B.C. Sir,—The fiscal year 1956-57 was the second year of operation of this Department, and I have pleasure in submitting herewith for your approval and consideration the Annual Report on its activities during that year. You will see by studying the following reports from the various branches concerned that good progress was made in all fields of activity. New construction advanced well throughout the year with the completion of several large projects, and commencement with good progress being made on many others. The Design Divisions have been kept very busy on planning of a varied nature for projects which it is hoped to commence in the relatively near future. Industrial development and expansion throughout the Province was reflected in the increased activity and necessary expansion of the Inspection Divisions for Electrical Energy, Boiler and Pressure-vessels, and especially the comparatively new Gas Inspection Division, which is faced with the imminent distribution of natural gas throughout a major portion of the Province. C. D. Campbell, Deputy Minister and Chief Architect. REPORT OF THE ASSISTANT CHIEF ARCHITECT Satisfactory progress was made with the building programme during the fiscal year 1956-57. Several major projects under construction last year have been completed, and plans and specifications are nearing completion for several projects to be tendered early in the coming fiscal year. A total of 157 buildings and mechanical projects were completed or undertaken during the fiscal year 1956-57, at a total expenditure of $9,078,885.33. The more important of the projects which were completed are as follows:— Major Projects Completed Location Building Total Cost Atlin $26,626.65 153,480.00 54,617.00 25,260.00 57,947.00 Fort St. John _ 339,176.00 Kamloops_ 43,568.00 407,037.00 860,243.00 300-bed unit, The Woodlands School _ 1,787,097.72 J L 8 PUBLIC WORKS REPORT, 1956/57 Some of the larger or more important projects which were under construction at the end of the fiscal year 1956-57 are as follows:— Major Projects under Construction Project Location 123 B 5-B-53 5-B-21 205-B 245-B 201-B 208-B Haney _ Port Coquitlam Essondale Kamloops Kamloops.. _ Prince George .. Vancouver Percentage Completed Building Estimated Total Cost 99 40 50 90 99 28 25 B.C. Correctional Institution 300-bed Home for the Aged 100-bed nurses' home Addition to Government office building . New equipment-shed '. New Court-house New Girls' Industrial School $4,900,000.00 1,897,195.00 1 000 000.00 250 000.00 70,000.00 1,600,000.00 1,400,000.00 In addition to the aforementioned projects, there are a number of larger projects which are in an advanced stage of planning and will be ready to let for tender early in the coming fiscal year. These are as follows: — Location Project Estimated Cost $100,000.00 300,000.00 60,000.00 1.000,000.00 The major building projects have been completed with a minimum of delay, and the projects under construction are progressing satisfactorily; this is due primarily to the excellent job being done by our clerks of works and the co-operation received from the general contractors. E. Totty, Assistant Chief Architect. REPORT OF THE SUPERVISING ARCHITECT Details of major projects completed, major projects under construction, and tenders received and contracts awarded for buildings, during the fiscal year 1956-57 are to be found elsewhere in the Public Works Report. This report is primarily concerned with the internal operation of the Architectural Branch of the Department, under the direction of the Deputy Minister and Chief Architect. Staff was maintained throughout the year at approximately the same numerical level as in the previous fiscal year, with eight architects, two specification-writers, one town- planner, one landscape architect, and eight to ten draughtsmen. It can be stated that the general level of good design and methods of construction has been well maintained. While the over-all standard in both these phases of the work falls short of perfection, it may safely be said that the buildings now produced by the Architectural Branch are vastly superior to those conceived ten or fifteen years ago. The technical difficulties presented by the mechanically complex structures being erected to-day are being coped with in a diligent and efficient manner. The division engaged in specification writing is actively occupied, apart from its routine work, in research into new materials, new building techniques, and in the production of more stream-line specification clauses. The system of preparing projects for tendering by lump-sum contract is still maintained, though bidding on the basis of a bill of quantities would produce a closer control on pricing both prior and subsequent to the report of the assistant chief architect L 9 report of the maintenance architect L 11 receipt of tenders. Only by accurate quantity measurement can cost variation in extra or omitted work in the field be checked properly and contractors' claims and credit offers be satisfactorily assessed. However, the present organization of