Napton Flight Closed - 05/05/14

[Oliver]

The Napton Flight is closed as at 14:00 on Monday 5 May due to a wall collapsing into the Canal at Lock 10.

 

No more news expected for at least 2 hours.

[b0atman]

Is that a lock wall ?

[bottle]

Due to structural failure of the approach wall at Lock 10, Napton Lock 8 to Atkins Lock 14 will be closed until further notice.

Our engineering team will assess the cause failure as soon as possible and further information will follow, as soon as it is available.

You can view this notice and its map online here:
http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/940/napton-lock-8-to-atkins-lock-14-oxford-canal

[Scholar Gypsy]

Is that a lock wall ?

 

yes - looks like the lower wing wall? C&RT email copied below.

 

Notice Alert

Oxford Canal

Starts At: Lock 8, Napton Bottom Lock

Ends At: Lock 14, Adkins Lock

Up Stream Winding Hole: Engine Arm

Down Stream Winding Hole: North of Lock 8

Monday 5 May 2014 15:00 until further notice

Type: Navigation Closure

Reason: Structure failure

Original message:

Due to structural failure of the approach wall at Lock 10, Napton Lock 8 to Atkins Lock 14 will be closed until further notice.

Our engineering team will assess the cause failure as soon as possible and further information will follow, as soon as it is available.

You can view this notice and its map online here:

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/940/napton-lock-8-to-atkins-lock-14-oxford-canal

You can find all notices at the url below:

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices

[john6767]

That is going to cause some problems!

[b0atman]

I hope to be going through there at end of month en-route to Debdale.This will certainly mess up a lot of Hire boaters.

[bottle]

I think it is the lock where there was a very big hole, with some nice orange plastic round it, for the last few years.

[jelunga]

Too little, too late.

[b0atman]

How do they cost this out and justify leaving it to become a bigger task ?

[Timleech]

How do they cost this out and justify leaving it to become a bigger task ?

Maybe -

1) They're not really sure how to deal with it effectively before it 'develops'

 

and/or

 

2) the money will come from a different budget?

 

Just guessing

 

Tim

[MtB]

Too little, too late.

 

More orange plastic would have done the trick...?

 

 

MtB

[frangar]

That's screwed anyone who went up on the summit for the weekend from any of the marinas below napton!.....I'm guessing this might not be fixed in the next few days?

 

Anyone close by got any pics?

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

[Oliver]

Latest news is that contractors will be on site Tuesday. Here's a picture of the problem - there was a boat going through at the time and the wall fell on it. No-one was hurt. Gather that the top part of the wall by the ground paddle is unstable. Some talk of pulling the boats stuck in the pound through on ropes so that the engine vibrations don't dislodge anything else, but I guess we'll have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.

[frangar]

Thanks for that Oliver....hope not too many are stuck the wrong side!....and here's hoping it's not going to get any worse!

 

Cheers.

 

Gareth

[alan_fincher]

I think it is the lock where there was a very big hole, with some nice orange plastic round it, for the last few years.

 

 

How do they cost this out and justify leaving it to become a bigger task ?

 

The problem is that South East Waterways seem to have any number, (and an increasing number), of structures where holes are developing, or there are outbreaks of orange plastic for other reasons.

 

I guess the difficulty is predicting which will fall in first.

 

Never mind, we have masses of really nice signage at the three pilot Visitor mooring schemes, as well as many yards of new coir roll gracing our tow-paths as wildlife habitats, so we can't really complain if the odd lock approach wall falls in, can we?

[luctor et emergo]

 

 

 

The problem is that South East Waterways seem to have any number, (and an increasing number), of structures where holes are developing, or there are outbreaks of orange plastic for other reasons.

 

I guess the difficulty is predicting which will fall in first.

 

Never mind, we have masses of really nice signage at the three pilot Visitor mooring schemes, as well as many yards of new coir roll gracing our tow-paths as wildlife habitats, so we can't really complain if the odd lock approach wall falls in, can we?

Is my sarcastic response to what is happening around where I am, different from your sarcastic response to what is happening around where you are?

 

This lock is not alone, there are many locks in a dreadful, even dangerous, state around the system. Leaking locks that drain whilst boats try to exit, walls collapsing (in this case on top of a boat..), lock gates that are falling apart. Talking about locks that I know ( rather than have read about), Bradford on Avon top gate leaks so bad, that it fills the cratch or stern of a boat in the lock.

