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]

Cheers, NJ.

[Zacs-Master]

I bow to your superior Civil Engineering knowledge, teacake. Why don't you write to thee CEs and suggest a 'concrete top'?


(I'd love to see their reply).

[TonyV]

Don't understand why some people will not leave their houses

[teacake44]

Zac that's what it as now as such.

[Zacs-Master]

Well, you seem to have gone from knowing virtually nothing in your OP to being a well informed technician now, teacake.

My final contribution to this thread is:

It's not the capping it's the spillway.

[RayH]

Zac said that calling it a cowboy job infers that it wasn't built correctly. He said he didn't believe it was a cowboy job !

[Zacs-Master]

Don't worry ray. Teacake is occupied on another thread talking about bubble gum which is much more their 'thing' it would seem.

[teacake44]

I know that Zac, I also understand that the water getting under the spillway / ( MY LID :) ) will wash the soil away, making it more unstable. Don't you like women to have any input?

[The Builder]

Ha! Shuttering TC? You know the mantra - "no job too big or too small"

No, it was built well all those years ago. It wouldn't have survived five minutes otherwise.
The maintenance should have concentrated on the top lip of the spillway. That's where water was creeping in and eroding.

I guess they'll pour new concrete in eventually. Either that, or install pre-fabricated sections.

I take Chipper's point. I'm no civil engineer, but I too wondered why overflow isn't directed elsewhere.

Don't forget, this isn't like the Hoover Dam or similar. They are more "vertical". Very thick masses of highly reinforced concrete which hold water through sheer brute force.

If you look at a cross-section of the Whaley Bridge one, it's really just a large riverbank. Although, unfortunately, with a town the other side of it.

[Zacs-Master]

I didn't even know you were a woman, TBH.

[teacake44]

Ray I said what they are doing now is a cowboy job, ( read it)

[douglas9401]

Dammed if they do, damned if they don't.

[Zacs-Master]

How would you prevent the concrete running down to the bottom of the hill, teacake?

[RayH]

Teacake... I know what you said. Zac didn't agree..

[teacake44]

Well Zac, that just goes to show what you know about containing wet concrete. 13.47

[Zacs-Master]

Go on then, enlighten me. You need to be careful using that 'rapid concrete' as well as that will just slide to the bottom of the slope quicker.

[teacake44]

Keep your eye on the news Zac, and you will see what they are going to do once the bags of gravel are in place. I've got much better things to do for the rest of the day. I don't think you have.

[Zacs-Master]

Such a shame. It was just getting interesting too.

[jno]

NJ, I think Corbyn's just suggested the government - he didn't specify which of many - had failed to prepare for possible floods that might arise out of climate change. Proper upkeep of dams certainly ought to be on the agenda, but I have no idea whether those responsible have failed in their duty here. I can't help thinking somebody must have, on the face of it.

[mushroom25]

Reservoirs are legislated for as follows:-
https://britishdams.org/assets/documents/Dam%20Legislation%20-%20England%20-%20October%202016.pdf
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/flood-risk-management-information-for-flood-risk-management-authorities-asset-owners-and-local-authorities