the Architectural Branch does not permit the introduction of this method. It may be noted with satisfaction that co-operation with other Government departments has been maintained at its customary high level, by means of small and large planning committees, to the advantage of all concerned. The more important projects planned during the period April 1st, 1956, to March 31st, 1957, were the Girls' Industrial School, Burnaby; the 209-bed Pearson Tuberculosis Hospital, Vancouver; the new Court-house, Prince George; new Government office buildings at Fort St. John and Kamloops; the addition to the Men's Gaol, Prince George; the new 300-bed South Lawn Hospital, Essondale; and the new vocational school, Prince George. In summary, a satisfactory year's work has been accomplished. W. R. H. Curtis, Supervising Architect. Umm\ minimBBBBOKBBi Fort St. John Government Building. REPORT OF THE MAINTENANCE ARCHITECT The total expenditure for maintenance of Government buildings throughout the Province was $2,299,697.85. This total includes expenditures on Court-houses, institutions, residences, laboratories, clinics, gaols, R.C.M.P. detachments, and sundry buildings. The programme of renovations and modernization (where practical) is being continued in Court-houses, and general maintenance is being maintained in all Government buildings. Major renovations have been carried out in the Vancouver area, such as 411 Dunsmuir Street, Normal School, and 636 Burrard Street. Regular inspection trips have been carried out during the year, and it has been found that Government Agents, who act as our representatives, have co-operated at all times with this Department. Certain Government buildings are now very old and have fulfilled their usefulness; in these cases no attempt is being made to renovate, but in all cases the premises are being kept clean, painted, etc. Regarding Government residences and R.C.M.P. detachments, these premises are receiving continued attention. I should like to add that the Public Works Superintendents located at Essondale, Tranquille, Vancouver, and Victoria have given me their full co-operation during the past year. E. C. Clarkson, Maintenance Architect. L 12 PUBLIC WORKS REPORT, 1956/57 *>c Materials Testing Laboratory, Victoria. REPORT OF THE MECHANICAL ENGINEER GENERAL During the year the Section continued work at a high level of activity. Capacity of the Section was very much increased with a move to more spacious quarters. In September the Section, along with the Structural Section, moved into a rejuvenated house at 526 Michigan Street. The additional space allowed of better organization of filing and reference material and the increasing of the staff by one engineer and two draughtsmen. This increase in capacity was utilized during the latter part of the year. The use of consulting engineers' services was continued on many of the larger capital projects. During the year the trend toward more fully ventilated spaces in both office and institutional buildings mentioned in last year's Report continued, in fact gained momentum. Summer cooling as well as winter heating is now considered a necessity in most new buildings; however, only the provision for summer cooling was installed in the capital buildings constructed this year. The change to fully automatic heating units in the smaller institutions and Courthouses continued. In this way minimum staffs operating and maintaining the buildings can be maintained. Serious consideration was given to the use of natural-gas fuel in many buildings and institutions in the areas where it will be available. CAPITAL PROJECTS Again this year the Section worked in conjunction with the other branches of the Chief Architect's Office in most of the capital projects handled by the Department. A few of the major projects handled directly by the Section are: — (1) Investigation and study into the steam and emergency or standing electrical requirements of the Provincial Mental Hospital at Essondale. Additional capital building at this hospital in the last few years has brought the winter steam demand up to the installed capacity in the boiler plant, thus leaving no reserve capacity. (2) Continued improvements to the distribution of the steam at the Hospital. Service to the easterly portion of the Hospital was immeasurably improved by a new underground distribution main. (3) Air-conditioning of the Polio Pavilion at the Pearson Tuberculosis Hospital, Vancouver. REPORT OF THE STRUCTURAL ENGINEER L 13 MAINTENANCE Again maintenance of mechanical equipment was carried out throughout the year. With the gradual increase in the number of buildings, maintenance is gradually increasing. Some of the more outstanding work done under maintenance was: — (1) Renewal of the heating unit, conversion to oil firing, and the repiping of the Court-house, Kamloops. (2) Renovation of the old heating system at the Court-house, Nanaimo, and the tie into the new addition to this Court-house. Much attention was given to the proper disposal of waste materials from all types of buildings. To this end, a