East Coast Mainline Blockade for Werrington Junction diveunder

[Richard E]

6 hours ago, Crun said:

An engineering article:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GyM5rs99DTR9pzmW2yXQATX87VhVUlCH/view?usp=drivesdk

File is locked, cannot get access.

[Crun]

1 hour ago, Richard E said:

File is locked, cannot get access.

Apologies for posting locked article.

[melmerby]

7 minutes ago, Crun said:

Apologies for posting locked article.

I can see it.

No I can't, it's confusing because I thought it was the previous link

Edited October 27, 2020 by melmerby

[melmerby]

No it's still locked.

I tried my google account but still no go.

[Donington Road]

18 hours ago, melmerby said:

That soil is really dark, I assume local, it could be peaty as it's low lying.

Around here it is either sand or blue clay depending where you are and how deep you go.

Blue clay stinks when first exposed to the air!

 

It's so local it's underneath the clay.  When I dug the footings for an extension to my house there was about 18inches of top soil, then two feet of wet clay, the sort that sticks to your spade and won't come off.  Below that is this dark stuff, so hard and compacted that you need a pick axe to break it up.  What they have done at Hurn Road is removed the top soil and clay then built up the embankment sides with the hard stuff that came out earlier at the bottom of the cutting.

[Donington Road]

11 hours ago, Crun said:

 

An infographic about the Werrington Junction grade separation:

https://images.app.goo.gl/JZPpHrtnyF84qcQKA

 

The link above takes you to a picture of a graphic from an article in the New Civil Engineer.  This was posted here back in February.  If anyone is still interested this is the link to the web page.

https://www.newcivilengineer.com/the-future-of/future-of-rail-curved-box-jack-takes-out-east-coast-main-line-junction-19-02-2020/

[melmerby]

1 hour ago, Donington Road said:

 

The link above takes you to a picture of a graphic from an article in the New Civil Engineer.  This was posted here back in February.  If anyone is still interested this is the link to the web page.

https://www.newcivilengineer.com/the-future-of/future-of-rail-curved-box-jack-takes-out-east-coast-main-line-junction-19-02-2020/

That one was fine and was what confused me as I could open it.

It's this I can't open:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GyM5rs99DTR9pzmW2yXQATX87VhVUlCH/view?usp=drivesdk

 

I sent a request for access from my google account (Thought I'd be cheeky) but no reply.

Edited October 27, 2020 by melmerby

[Richard E]

10 minutes ago, melmerby said:

It's this I can't open:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GyM5rs99DTR9pzmW2yXQATX87VhVUlCH/view?usp=drivesdk

 

I sent a request for access from my google account (Thought I'd be cheeky) but no reply.

 

Likewise.

[Richard E]

From twitter:

 

 

And also

 

This 11,000 tonne tunnel structure has been constructed next to the East Coast Main Line, and will be pushed beneath it between 16-24 January 2021.

 

 

Both courtesy of @ECMLupgrade.

[Richard E]

Lots of changes at Lincoln Road this week.

 

First thing that is obvious is the laying of services across both bridges. I'm a bit puzzled though as I thought they might be set deeper. It makes the bridge walls a bit shallower than I'd expected.

 

 

We can see why the foliage was cleared.

 

 

There is a bit of a hole under the bridge as well.

 

 

 

And the piles are visible too.

 

 

Someone on site may have been shopping, I wonder if there is still a £1 in the chain release ...

 

 

Under the A15 and some conduit is being fitted to the acoustic walling.

 

 

The tops of the piles have now been chipped back to reveal the rebar. In fact rebar was being moved into the area whilst I was there.

 

 

And the large mound of soil that was on site has reduced in size dramatically.

 

 

[Crun]

Bad news about the footpath under the A15. A water main has burst and made passage, even by mountain bike, impossible. I had to cross the A15 and be let through a chained up gate after riding through the edge of the muddy flood.

[Donington Road]

7 hours ago, Richard E said:

Lots of changes at Lincoln Road this week.

