Whaley Bridge Dam

[teacake44]

Can a dam like this one made from clay and earth ever be deemed as safe again, along with the wet weather we have, we also seem to get now, much more prolonged hot weather, that in its self can cause the clay to crack, and move / expand. I believe the dam is 188 years old, so who is going to bear the responsibility of claiming its going to be safe, after the repair.

[Zacs-Master]

Civil Engineers are checking it over. If they say it's safe, their Public Liability insurance should cover them in the eventuality of it collapsing in the future although the water company would also bear some responsibility as employers of said CEs.

[Zacs-Master]

I see that the dam is, in fact, owned by the Canal and River Trust.

[Bobbisox1]

A young female friend of mine [ Army] has just been sent to help out there

[Khandro]

Jeremy Corbyn blames the Tories! Though strictly speaking, the government of 1831 (188 years ago) was the Whig government, 1830–1834.

[teacake44]

Bobbs, hope she's got her mop & bucket at the ready, along with her snorkel.

[Bobbisox1]

Arh she's a tough cookie teacakes, and certainly not scared to get down n dirty

[teacake44]

Down and dirty, please please Bobbs not on CB, body and soul:)

[The Builder]

It would seem that the clay/earth mass of the dam is intact. Calculations have shown that the mass of dam is more than the force of contained water pressure.

The cracking and damage was to the "spillway". It's the concrete cover that conducts excess water away when the dam is up to level.

Over time, water has crept under the concrete and damaged it. Hence why they are adding bagged mass , simply to reinforce the spillway.

As usual in this country, the problem is not with the installation itself, but with lack of continuing maintenance.

[Bobbisox1]

Eeee, is that dirty?
Sorry teacakes , :0))

[TonyV]

Don't think anyone will know for a couple of days when enough water is pumped out.

[teacake44]

Understand builder thanks! so really this is just a cowboy job as such, when really it needs a whole new concrete lid,( for want of a better word) with all the new rapid concrete about today would it not be a better idea to pump a mix on the whole lot??

[Zacs-Master]

Not a cowboy job at all as that infers it wasn't build correctly in the first place. AS TB said, it would seem to be down to maintenance (or lack of it). I'm sure the Civil Engineers have proposed things which are being worked on / costed.

[teacake44]

Builder, you can do the shuttering if you like:)

[TonyV]

teacake don't think that can be done until damage is accessed

[New Judge]

//Jeremy Corbyn blames the Tories! Though strictly speaking, the government of 1831 (188 years ago) was the Whig government, 1830–1834.//

Good grief! I'm used to Labour supporters blaming Mrs Thatcher for everything from the weather to the cricket results. But to lay the blame for this on the Rt. Hon. Charles Grey, the Viscount Howick (1764-1845) is a bit rich. :-)

[teacake44]

Zac, for a dam to last 188 years how can you say its not been built right.

[New Judge]

//Zac, for a dam to last 188 years how can you say its not been built right.//

You should read what Zacs actually wrote rather than what you thought you'd read, teacake. :-)

[Chipchopper]

It surprises me that overflow channels were not in place at the sides of the dam, to alleviate pressure.

[retrocop]

One Whaley Bridge resident claims the dam was in disrepair for some time although others claim it is regularly maintained.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/whaley-bridge-residents-will-only-have-70-seconds-to-evacuate-if-dam-bursts-081541929.html

[teacake44]

I said what their doing now is a cowboy job. Zac ( it wasn't build correctly in the ( first place)? can't see were I'm reading it wrong.