Jump to content

Minworth embankment repair


nicknorman

Featured Posts

4 minutes ago, john6767 said:

How do you easily inspect a length of canal to see if they have dumped stuff in it?

Why not inspect it just prior to rewatering? That would be the best time to examine the work they’ve done on the banks as well, surely?

  • Happy 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, WotEver said:

Why not inspect it just prior to rewatering? That would be the best time to examine the work they’ve done on the banks as well, surely?

Did you read my post?

In the case that Nick cited where the section was dewatered that of course would be what you would do, but how do you easily inspect it when that is not the case.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

32 minutes ago, john6767 said:

How do you easily inspect a length of canal to see if they have dumped stuff in it?

I was a Civil Engineer maintaining the Public Highways and I could easily tell what the contractor was doing underneath the tarmac which was significantly tougher than water.

I carried out random core tests to find out what the job was like but if it was water I was dealing with I would test the depth then dredge a bit up to see what was dumped down there.

It isn't rocket science (which is pretty simple too).

If all that crap in the photo is still down there then it won't be that hard to find.

30 minutes ago, john6767 said:

but how do you easily inspect it when that is not the case.

Just because you don't know how its done doesn't mean it can't be done.

The problem is that it doesn't appear to have been done.

  • Greenie 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, carlt said:

I was a Civil Engineer maintaining the Public Highways and I could easily tell what the contractor was doing underneath the tarmac which was significantly tougher than water.

I carried out random core tests to find out what the job was like but if it was water I was dealing with I would test the depth then dredge a bit up to see what was dumped down there.

It isn't rocket science (which is pretty simple too).

If all that crap in the photo is still down there then it won't be that hard to find.

Just because you don't know how its done doesn't mean it can't be done.

The problem is that it doesn't appear to have been done.

Quite, you would need to go to quite some effort to detect what was going on under that water.  Perhaps CRT does budget for doing those sorts of tests when a contractor has been working near the canal, but I suspect that is not the case, and it would be cost prohibitive.  Checking specific dewatered areas before refilling is much easier, and it’s hard to see why you would not do that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

This looks very worrying.

If a modern Hudson gets stuck in the middle when the water in on weir, it is hard to see how ex-working boats with several inches more draught will have any chance at all.

Not good.

Swift will be heading that way in a couple of weeks so that may be interesting. I'll warn the crew to be prepared to get stuck.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, john6767 said:

Quite, you would need to go to quite some effort to detect what was going on under that water. 

Nonsense.

Remote cameras, depth sounders, or even get a pair of waders on and fish about.

It is standard stuff for any civil engineering operation the size of CRT.

How do you think they find underwater defects and create the necessary works order to rectify them?

As I said just because it isn't within your sphere of experience doesn't make it difficult.

I am sure there is stuff in your profession that would make me say "How the heck do they do that?"

6 hours ago, nicknorman said:

What’s a mock Hudson?

What is truly astounding about this thread is that there is even a class structure within the Hudson community.

If your butler secures a position on a "real" Hudson with an engine room is that regarded as promotion?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When we were trying to find a deeper bit to get through, Jeff was on the bow with cabin shaft. He kept poking it into the water trying to find the deepest bits but it barely went below the surface, and that was in the middle of the cut!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Rob-M said:

Swift will be heading that way in a couple of weeks so that may be interesting. I'll warn the crew to be prepared to get stuck.

Paul thought that as he's down for that trip.He's at the 'sorting out' day  at Icknield Port tomorrow so will mention it.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This situation is common to most UK industry today, no one like telling anyone off, so they turn a blind eye. There are no middle level managers to go out to inspect things, they were removed as uneconomical, because everybody does their jobs perfectly.  Surveyors cost loads of money, and it is easier to just say sorry, and if really necessary compensate the poor customer as a last resort, works out cheaper in the short term.  CRT are by no means the worst, think of energy companies, mobile phone, insurance and most of all some airline companies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The last company I worked for required all contractors to provide a 6 year insurance backed guarantee for their works. 

Any issues in the guarantee period and they were asked to rectify it. If they refused or had gone out of business we claimed on the insurance.

We had very few issues of poor quality workmanship and found it to be the cheapest option in the long run.

I think it is something CRT and the Local Authorities (especially with regard to potholes :D) could learn from.