number of closely designed incinerators were installed in an attempt to cut down on the fly ash, odour, and smoke nuisance. SUPERVISION OF PLANT OPERATION AND OPERATING PERSONNEL Again this year numerous field-trips to the various heating plants were made. One of the major difficulties encountered this year was the recruitment of certified stationery engineers suitable for institutional work. With industry making large demands on the available labour force, it was difficult to keep the establishments filled. W. E. Mills, Senior Mechanical Engineer. REPORT OF THE STRUCTURAL ENGINEER The Structural Section of the Chief Architect's Branch had a very busy year during 1956-57, and a brief description of the work completed and designed follows. STRUCTURAL DESIGN AND SUPERVISION Many large buildings were designed and supervised during the past year, mainly in reinforced-concrete construction. Examples of this type of construction are the 300-bed unit at Essondale; British Columbia Correctional Institution, Haney; Girls' Industrial School, Burnaby; Deaf and Blind School, Vancouver; Materials Testing Laboratory, Victoria; and the auditorium at The Woodlands School. The Prince George Court-house was let out to private consulting enginers due to pressure of work in this office. In addition, the following jobs were designed but not let out to tender during the year: Prince George Gaol addition, Dawson Creek Laboratory Building, Crease Clinic addition, and Industrial Therapy Building, Essondale. An interesting application of glued laminated-timber arches was made in the chapel at Essondale, and produced a very attractive and economical building. Another example of glued laminated timber was in the 50-foot span beams over the swimming-pool at the Girls' Industrial School, Burnaby. Structural steel played an important part in many of our buildings, being used mainly in roof structures. Tubular-steel welded trusses were used in the gymnasium at the British Columbia Correctional Institution, Haney, and present a pleasing appearance exposed, thus saving the cost of suspended ceilings which normally are used to hide the usual steel or wood trusses. Another example of a carefully designed and finished truss is in the auditorium at The Woodlands School, New Westminster. These trusses are curved and support a steel roof deck, and without a suspended ceiling present a spacious and pleasing appearance. L 14 PUBLIC WORKS REPORT, 1956/57 L REPORT OF THE STRUCTURAL ENGINEER L 15 DRAINAGE AND SEWAGE-DISPOSAL SYSTEMS FOR BUILDINGS The most important job under this heading was the completion of the sewage- disposal plant at the British Columbia Correctional Institution, Haney. The construction of this plant was necessitated by the need to protect the potable water-supply of private residents in the district, the water-supply for the Institution itself, and the need to prevent pollution of the Alouette River. This installation is a fully mechanized bio- filtration plant with chlorination and sludge-drying facilities, the first plant of its type in Western Canada. The plant has been operating for some months and has proved very efficient, both from the purification of the effluent and the complete lack of obnoxious odours. An addition has been made to the sewage-disposal plant at Oakalla Prison, due to the heavy increase in population over the last few years. A temporary sewage-disposal plant has been designed to serve the Girls' Industrial School, Child Guidance Centre, and proposed Vocational Training School in Burnaby. The plant has been made largely out of wood-stave tanks in order to save money, as the Municipality of Burnaby expects to have sewers in the area in from five to ten years' time. The main storm-drain at Essondale has been replaced with reinforced-concrete pipe, due to the corrosion of the old drain which had been in for many years. WATER-SUPPLY AND IRRIGATION SYSTEMS The pumping-station and water-main to the new reservoir at Essondale was completed during the present year. This means that Essondale has now an independent source of water for fire-fighting or drinking purposes in case of a break in the Greater Vancouver Water Board mains. T _ „ _ „ J. R. Simpson, P.Eng., Structural Engineer. TENDERS RECEIVED AND CONTRACTS AWARDED FOR BUILDINGS Description of Work and Names of Tenderers Amount Remarks IOO-bed Nurses' Home and Training Centre, Essondale: $1,089,039.00 1,033,700.00 1,004,130.00 998,713.00 985,667.00 45,713.00 45,972.00 43,210.00 29,942.00 144,387.00 143,809.00 149,196.00 24,773.00 21,644.00 20,722.00 19,844.00 458,821.00 445,725.00 442,675.00 431,300.00 430,402.00 424,544.00 416,870.00 415,655.00 E. H Shockley & Son Ltd - - Conversion of Quonset Loafing-barns, Colony Farm, Essondale: E. H Shockley & Son Ltd .. New Library, Dawson Creek: AIR-CONDITIONING OF WARDS, POLIOMYELITIS PAVILION, VANCOUVER: Auditorium, Woodlands School, New Westminster: Kennett Construction Ltd — — - Awarded. L 16 PUBLIC WORKS REPORT, 1956/57 TENDERS RECEIVED AND CONTRACTS AWARDED FOR BUILDINGS—Continued Description of Work and