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Worcester & Birmingham, ufn btwn Gas st & Granville St

springy

By springy
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Dave_P Veteran

Dave_PDonate to Canal World

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The two dams are in place, either side of the aqueduct. Pumps are pumping into the canal either side.

 

The barrier is still in the narrows is still there, and the gates under Granville St bridge are still closed. Presumably this is a precaution in case the dams fail?!?

 

The pump boat in the narrows is still pumping, strangely. But maybe that's to prevent the towpath from flooding? If so, I can't see what's preventing the towpath at Holliday wharf flooding too.

 

The dammed off area can't have dropped more than a couple of inches so far.

How do those dams actually work? There must be a huge amount of force on them - or there will be when one side is empty. And how do they seal round the edges?

I wondered that. They look pretty flimsy. They had something similar outside the mailbox around 4-5 years ago when they were repairing the backside. It seemed to hold ok.

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Tim Lewis Veteran

Tim Lewis

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How do those dams actually work? There must be a huge amount of force on them - or there will be when one side is empty. And how do they seal round the edges?

 

Details:

 

http://www.onsite.co.uk/onsite-services/portadam-portable-dam-system.aspx

 

Tim

Edited by Tim Lewis
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koukouvagia Influencer

koukouvagiaDonate to Canal World

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How do those dams actually work? There must be a huge amount of force on them - or there will be when one side is empty. And how do they seal round the edges?

That is a very good question.

When the Tring Summit was leaking a couple of years ago, CaRT used a similar method to dam the canal so that the level could be lowered.

 

The method never worked since it was impossible to seal the edges.

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haggis Veteran

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Thanks!

Wonderful to know that we were married opposite that, at the register office.

We were moored round the corner form the Registraars office taking on water when a photographer asked if he could use our boat as a back drop for the wedding photos. We were delighted to agree.

 

haggis

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Stilllearning Influencer

Stilllearning

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We were moored round the corner form the Registraars office taking on water when a photographer asked if he could use our boat as a back drop for the wedding photos. We were delighted to agree.

 

haggis

Nice that you were happy to let him.

We did our own photos though, so there aren't so many and they aren't as good as the ones a cousin took a couple of days later at the Marston hotel along the Birmingham and Fazeley. He is a professional.

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Dave_P Veteran

Dave_PDonate to Canal World

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We were moored round the corner form the Registraars office taking on water when a photographer asked if he could use our boat as a back drop for the wedding photos. We were delighted to agree.

 

haggis

That's happened to me a couple of times. Once I had the bride and all the bridesmaids posing on my deck.

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Theo Veteran

TheoDonate to Canal World

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Thanks for the pictures, it is good to be able to picture exactly where they are. I wonder how long to empty?

By the looks of the progress so far SWMBO and I guessed about 4 or 5 days.

 

N

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pearley Veteran

pearley

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We were moored round the corner form the Registraars office taking on water when a photographer asked if he could use our boat as a back drop for the wedding photos. We were delighted to agree.

 

haggis

Yes, if you moor there it seems to be a given that you are used as a backdrop.
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Tony Dunkley Influencer

Tony Dunkley

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Thanks for the explanatory pictures Tim and Martin. Bearing in mind how heavy water is, it doesn't look as though it should work but...

 

The make up of the canal bottom, consisting of soft mud and solid lumps of varying materials and sizes, is the major source of problems in achieving a good and reliable watertight seal with equipment like this. Although the plastic sheeting will initially make a seal as soon as pumping starts, soon after the pressure differential from outside to inside begins to increase the mud filling the spaces between the solid lumps starts to wash out from under the part of the sheeting that lies flat on the bottom. Of course, all that is on the assumption that they first cleared all the junk and brick ends etc. from along the line of the dam before starting to assemble and place it.

All in all, the better option would have been, after raking out and cleaning the cills at the Bar lock and the stop gates at the next bridge, to have persevered with the stopping off there. Even if they are damaged and leaking badly, it would be a lot easier , quicker and cheaper to rack up and seal a couple of stanks, by whatever means necessary, rather than to bring in and install two temporary dams, especially with one being where the canal is at it's widest.

Edited by Tony Dunkley
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trackman Proficient

trackman

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Plastic sheets seal well against solid material like brickwork. The high pressure actually helps to press it against the surface creating a seal.

Problems arise when the plastic is against something unstable or soft, which gives under the load.

Dams like this will also have problems when the substrate is permeable. The water goes through that and undermines the dam.

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PaulG Experienced

PaulG

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All in all, the better option would have been, after raking out and cleaning the cills at the Bar lock and the stop gates at the next bridge, to have persevered with the stopping off there. Even if they are damaged and leaking badly, it would be a lot easier , quicker and cheaper to rack up and seal a couple of stanks, by whatever means necessary, rather than to bring in and install two temporary dams, especially with one being where the canal is at it's widest.

What would you do with the pontoons and the boats that are moored on the "empty" side of the Bar?

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