 

First thing that is obvious is the laying of services across both bridges. I'm a bit puzzled though as I thought they might be set deeper. It makes the bridge walls a bit shallower than I'd expected.

 

 

Puzzled as I was Richard.  The large pipe on the left side is the water mains and the four smaller pipes (as I have been informed) for telecoms and electric.  Why the large pipe on the right hand side is a mystery, although it could be for electric with only telecoms through the four smaller pipes as the original electric supply was on that side of the bridge.

My initials thoughts were that the pipes will be haunched either side with the roadway coming in at a lower level between the two, but speaking to those digging out this afternoon the pipes will under a pavement with the road surface slightly lower below the pavement kerb.  That does put the pavement rather high compared to the side walls of the bridge.  I am not at all convinced of that arrangement.

 

Edited October 30, 2020 by Donington Road
add photo

[Donington Road]

2 hours ago, Crun said:

Bad news about the footpath under the A15. A water main has burst and made passage, even by mountain bike, impossible. I had to cross the A15 and be let through a chained up gate after riding through the edge of the muddy flood.

 

Not heard about that.  Earlier today there was a square marked out on the footpath next to the horse dismounting step on the west side of the A15 bridge, with a wheel barrow and two spades in attendance.  Looked as though it was set for someone to dig out for a manhole personhole cover after their lunch break.

[Crun]

5 minutes ago, Donington Road said:

 

Not heard about that.  Earlier today there was a square marked out on the footpath next to the horse dismounting step on the west side of the A15 bridge, with a wheel barrow and two spades in attendance.  Looked as though it was set for someone to dig out for a manhole personhole cover after their lunch break.

I was told it happened around 2pm today. It was flowing like a mountain stream from somewhere near the new Lincoln Road bridge. Wall to wall muddy water!

[Richard E]

1 minute ago, Crun said:

I was told it happened around 2pm today. It was flowing like a mountain stream from somewhere near the new Lincoln Road bridge. Wall to wall muddy water!

I wonder if the excavator that was digging out the embankment hit the main ...

[Crun]

4 minutes ago, Richard E said:

I wonder if the excavator that was digging out the embankment hit the main ...

I was told they thought Anglian Water had shut off the pipe when I went over and round the flood at around 16:15. To my inexpert eye and wet feet it will take a a good time to pump out the flood water before they can resume work next week.

Edited October 30, 2020 by Crun

[Donington Road]

4 minutes ago, Crun said:

I was told it happened around 2pm today. It was flowing like a mountain stream from somewhere near the new Lincoln Road bridge. Wall to wall muddy water!

 

2 minutes ago, Richard E said:

I wonder if the excavator that was digging out the embankment hit the main ...

 

Just about the time I left there,  There was a light blue excavator working around the area near the mains pipe.  We have not noticed any drop in mains water pressure today.

 

[melmerby]

27 minutes ago, Donington Road said:

 

Puzzled as I was Richard.  The large pipe on the left side is the water mains and the four smaller pipes (as I have been informed) for telecoms and electric.  Why the large pipe on the right hand side is a mystery, although it could be for electric with only telecoms through the four smaller pipes as the original electric supply was on that side of the bridge.

My initials thoughts were that the pipes will be haunched either side with the roadway coming in at a lower level between the two, but speaking to those digging out this afternoon the pipes will under a pavement with the road surface slightly lower below the pavement kerb.  That does put the pavement rather high compared to the side walls of the bridge.  I am not at all convinced of that arrangement.

 

When the line to Bromsgrove was electrified, just before it opened someone realised this bridge was not high enough.

At first it had a very temporary "raise" held in place with scaffolding.

Later the increased height was made using this only slightly less temporary looking "cover" which looks like it's made from those composite roofing slates that are cheaper than Welsh slates:

https://goo.gl/maps/qL1MjbRdNWH1uz7Y7

 

[Donington Road]

3 minutes ago, Crun said:

I was told they thought Anglian Water had shut off the pipe when I went over and round the flood at around 16:15. To my inexpert eye and wet feet it will take a a good time to pump out the flood water before they can resume work next week.