Names of Tenderers Amount New Equipment-shed, Kamloops: Marpole Construction Co. Ltd... Taylor & Son Ltd Sorenson Construction Co. Ltd.. Materials and Traffic Engineers' Offices and Shops, Department of Highways, Victoria : J. A. Pollard Construction _ _ G. H. Wheaton Ltd._. ..... Parfitt Construction Co. Ltd _ _ _ - Farmer Construction Ltd _ Addition to Government Office Building, Kamloops: Bennett & White Construction Co. Ltd Overland Construction Ltd Sorenson Construction Co. Ltd— — Marpole Construction Co. Ltd... Taylor & Son Ltd Turbo-generator for Power Plant, British Columbia Correctional Institution, Haney : Walkem Machinery & Equipment Ltd _ Canadian General Electr.c Fred McMeans & Co _ New Court-house, Fort St. John: Bennett & White Construction Co. Ltd. Overland Construction Ltd Cloverdale Construction Co. Ltd... Three-bay Equipment-shed and Oil-house, North Vancouver: Moncrieff Construction Co. Ltd Pearson Construction Co. Ltd Navin Construction Ltd Lickley Construction Co. Ltd... _ New Court-house, Prince George: Narod Construction Ltd Girls' Industrial School, Burnaby: Commonwealth Construction Co. Ltd. Manson Bros Ltd Turnbull & Gale Construction Co. Ltd.. Smith Bros, and Wilson Ltd A. R. Grimwood Ltd Beaver Construction Co. Ltd New Gymnasium, New Haven: Turnbull & Gale Construction Co. Ltd.. Greenall Bros. Ltd. _ Sorenson Construction Co. Ltd Amundson Construction Co. Ltd... Lickley Construction Co. Ltd H. J. Henningson & Sons Heating and Electrical Work for New Garage, Fort St. John: Ben's Plumbing & Heating Ltd. and Stanroy Construction Ltd. J. H. McRae Co. Ltd Canadian Comstock Co. Ltd Acme Electric (Dawson Creek) Ltd. (electrical only). Piping for Two Oil-fired Boilers, British Columbia Correctional Institution Haney: Keith Plumbing & Heating Co. Ltd.... Vancouver Pipe & Engine Works Ltd _ Boiler & Power Plant Contractors Ltd... _. Fred Welsh & Sons Ltd ... _ The Bay Company (B.C.) Ltd. Sewage-disposal Plant, British Columbia Correctional Institution, Haney: Holand Construction Ltd.. Dawson & Hall Ltd A. R. Grimwood Ltd. ~._ $76,313.00 72,737.00 69,863.00 179,209.00 167,830.00 164,741.00 158,485.00 320,872.00 306,896.00 268,423.00 265,481.00 251,179.00 29,707.65 27,947.00 24,265.95 382,300.00 376,799.00 325,214.00 37,733.00 37,473.00 34,754.00 34,345.00 Remarks Awarded. Awarded. Awarded. Awarded. Awarded. Awarded. 1,599,666.00 | Awarded. 1,565,590.00 1,529,607.00 1,523,403.00 1,470,300.00 1,446,419.00 1,432,424.00 ] Awarded. 43,756.00 43,682.00 42,423.00 42,344.00 39,758.00 39,400.00 Awarded. 10,882.00 18,535.00 20,990.00 6,754.00 81,730.00 77,795.00 66,843.00 59,558.00 59,150.00 184.000.00 105.052.00 109.400.00 Awarded. Awarded. Awarded. REPORT OF THE STRUCTURAL ENGINEER L 17 TENDERS RECEIVED AND CONTRACTS AWARDED FOR BUILDINGS—Continued Description of Work and Names of Tenderers Remarks Additions and Alterations to Women's Gaol, Oakalla: Sorenson Construction Co. Ltd..... George Born Manson Bros Ltd Ten-bay Equipment-shed and Oil-house, Cranbrook: Narod Construction Ltd _ A. E. Jones Co. Ltd C. J. Oliver Ltd ...... Ten-bay Equipment-shed, Lillooet: Bennett & White Construction Co. Ltd Gilmour Construction _. Engineering Co. Ltd... Narod Construction Ltd __ Supply and Installation of Two Coal-fired Boilers, Provincial Mental Hospital, Essondale: Foster-Wheeler Ltd .... .... Vancouver Iron Works Ltd __ C. C. Moore & Co., Engineers, Inc.... .'. Dominion Bridge Co. Ltd Bumstead-Woolford Ltd Two-1,500-kva.-unit Substation for Essondale Mental Hospital: Cemco Electrical Manufacturing Co. Ltd.— Proposal No. 1 _ Proposal No. 2 Electric Power Equipment Ltd.— Proposal A _ Proposal B Pioneer Electric Ltd.— Proposal No. 1— Alternative to Proposal No. 1 Proposal No. 2 ~ Alternative to Proposal No. 2 Johnson & Phillips (Canadian Sales) Ltd Heating and Ventilation, New Gymnasium, Borstal, New Haven, Burnaby: The Bay Company (B.C.) Ltd Warner Plumbing & Heating Co. Ltd B. Boe Ltd Fred Welsh & Son Ltd ..... Keith Plumbing & Heating Co. Ltd _ Alterations and Additions to Child Guidance Centre and Day-hospital, Burnaby: Manson Bros Ltd _ Holand Construction Ltd.. Klassen Construction Ltd Lickley Construction Co. Ltd Beaver Construction Co. Ltd... __. Mainland Construction Co. Ltd _ _. Sewage-treatment Plant, Oakalla Prison Farm: Gilmour Construction & Engineering Co. Ltd The Bay Company (B.C.) Ltd Holand Construction Ltd..... Manson Bros. Ltd Mainland Construction Co. Ltd.... _ Turnbull & Gale Construction Co. Ltd Supply, Fabrication, and Erection of Structural Steelwork, Boiler-house, Provincial Mental Hospital, Essondale: Western Bridge & Steel Fabricators Ltd The Bay Company (B.C.) Ltd Royal City Welding & Iron Works Ltd Dominion Bridge Co. Ltd Burrard Dry Dock Co. Ltd Blain Boiler Works Ltd ... ... Tryson & Son Iron Works Ltd _ Heating for New Garage, Existing Garage, Department of Highways, Kamloops: McKinnon Plumbing & Heating Co. Ltd.... Equipment-shed, and Plant Shop, $202,425.00 201,259.00 | 199,585.00 | Awarded. 