Washout at Dawlish

[Captain Kernow]

That's a great viewpoint. Thanks.

 

I wondered if this spot (apart from the fact that Sea Lawn is a natural point for the sea to break in) also appears to have openings in the low-tide sea defences that presumably were installed after prior ruptures to the wall. The gap is quite noticeable here slightly south and west of the breach. There are a couple of really excellent "before" shots of this section of the wall attached to Google maps, but I can't figure out how to link to them.

 

 

Presumably you're referring to the 'deep toe' protection installed in the late 1990s and early 2000s? These were specifically to protect the Sea Wall against the traditional mode of failure, including Sea Lawn Terrace and anywhere else along its length, where the bedrock is particularly soft.

 

In such cases, historically, the beach sand level has dropped (due to natural sea/wave action), and exposed the soft red sandstone underneath. The softer rock cannot withstand heavy seas, and quickly leaches away, leaving the base of the masonry wall exposed. The sea then leaches more infill material from inside the masonry face, resulting in voids starting to appear in the down cess. This eventually leads to the fill material under (first) the down line and (if no action taken) then the up line. Finally, with nothing but air immediately behind the masonry face, a heavy sea can punch a hole in the masonry wall itself. This was the mode of failure in 1986 and 1996 (and doubtless most - if not all - the previous failures). In 1996, I remember a big hole in the masonry wall near Sprey Point, but the walkway above was intact!

 

The concrete 'deep toe' foundations provided long-lasting protection at all locations where the soft sandstone makes this a risk. The design differs, according to individual site requirements.

 

As a result, the foundations have never been compromised since, even during the severe storms of October 2004 and December 2005, and of course, most recently. It's perhaps cold comfort, but the most recent failure was not one of the foundations, which were found to be intact on the morning of 5th February last.

[lightengine]

I've just watched Spotlights view on re-opening the Teign Valley line as a diversionary route, some lovely archive film and some footage of a scrap metal train from Marsh Barton and a timber train on the last bit of the Teign Valley.

SS

Shed loads of timber waiting to be transported from Teigngrace.

[10800]

Given the governments rewrite of planning law so they can put French reactors where they want nimby's have little or no chance of stopping any development sanctioned by HM Gov.

 

OT - But note they are only on existing nuclear sites - I doubt they would have got away with it on a brand new site.

[10800]

Geoff, you are not taking this thread seriously. Leave the moon where it is. What we need to do is move the sun further away. This would stop melting of the polar ice caps, hence reduce the rise in sea level.

 

Careful, you might end up freezing the oceans solid - oh wait that would work wouldn't it. 

[Richard E]

Geoff, you are not taking this thread seriously. Leave the moon where it is. What we need to do is move the sun further away. This would stop melting of the polar ice caps, hence reduce the rise in sea level.

Don't need to do that either as, according to the Russians, the Sun is cooling down.

[Siberian Snooper]

I've just watched tonights Spotlight installment on the new avoiding routes around Teignmouth and Dawlish. It has been mentioned that all three bits will be put on the Spotlight Facebook page, so this would I hope make it more accessible to those who can't get the iplayer coverage and will obviouslly last longer than the seven days of the iplayer.

 

SS

[Coombe Barton]

Careful, you might end up freezing the oceans solid - oh wait that would work wouldn't it. 

It's happened before - more than 650 million years ago. Caused by lack of internal heat being released rather then the sun, though.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowball_Earth

[Gary H]

Dagworth, on 12 Mar 2014 - 21:13, said:

Isn't it meant to be re-opening on the 4th? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-26433185

A new meaning to 'Atmospheric railway' as the trains will need to fly over the section for a week or so...

 

Andi

Indeed, sorry fella's, a mistake on my part. I tried to remember the date I was told and  between being told and writing here, - failed. 

[woodenhead]

 

Is there a plan Z, rather than drive a new line inland why not drive the sea south wards. If might be politically and financially easier to design a revised coastline than to push through demolishing homes, buying land, rehousing newts etc before even a yard of track is laid.

[PhilJ W]

Is there a plan Z, rather than drive a new line inland why not drive the sea south wards. If might be politically and financially easier to design a revised coastline than to push through demolishing homes, buying land, rehousing newts etc before even a yard of track is laid.

Yes but what about the sea life which will be disturbed.

[woodenhead]

Plankton is not protected and fish forget where they were in seconds

[talisman56]

Is there a plan Z, rather than drive a new line inland why not drive the sea south wards. If might be politically and financially easier to design a revised coastline than to push through demolishing homes, buying land, rehousing newts etc before even a yard of track is laid.

 

Perhaps we should find King Canute and ask for his input on that plan...

[Gwiwer]

The sun is indeed cooling down.  But is not expected to cool to the point where it makes a material difference to tides and storms at Dawlish during our lifetimes.  Altering the structure of the sea bed to lessen the effect of storm waves might be an option but revising the coastline itself probably isn't.  The useful width of beach could possibly be extended by a few metres and an all-states-of-tide sandy area created by raising the sea bed slightly and creating an offshore breakwater which would be beneath water level at all times. If waves could be broken 10 metres out they would do less damage to the sea wall.  A wave breaks naturally when the water is too shallow and the friction of water against sea bed too great to sustain its motion.  

 

Such schemes are likely to exceed all reasonable cost thresholds however due to the length of the work required - effectively all the way from Teign to Exe estuaries - and with no guarantee of success.  It could also have unintentional and deleterious effects on other environments nearby such as increasing erosion at Dawlish Warren or silt deposition in the Exe estuary.