 

Anglian Water only need ask Morgan Sindell about how to pump water, they are experts at it.

[Donington Road]

2 minutes ago, melmerby said:

When the line to Bromsgrove was electrified, just before it opened someone realised this bridge was not high enough.

At first it had a very temporary "raise" held in place with scaffolding.

Later the increased height was made using this only slightly less temporary looking "cover" which looks like it's made from those composite roofing slates that are cheaper than Welsh slates:

https://goo.gl/maps/qL1MjbRdNWH1uz7Y7

 

 

They have done that kind of steel capping on the Walton footbridge.  The reason for it there was that the vandals were loosening and chipping away at the concrete coping on the top of the walls.

[Donington Road]

I did have a quick visit to Cock Lane this afternoon but not much happening.

I'm wondering if they have now reached the southern limit of the concrete trackbed.  Drainage sumps are being/have been installed from there towards Marholm Junction.  The excavator below Cock lane footbridge was levelling out the mud.

 

 

 

The Up Stamford line trackbed on the right is progressing towards the dive under but not at the pace of recent weeks.

[Richard E]

19 hours ago, Donington Road said:

 

 

Just about the time I left there,  There was a light blue excavator working around the area near the mains pipe.  We have not noticed any drop in mains water pressure today.

 

 

They have definitely hit the main and it has been patched. Under Lincoln Road there is evidence of water scouring of the ground and a temporary earth bund has been thrown up to the east of the footbridge. There were sounds of pressure washing work from under the A15.

 

[Donington Road]

5 hours ago, Richard E said:

 

They have definitely hit the main and it has been patched. Under Lincoln Road there is evidence of water scouring of the ground and a temporary earth bund has been thrown up to the east of the footbridge. There were sounds of pressure washing work from under the A15.

 

 

Here is the culprit then.  The photo of the excavater on the old Hurn Road (which was latterly the footpath down to the steps to the newer Hurn Road) was taken on Friday only moments before they struck water.

What has surprised me is the angle that the water pipe takes as it comes off the overhead pipe.  It looks to be almost ninety degrees, as though it followed the old Hurn Road which many years ago formed a 'T' junction at the Lincoln Road bridge.  Maybe it was buried under the old road or just to the side of it as to the north of the original road was just a field before the A15 bridge was built.  The new Hurn Road deviated under the A15 and became a curved affair joining Lincoln Road someway north of the Lincoln Road bridge.

 

 

 

Edited October 31, 2020 by Donington Road

[melmerby]

It's possible the position of the pipe is not correctly marked on the maps they are using, which is not unusual.

 

SWMBO used to work at Birmingham City Council and was not unknown for contractors doing redevelopment work to uncover unknown/unmapped services.

A suitable person from BCC was then despatched to site to see what was going on and if the status of the service (pipe or cable) could not be determined it was "accidentally" damaged.

 

I noticed during the Metro extension work in Birmingham City Centre one day they had damaged a water pipe that apparently wasn't supposed to be there.

It wasn't a huge main like that above but still plenty of water came from it.

 

It seems the Victorians and others were not very concientous when mapping services.

 

When I was living in Melmerby, United Utilities were doing some work on water services and had isolated a section of pipe to work on it.

When they cut the pipe, all the water in the place we were living drained out of the pipes, so I went to see the chaps working on it to find out what was going on. (We hadn't been told of any interruption to services.)

They were quite surprised as their map clearly showed that the property was not connected to the section of pipe they cut. Oops!

 

BTW

Mechanical water meters can go backwards, as that's what alerted us.

We weren't using any water but the meter started ticking, when I investigated, it was going backwards.

 

Edited October 31, 2020 by melmerby

[corneliuslundie]

And many pipes on private property are not recorded in the water company records or on maps. We had this in Newtown where a lot of the water pipework was added years after the houses were built and goes through archways in terraces and through back gardens, having originally served a single wash-house used by half a dozen houses. Sewers ditto. There was more information on our deeds than in the water company records.

OK until someone builds an extension and then there is a leak underneath it.

Jonathan