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have just had the high street relaid with cobbles and fancy tarmac. When it was finished the council inspected it, announced the contractor had used chippings of the wrong contrasting colour and made the contractor relay it. 

Six months later along come the utility guys who have dug various holes and filled them with black tarmac. They haven't even put the cobbles back. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Cheshire cat said:

We have just had the high street relaid with cobbles and fancy tarmac. When it was finished the council inspected it, announced the contractor had used chippings of the wrong contrasting colour and made the contractor relay it. 

Six months later along come the utility guys who have dug various holes and filled them with black tarmac. They haven't even put the cobbles back. 

That's rather like Birmingham City centre. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Cheshire cat said:

We have just had the high street relaid with cobbles and fancy tarmac. When it was finished the council inspected it, announced the contractor had used chippings of the wrong contrasting colour and made the contractor relay it. 

Six months later along come the utility guys who have dug various holes and filled them with black tarmac. They haven't even put the cobbles back. 

Sounds like time for a strongly worded letter to the council. If they let utility companies get away with it then they will. 

It also sounds like appallingly poor oversight from the relevant council department. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, WotEver said:

It also sounds like appallingly poor oversight from the relevant council department. 

It is extremely frustrating when you design and schedule a highway improvement project and inform all the utilities that they may do any necessary works alongside the council's workforce during the road closure and are told that no works are necessary only to have, soon after  the job is complete, a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order request drop on your desk which you have little power to overrule.

The utilities do not care about coordinating road works with other interested parties or what a mess that lack of coordination creates.

Post privatisation their only interest is the bottom line.

  • Greenie 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, carlt said:

It is extremely frustrating when you design and schedule a highway improvement project and inform all the utilities that they may do any necessary works alongside the council's workforce during the road closure and are told that no works are necessary only to have, soon after  the job is complete, a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order request drop on your desk which you have little power to overrule.

The utilities do not care about coordinating road works with other interested parties or what a mess that lack of coordination creates.

Post privatisation their only interest is the bottom line.

HAUC was supposed to reduce the issues above but it didn't.

When I worked for BT I often attended HAUC meetings, all good in theory, but practice........................

http://www.hauc-uk.org.uk/

Edited by Ray T
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/25/2018 at 10:03, WotEver said:

Sounds like time for a strongly worded letter to the council. If they let utility companies get away with it then they will. 

It also sounds like appallingly poor oversight from the relevant council department. 

Councils' hands are tied on this one. Under the applicable rules, utility companies are supposed to carry out a 'temporary' repair of the road surface, and the council comes back later to make the permanent repair. But council budgets are such that it can take a long time to get around to the permanent repair, and in the meantime things such as cobbles get lost and aren't available for the reinstatement when ti is eventually carried out.

Years ago my inlaws next door neighbour, who worked for British Gas, had his driveway repaved in the coloured concrete block pavers which were very popular in the 80s. They had all come from the local BG depot, where the work gangs took the spoil from work on site. The yard manager dutifully separated out all the pavers and stacked them up for reuse, while the muck was sent to tip. But the councils didn't want the pavers back - they reinstated with new, so after a while the yard was full, and the manager was only too keen to give the things away.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, David Mack said:

Councils' hands are tied on this one. Under the applicable rules, utility companies are supposed to carry out a 'temporary' repair of the road surface, and the council comes back later to make the permanent repair. But council budgets are such that it can take a long time to get around to the permanent repair, and in the meantime things such as cobbles get lost and aren't available for the reinstatement when ti is eventually carried out.

 

I never once in my years working in highways maintenance had a permanent repair over a utilities trench done at the council's expense.

I have ordered them to come back and make good a sub-standard job and, when this is ignored, had the council contractors do the job properly and charged the utility.

Things may have changed since the 90s though (and rarely in the public sector's favour).

On doing a search I see that the "Specification of the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways" is now on its third edition (2002) whereas I worked with the 1992 first edition.

I won't be reading it to see how much has changed in 20 years but anyone who wishes to read it can click on the title for a thoroughly riveting evening.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am waiting to hear about the hordes of workers who descended on this job first thing this morning to clear all this out and return it to as-built depth, and read about the profuse apologies offered for the disgraceful  cock-up..................

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, john6767 said:

Yes but it says the depth is already 900mm so simply advises people to stay in the middle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.