148,989.00 139,797.00 133,349.00 141,615.00 141,711.00 139,184.00 579,110.00 565,021.00 543,035.00 530,000.00 528,149.00 87,955.00 91,985.00 88,000.00 91,200.00 99,925.00 104,225.00 91,925.00 97,075.00 84,955.00 22,675.00 21,892.00 21,472.00 20,575.00 19,150.00 28,955.00 28,872.00 27,990.00 27,572.00 26,627.00 25,935.00 51,861.00 48,634.00 46,685.00 44,774.50 43,975.00 41,326.00 70,000.00 95,705.00 96,630.00 67,014.00 67,985.85 81,350.80 56,890.00 27,672.00 Awarded. Awarded. Awarded. Awarded. Awarded. Awarded. Awarded. Awarded. Awarded. L 18 PUBLIC WORKS REPORT, 1956/57 TENDERS RECEIVED AND CONTRACTS AWARDED FOR BUILDINGS—Continued Description of Work and Names of Tenderers Amount Remarks Reservoir, Pipe-line, and Pump-house, Provincial Mental Hospital, Essondale: $23,965.00 24,447.68 24,498.00 24,947.00 27,309.00 30,499.00 REPORT OF SUPERVISOR OF TELEPHONES Herewith is submitted the annual report of the Telephone Branch, Department of Public Works, covering fiscal year ended March 31st, 1957. This Branch processed and completed 981 orders, an increase of 439 over the previous year. This was mostly due to reorganization of the Highways Department and moves within the Parliament Buildings. The orders placed were as follows:— Type of Service Business Switchboards Installations 124 291 Moves 44 174 Take-outs 14 95 Changes 8 80 Seasonal installations 151 Business Exchange Service.—Key telephone units which have been found to give excellent service to small groups of offices in a centrally located area have been installed in several health units and district offices of the Welfare Department. These units allow the answering point to pick up two to five lines and supply the office with a common intercommunication circuit. Switchboard Service.—Cuts were completed on the following:— Jericho Hill School: One-position No. 555 switchboard replacing ten-line cord switchboard. The Woodlands School: Two-position No. 555 switchboard replacing one- position No. 551-B. Forest Service: One-position No. 555 switchboard replacing one-position No. 550-C. Nanaimo Court-house: One-position No. 555 switchboard replacing individual business service. Trunking Facilities.—Additional trunking was added to switchboards at the Parliament Buildings, Vancouver Court-house, and Kamloops Administration Building. All of these switchboards have now reached maximum trunking capacity. Switchboard Surveys in Progress.—Parliament Buildings: Complete traffic study for cabling, load-cut, and increase station line requirements. Pearson Tuberculosis Hospital: Increase in service for completion of new 209-bed hospital. Provincial Mental Hospital, Essondale: Complete traffic study for conversion from manual to automatic switchboard. Provincial Probation Offices: Requirements for new offices at 1075 Melville Street, Vancouver. Haney Correctional Institution: Requirements for manual switchboard installation. REPORT OF THE CHIEF INSPECTOR OF BOILERS AND MACHINERY L 19 Kamloops Administration Building: Requirements for conversion of existing one- position switchboard to two-position board at completion of new building. Prince George Court-house: Requirements for move of switchboard to new Courthouse. Kitimat Court-house: Requirements for service. Business Service Surveys in Progress.—Girls' Industrial School, Vancouver, and Normal School, Vancouver. Traffic.—Switchboard traffic has increased heavily in the past year on all switchboards. On the Parliament Buildings, total average has increased from 11,652 to 14,885 calls per day. To date we now have a total of twenty-four switchboards in service, which require a staff of forty-six permanent operators and nine relief operators. Ruth E. Thompson, Supervisor of Telephones. REPORT OF THE CHIEF INSPECTOR OF BOILERS AND MACHINERY In accordance with the provisions of the " Boiler and Pressure-vessel Act," I have the honour to submit the fifty-fifth annual report of the operation of the Boilers and Machinery Inspection Division for the fiscal year ended March 31st, 1957. THE ACT At the Spring Session of the Legislature, subsection (3) of section 27 was amended by increasing the scope of second-class engineers from 900 to 1,000 horse-power. Section 54 was repealed to accommodate new methods of appointing and training Inspectors (see Personnel). REGULATIONS The introduction of natural gas to our cities and towns through high-pressure mains caused us to invoke the Pressure Piping Code ASA-B.31.8 to regulate the fabrication and installation of the mains within municipal boundaries. The piping plans of Nanaimo, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Abbotsford, Richmond, and Vancouver were examined and approved, and follow-up inspections were made. All welders on the municipal mains as well as the large transmission-lines were examined, making an increase of 82 per cent over last year. NEW CONSTRUCTION City gate and reducing-stations for natural gas were completed at Sumas and Surrey. At Port Alberni, McMillan & Bloedel Limited installed three steam generators with a total of 6,829 horse-power. At Campbell River the Elk Falls Company installed a 3,349- horsepower recovery-boiler and