The bath locks are in a dreadful state, with gates not mitering correctly, causing severe leakage, with many gates and quoins close to breaking point. Every year the flight is closed for a month, to patch up a few bits, but they are painted very nicely, for the tourists. The river Avon locks are over 250 years old, regularly flood, have gates made from balsa wood, and the stone work is getting worse.

 

I don't know what happens when a serious, attributable accident happens, but the result is not going to be pretty. A decent lawyer will take CRT to the cleaners, including whoever is in charge. After that, either the canal closes for boating ( to dangerous), or the cost will become prohibitive.

 

The majority of the canal structure is past its use date. No other industrial (info)structure is ever expected to last this long, without being repaired, rebuild, or improved. Unless the leaking, crumbling infrastructure is replaced with fit for purpose materials, it will die a slow death. Or quick, if somebody gets hurt...

[Tuscan]

Well I've given to last years breach and the recent flood appeal so I think that's me done for this year so let's hope CRT can attract more friends or maybe the local partnership great and good can dip into their pockets.

[Proper Job]

The Southern Oxford is suffering very badly from this type of damage. Many of the old lift bridge holes are surrounded by the dreaded orange fencing where the brickwork is collapsing in to the canal.

 

I currently on a mission to compact the said bricks in to the bed of the canal.

[ditchcrawler]

Latest news is that contractors will be on site Tuesday. Here's a picture of the problem - there was a boat going through at the time and the wall fell on it. No-one was hurt. Gather that the top part of the wall by the ground paddle is unstable. Some talk of pulling the boats stuck in the pound through on ropes so that the engine vibrations don't dislodge anything else, but I guess we'll have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.

IMO this is another case of poor maintenance and where a stitch in time could have saved nine. If you look at the photo you will see the galvernised fencing in the background. this is protecting the collapsed bypass culvert around the lock. If the water cant flow freely through this then it just ends up saturating the ground and putting pressure on the wall. This is not the only lock with this problem on the flight.

[alan_fincher]

Gather that the top part of the wall by the ground paddle is unstable.

 

I can't see any ground paddle?

[Proper Job]

I have noticed that many locks, bywashes, pilings etc etc have suffered more than usual over this Winter

 

I'm sure in many cases this is due in part to the saturated ground and excessive water levels.

 

A lot of the Southern Oxford was flowing like a river and the tow paths awash. It couldn't have done the infrastructure a lot of good

 

I can't see any ground paddle?

 

The ground paddles are at the top.

 

Re-read the post

 

edit - although - re-reading the post, it's little ambiguous as to what he's referring to

Edited May 6, 2014 by Proper Job

[matty40s]

not just the south oxford, I have also been on the Coventry, S&W, T&M, Soar/Leicester Line, Grand Union, North Oxford and the amount of pot holes, holes in lock landings, leaking brick walls near locks etc is quite worrying. Paddle gear now not replaced for almost 18 months on the Buckby and Atherstone flights.......I could go on....

 

however

The lock landing at Great Haywood lock is finally being repaired after two years collapsed in.

...and there's some lovely big new CRT signage on the Soar locks above Loughborough saying MOORING FOR LOCK LANDING ONLY, there was nothing wrong with the old signage.

[alan_fincher]

The ground paddles are at the top.

 

Re-read the post

 

edit - although - re-reading the post, it's little ambiguous as to what he's referring to

 

Yes, I know there are ground paddles at the other end, (and I did re-read carefully!0.

 

But unless we are saying the entire length of the lock, and a bit beyond it at each end are now unstable, I can't understand how the problem should be spreading that far. That would be one major failure, and probably mean out of action for a large part of the year?

[matty40s]

This is the lock where the hire boat rudder became trapped. Whilst the water was going down, there were a lot of waterfalls from the offside lock wall. I would think the water has been filling behind the lock wall and along to the lower (now collapsed wall) for some time, making it increasingly unstable.

So unstable that a small bump from a boat has finally knocked the bricks in.

I didn't report as there are lock keepers on there every day, and the orange netting and other stuff showed me that CRT were aware of something wrong already.

[luctor et emergo]

If the situation is as described, most of the chamber wall will also need checking. The only way to fix this problem, is to fix the bywash (one wonders why it was build in the first place..), dig out and re-fill the ground behind the wall, and rebuild the entire wall.

 

What are the odds, that some smart Alec will suggest injecting grout into the ground?? And that it will get bodged to keep it open during the coming holiday season?