[The Stationmaster]

Is there a plan Z, rather than drive a new line inland why not drive the sea south wards. If might be politically and financially easier to design a revised coastline than to push through demolishing homes, buying land, rehousing newts etc before even a yard of track is laid.

Might be pertinent to point out here that the very act of building the railway along that coast did push the sea outwards and away from its previous shoreline in some places.  Only goes to prove that, as is so often the case, Brunel did it first.

[Pete 75C]

Looks like some work is starting to repair the wall a little further along from the main site. There must be dozens, if not hundreds, of little jobs like this that need attention too.

 

 

[HillsideDepot]

Meanwhile, back at the spider, it looks like they are now building a wall of L-shapes on the Up-side.  

 

 

And there appears to be new scaffolding on the Down-side from the end of the L-shapes (or have I just not noticed it before?), presumably to enable them to rebuild the wall there. It's easy to think that now the big hole has been filled the job is nearly done, but there are still numerous tasks to be done, many of them well away from the gaze of web-cams, but no less important than the ones we're watching.

 

 

[trisonic]

Weather looking remarkable for next few days still - considering all the storms leaving the East Coast USA....btw Ice Pack long way south this year.

http://www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/shtml/qdtm86bw.gif

 

Make hay whilst the Sun shines.

 

 

Best, Pete.

Edited March 14, 2014 by trisonic

[jamie92208]

Meanwhile, back at the spider, it looks like they are now building a wall of L-shapes on the Up-side.  

 

1019.jpg

 

And there appears to be new scaffolding on the Down-side from the end of the L-shapes (or have I just not noticed it before?), presumably to enable them to rebuild the wall there. It's easy to think that now the big hole has been filled the job is nearly done, but there are still numerous tasks to be done, many of them well away from the gaze of web-cams, but no less important than the ones we're watching.

I presume that the scaffolding is to provide a safe working platform for the rebuilding of the boundary wall from the end of the L shapes.   Also I seem to remember that many pages back, the Good captain did say that the L shapes would be on both sides to contain the ballast.

 

Jamie

[lightengine]

It's funny reading on a website where some people find it hyper critical to point out that you have 1 rivet too few, we are calling pre-formed re-inforced concrete shapes L shapes and that the spider thingy is performing. We must keep up this light heartedness. It is refreshing.

[Rivercider]

Here are another couple of photos taken on Monday 10/3/14 at the west end of Dawlish seafront.

Cleaning of the station.

A general view of the line, the track is much tidier now, but fencing remains to be replaced on the landward side. 10/3/14

 

On the return walk back to Dawlish Warren we were lucky enough to spot the 17.30 mixed train from Dawlish Warren to Dawlish

Just west of Dawlish Warren 10/3/14

 

cheers

[Captain Kernow]

I presume that the scaffolding is to provide a safe working platform for the rebuilding of the boundary wall from the end of the L shapes.   Also I seem to remember that many pages back, the Good captain did say that the L shapes would be on both sides to contain the ballast.

 

Jamie

Yes, the 'L' shaped sections will form a trough to contain the ballast, but the inner ones will also help support the roadway above etc.

 

The outer wall will feature a separate masonry wall outside the 'L' sections, the cavity between the two will then be filled as well.

 

I have some photos from a site visit yesterday to follow.

[Captain Kernow]

Here are some photos from yesterday, the section covered is again between Dawlish Warren and Dawlish station.

 

New sleepers waiting to be used:

 

Dumpy bags of new ballast for spot ballast replenishment:

 

R/R machine and trailer returning to the access point at Dawlish Warren:

 

 

view looking towards Dawlish:

 

A lot of the gaps in the parapet wall apparent last week have now been filled with new, reinforced concrete replacements, featuring the masonry effect mouldings on the outer face:

 

 

 

 

Refurbished troughing route:

 

More sections of new parapet wall:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Closer to the main breach, a slightly deeper repair was well underway, with concrete expected any time via road-railer. The lads expected to have this section completed by close of play today:

 

 

A more general view looking east:

 

More photos in next post.

 

[Captain Kernow]

More photos from yesterday.

 

This is the main breach site, showing the current positioning of the 'L' sections, with one of the tall, inner 'L' sections being moved into position by a large, tracked machine:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Repairs to the wall at the point where the walkway starts to descend to the lower level:

 

 

View looking eastwards towards the main breach site:

 

Repairs to Dawlish station are coming on as well:

 

 

 

 

 

More 'L' sections getting ready to be taken to the main breach site:

 

 

They arrive at Dawlish by road:

 

More work on the station buildings, including a complete re-paint and new roofing material for the canopies:

 

 

 

 

 

 

A road railer passes through the station, en-route to the worksite on Marine Parade:

 

 

[Siberian Snooper]

These photo's show that this no quick fix lick and a promise job, but a properly engineered solution to the job, which should last quite a while unless mother nature throws another spanner in the works.

 

Many thanks to CK and his magnificent crew, it must be turning into a hard slog now. At least for the moment the weather is holdig up, but it must be a bit nippy over night.

 

Cheers SS

[Gary H]

 

 

Great set of pics and report Tim!

Another positive is that missing fencing in Marine Parade was being replaced earlier this afternoon.

All the those glass fibre boards were also taken away from site ready for tamping, there were flipping hundreds of em!