six digesters. At Port Alice the Alaska Pine & Cellulose installed an additional steam generator of 2,368 horse-power. In North Vancouver, Hooker Chemicals installed two steam generators totalling 2,238 horse-power. The Standard Oil refinery expansion project at Stanovan was completed. Construction is under way on the following projects: B.C. Forest Products, Crofton, 3,416 horse-power; Pacific Petroleum, Fort St. John, 6,152 horse-power; and Jefferson Lake Sulphur Company, Fort St. John, 1,978 horse-power. In addition to the steam generators mentioned, there were numerous pressure-vessels used in process, such as digesters, chemical retorts, reactors, cracking-columns, paper- machines, and related pressure piping. L 20 PUBLIC WORKS REPORT, 1956/57 High-temperature heating plant in new B.C. Electric Building, Vancouver. ACCIDENTS AND REPAIRS On July 31st, 1956, a small boiler (No. 14070-B.C.) was burned beyond repair through the failure of automatic controls. On January 15th, 1957, an air-receiver (No. 6936-B.C.) exploded and was projected 20 feet through a workshop. This was caused by frost sealing the safety-valve. No one was injured in these accidents. Forty-one boilers were repaired under Inspectors' directions. REPORT OF THE CHIEF INSPECTOR OF BOILERS AND MACHINERY L 21 CANADIAN STANDARDS ASSOCIATION The annual meeting of the Boiler and Pressure-vessel Committee was held in Toronto on September 18th to 20th. The C.S.A. Code B-51 was reviewed and amendments discussed in preparation for a 1957 edition. This meeting was followed by a Code Seminar at the University of Toronto on September 21st, where there was considerable interest shown in the application of the A.S.M.E. pressure-vessel code to the design of pressure-vessels used in nuclear fission. The code serves a valuable purpose in retaining uniform standards in design and construction throughout Canada. The annual meeting keeps all jurisdictions abreast of new developments in pressure-vessel engineering. The Chief Inspector continues to serve in the capacity of chairman. STATIONARY ENGINEERS The Division has assisted the Department of Education in the preparation of correspondence courses for all grades and continues its efforts to promote uniformity of examinations for engineers between the Provinces. The trend in boiler design is to include large horse-power capacity in a single unit; therefore, it was deemed necessary to increase the scope of the second-class certificate to 1,000 horse-power, and the Act was amended accordingly. Examinations indicate a gradual increase in quality of first- and second-class engineers, which is gratifying in view of the number of large new steam plants now operating and under construction in the Province. PERSONNEL With the repeal of section 54 of the Act, we can proceed with our plan to establish a Grade I category of Inspectors. These Inspectors will be subject to careful training for the Grade II position, and may then be transferred to Interior districts as resident Inspectors. The growth of industry on Vancouver Island and the Peace River and Nelson areas will soon warrant resident Inspectors. Provision is also made for Inspectors of engineering graduate level to enter the design office for survey work. Currently two Inspectors have been drawn from the field to relieve the pressure of work in the design office and to examine welders and inspect the work on municipal gas-piping systems. SUMMARY OF WORK Revenue was $1,110.24 in excess of expenditure. In addition, inspections were made on Public Works boilers and pressure-vessels amounting to a revenue equivalent of $2,500. New designs and amendments checked 913 Fees collected for designs $9,000.00 Fees collected for work done in boiler-shop $9,203.00 New boilers built in British Columbia 89 Second-hand boilers inspected 27 Total number of all boilers inspected 4,061 Plates inspected and tested 1,443 Number of engineers examined 511 Number of welders examined 1,901 Over-all cost of Division to Government $106,169.24 Over-all total revenue $107,279.48 Appended is a detailed list of all work done and an analysis of examinations. L 22 PUBLIC WORKS REPORT, 1956/57 INSPECTOR'S ANNUAL REPORT, 1956-57 • Steam Hot Water Number of drawings and specifications calculated for registration 913 7 Number of boilers on which calculations for W.P. were made in the field 4 As Engineer-Surveyor— Number of boiler-plates inspected and tested 1,443 Number of boiler-plates rejected 14 Number of visits to boiler-shops 476 57 Number of boilers tested built under Inspector's supervision 60 29 Miles travelled 6,520 2 First inspections— Number of new boilers inspected and tested built in Eastern Canada 19 12 Number of new boilers inspected and tested built in United States 22 70 Number of new boilers inspected and tested built in other countries Total number of new boilers inspected ____ 41 82 Total horse-power of new boilers inspected 12,919 971 Number of new boiler installations inspected 564 46 Number of second-hand boilers inspected and tested (first inspection) imported from Eastern Canada 26 41 Number of second-hand boilers inspected and tested (first inspection) imported from United States 15 Number of second-hand boilers inspected and tested (first inspection) imported from other countries Total number of second-hand boilers inspected for first time 27 Total horse-power of second-hand boilers inspected for first time 1,752 Number of first installations of secondhand boilers inspected 23 1 Annual inspections— Number of annual inspections 2,294 1,198 Number of inspections, under steam 261 42 Number of boilers inspected (under 3 horse-power) 114 2 Number of boilers subjected to hydrostatic test 1,653 852 Number of visits in addition to annual inspection 289 39 Number of boilers on which pressure was reduced 37 4 J REPORT OF THE CHIEF INSPECTOR OF BOILERS AND MACHINERY L 23 INSPECTOR'S ANNUAL REPORT, 1956-57—Continued 16 Annual inspections—Continued steam Number of boilers repaired under Inspector's directions 25 Number of boilers considered unfit for further use 5 Number of investigations 7 6 Total number of all boilers inspected 2,737 1,324 Total horse-power of all boilers inspected 298,905 38,147 Number of accidents to engines and boilers 3 Boilers taken out of service 13 2 Miles travelled by the Inspectors 82,036 Total travelling expenses $14,866.85 Travelling expenses per mile 10.80 Results of Engineers' Examinations Number Class Examined Passed First 16 12 Second 48 40 Third 120 88 Fourth 225 165 Special heating H.P. " B " 23 16 Special heating L.P. " B " 79 49 Class A 17 Totals 511 370 Temporary, 390. Welders' Tests Number Class Examined Passed Electric 973 804 Oxy-acetylene 662 532 Downhill 182 172 A.S.M.E. 84 78 Totals 1,901 1,586 Failed 4 8 32 60 7 30 141 Failed 169 130 10 6 315 Summary of Defects Observed Nature of Defects Number Boilers with safety-valves overloaded 2 Boilers with safety-valves defective 6 Pressure-gauges defective or over 5 lb. error 55 Cases of insufficient staying or bracing 1 Cases of defective stays 12 Cases of defective riveting 4 Serious leakage in rivet-joints 10 Boilers with fractured plates 5 Boilers with burned plates 1 Boilers with bulged plates 9 Cases of internal corrosion 61 Dangerous 2 L 24 PUBLIC WORKS REPORT, 1956/57 Summary of Defects Observed—Continued Nature of Defects Number Cases of external corrosion 9 Cases of scale or encrustation 24 Cases of internal grooving Cases of defective tubes Defective main stop-valves Defective blow-off pipes or cocks Defective settings Dangerous 1 1 3 27 4 20 1 Defective water-gauges 4 1 Cases of defective feed-water arrangement 1 Boilers damaged by low water 3 1 Cases of serious leakage of fittings 1 Cases of defective steam-pipes 4 Furnaces out of shape 1 Unclassified defects 24 Totals 292 8 Pressure-vessels Inspected Number of pressure-vessels inspected in field 372 Number of pressure-vessels inspected during construction 1,820 Number of pressure-vessels inspected (imported from United States) 420 Number of pressure-vessels inspected (imported from Eastern Canada) 195 Number of pressure-vessels inspected (imported from other countries) 8 8 Refrigeration Plants New plants inspected Existing plants inspected for first time Annual inspections made 7 4 14 Total tonnage of all plants inspected __ 1,430 Safety orders issued 4 Analysis of Examinations Engineers Year Ended Mar. 3 , 1956 Year Ended Mar. 31 , 1957 Examined Passed Failed Examined Passed Failed First . 14 53 145 281 16 20 76 6 29 94 191 8 15 57 8 24 51 90 8 5 19 16 48 120 225 17 6 79 12 40 88 165 11 4 49 4 Second Third 8 32 60 6 2 30 Totals 605 400 205 511 390 369 142 1 607 REPORT OF THE CHIEF GAS INSPECTOR, GAS INSPECTION DIVISION L 25 Welders 1956 1957 Examined Passed Failed Examined Passed Failed 768 241 681 213 87 28 1,057 662 182 882 532 172 169 136 Downhill 10 1,009 894 115 1,901 1,586 315 Fees Received 1956 Engineers $5,046.25 Welders 4,400.00 Duplicate certificates 155.00 1957 $3,175.00 10,801.50 78.50 Total >,601.25 $14,055.00 D. Denham, P.Eng. Chief Inspector of Boilers and Machinery. REPORT OF THE CHIEF GAS INSPECTOR, GAS INSPECTION DIVISION In accordance with the provisions of the " Gas Act," I have the honour to submit the third annual report of the operation of the Gas Inspection Division for the fiscal year ended March 31st, 1957. THE ACT The "Gas Act" was not amended during the 1957 Session of the Legislature. THE DIVISION At present the staff consists of the Chief Inspector, four Gas Inspectors, one Clerk—- Grade III, and one stenographer- A major part of the work of this Division consisted of education. Night classes were given in Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, and Abbotsford. These schools were conducted jointly by the Division, the gas utility, and School Boards. Short courses were held in Quesnel, Williams Lake, Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna, Penticton, Trail, and Nelson. These short courses, given in conjunction with the gas utility, were attended by more than 1,000 persons. Natural gas was distributed for the first time on the Lower Mainland and was turned into the 18-inch B.C. Electric transmission-line at Huntingdon on November 6th, 1956. The following day conversion started in New Westminster and, without any serious incidents, was completed three months later at the B.C. Electric manufactured-gas plant in Vancouver. On November 8th, 1956, natural gas was turned into the distribution mains of the Village of Abbotsford and the Municipalities of Matsqui and Sumas. The rate of natural-gas installations in all municipalities has exceeded the most optimistic estimates, and indications are that it will continue to do so. The British Columbia Research Council is now testing gas appliances in its newly equipped gas laboratory. L 26 PUBLIC WORKS REPORT, 1956/57 REGULATIONS In order to accommodate developments in the gas industry, the regulations were amended by the following Orders in Council:— Order in Council No. 190, Regulations for Interim Approval and Interim Listing of Gas Appliances in British Columbia, amended and approved January 30th, 1957. Order in Council No. 191, Regulations Governing the Installations of Gas Piping, Appliances, and Venting, approved January 30th, 1957. Order in Council No. 192, Regulations respecting Gas-fitters, Contractors, and Dealers, approved January 30th, 1957. High-pressure butane storage-vessels, natural-gas reducing-station, Surrey. ACCIDENTS During the fiscal year there were no major explosions. There were 135 incidents of gas poisoning; ninety-seven persons survived, but there were twenty accidental deaths and seventeen suicides. Two of the accidental deaths were caused by incomplete combustion of natural gas and poor venting of the appliance. For the last two and a half months, however, there have been no incidents. SUMMARY OF WORK New designs checked, interim approval 18 New designs checked, industrial approved 25 Number of Gas Codes distributed 1,749 Gas-fitters' licences issued 279 Contractors' licences issued 217 Provisional licences issued 573 Number of gas-fitters examined 259 REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY L 27 SUMMARY OF WORK—Continued Number of gas-fitters passed examination 93 Number of permits issued, municipalities 13,064 Provincial gas inspection 348 FEES COLLECTED Examination fees $3,705.00 Provisional licence fees 3,565.00 Contractors' licence fees 2,820.00 Renewal gas-fitters' licence fees 754.00 Sale of Gas Codes 996.50 Interim approval fees 455.00 Industrial approval fees 260.00 Interim approval seals 11,319.00 Resale approval seals 2,737.50 Identification tags (gas-fitters') 125.20 Permits 1,481.50 Total revenue $28,387.16 Over-all cost of department to Government $27,408.17 A. G. Kaneen, P.Eng., Chief Gas Inspector. REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY In accordance with the "Electrical Energy Inspection Act," I have the honour to submit my annual report for the fiscal year ended March 31st, 1957. BOARD OF EXAMINERS FOR ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS The Honourable the Minister of Public Works has been pleased to appoint the following members to the Board, effective January 1st, 1957: L. G. Sewell, electrical contractor, representing the Associated Electrical Contractors of British Columbia; R. Beaumont, electrical contractor, representing the Vancouver Electrical Association; and P. Rive, Electrical Inspector for the City of Vancouver, representing cities and municipalities. Other members of the Board are L. Robson, Inspector of Electrical Energy (Chairman), and L. Handy, Assistant Inspector of Electrical Energy. Eleven meetings were held throughout the year. The total number of certificates in effect during the year is as follows:— Class A 137 Class B 342 Class C 365 Class PA 51 Class PB 140 Class PC 230 Class TC 1 Total 1,266 A total of 229 candidates sat for examination, with the following results: — Number of Candidates Passed Failed Class A 25 11 14 Class B 84 38 46 Class C 120 80 40 Totals 229 129 100 L 28 PUBLIC WORKS REPORT, 1956/57 •- :' ■■■ '■■•): Sundry works 397.18 ' B.C. Loan Act, 1951," Sec. 3 (c): Sundry works 2.87 B.C. Loan Act, 1951," Sec. 3 (_/): University Medical Faculty and Pathological Building, Vancouver General Hospital, for use of the University of British Columbia 131,155.27 : B.C. Loan Act, 1952," Sec. 3 (_>): Sundry works 245.61 B.C. Loan Act 1952," Sec. 3 (c): Medical Faculty and Pathological Building, Vancouver General Hospital, for use of the University of British Columbia 1 541,847.52 Sub-total, Capital Votes (including University Loans) $9,752,533.78 '''$273,547.33 Grand total, Public Works Department expenditures $13,734,606.25 $807,166.47 Federal grants received for the following in Vote 348 (Construction of Provincial Buildings): — Froj No. 5-B-21—Nurses' home and training centre, Essondale .:■ $25,567.50 Proj. No. 5-B-53—Home for the Aged, Port Coquitlam Geriatrics Division, Essondale 108,000.00 Proj. No. 7-B-21—300-bed unit, The Woodlands School 139,979.83 $273,547.33 Printed by Don McDiarmid, Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty in right of the Province of British Columbia. 1957 310-1057-9598