039. A walk along the NEW Dawlish Sea Wall as it nears completion - How long will it last ?
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- In the Description for my video (No. 022) around Dawlish Station, I mentioned that even though the breached sea wall (Feb 2014) had been mended around April 2014, there was still much construction work there being undertaken. It is a brand NEW sea wall, which was started back in May 2019.
My ear to the ground intelligence predicts completion of construction activity in approximately five weeks from my date of filming. That places it at the end of December 2022 / New Year January 2023.
I’d come down to Devon on one of my numerous visits per year to see my friends (seen loitering at the end of the video). I suggested we drive down to see progress on the new sea wall & maybe get some news from our mutual acquaintance Colin J Marsden (see below), the Railway writer & photographer who lives very near said wall.
I walked the length of the wall from the footbridge at Kennaway Tunnel east portal, to the beach access ramp near the railway station.
Some bad news about the quality of the cast concrete segments can be seen in the still photo I took. It shows really bad air bubble porosity in the cast. These will inevitably allow water in, which will freeze, expand & crack / rust the steel reinforcement in the segments, bit by bit. I came to this conclusion separately to some Dutch expert who also showed concern. These air bubbles were evident all along the wall as I walked its length, so not at all good !
We shall give it 10 years before remedial repairs are again required ?
Venue :
The NEW Sea Wall Promenade protecting Dawlish town sea front & its Railway Station on the Great Western Main Line.
Starring :
600k+ tons of concrete. Probably metric tonnes, but I’m the bigger & better Imperial ton sort of guy !
A 70t (metric tonnes) Komatsu PC700LC-11 Excavator
www.l-lynch.co... www.komatsu.eu...
Also Featuring :
A Class 150 DMU GWR train.
An adolescent Herring Gull.
With help from :
Friends - Timothy & Tina Jewell.
Local expert - Colin J Marsden
www.dawlishtrai...
And he’s the editor of Modern Locomotives Illustrated
mliplus.com/
Filming :
Camera - Sony Xperia 1 II smartphone.
Video creation :
Software - Microsoft HD Movie Maker PRO.
Background sound - freesound - 78389__inchadney__seagulls.WAV file by inchadney
freesound.org/...
![Vinyl Seawall Construction [BaRaR Contracting] 2020](/img/n.gif)
The ramp a viewing platform for wheelchair users.
My thoughts as well, a chance for them to see over the wall.
So our assumption was correct 👍
The ramp part is indeed a disabled viewing platform, and they should have the wall work done by January, but they will still need to do the lift bridge on the station, and that’s scheduled for February.
@@almostanengineer That sounds quite definitive.
What exactly is a lift bridge ?
That was a very nice bit of that "slow TV." Thank you.
You have lost me. Is that a complement, as no slow-motion stuff in the video, apart from the overly long bit of the Class 43 disappearing around Red Rock at the far Dawlish Warren end.
Or do you mean my slow pan around at the end, so the viewer can actually see what's being filmed and not feel sick ?
To answer your thumbnail question, I think the basic construction design is sound based mainly on mass. To give it a lifespan let’s say 200years? However I think at some point in about 50 years time, it may need elevating another metre to allow for the increase in sea levels due to the polar ice caps melting. In addition, that should also coincide quite nicely for Greta Thunberg to come along it on her electric mobility scooter.
Well, one side of me wants you to be right and it will last 200 years, whereas the mischievous side of me wishes to say I told you so (for the 10 year prediction). I'm an engineer and have a habit of pointing out errors, much to those responsible's annoyance
@@andrewdking Ever been wrong?
@@wowmanhaha ever been wrong about what exactly ?
Sometimes indeed as we all are, but being an engineer myself, I know when someone looks wrong. My instincts for those very numerous air bubble voids raises a red flag in the build quality
Are they they same Polar Ice Caps that idiot AL GORE predicted in 2008, would by free of ice and snow by 2013 ? When checked in that year, it was even higher than 2008, and Polar Bear population no different. BULLSHIT CAN PRODUCE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, ask AL, THE MULTI MILLIONAIRE.
what camera do you use...
Easy answer, look at the Description Section I wrote. That goes for all my videos. Always wise to look there first on any UA-cam channel's videos. Also wise to look there first for any preamble which introduces the whys and wherefores for the video's existence
Empty channel ?
@@davidsheriff8989 I've no idea what you mean by empty chanel but to answer your question, it was filmed using a Sony Xperia 1 II smartphone. Its basically a camera with a phone app
and yet still no break water 200mts out to sea
Good point. If a breakwater had been built, the Sea Wall probably would never have been breached in the first place.
The reasoning for a new wall rather than a breakwater was as described by NR: a wall will better protect the whole length, and doesn’t require a gap for boats to pass through which would let in some storm surge; the previous wall had issues with maintainability becoming more difficult, the station platform being rather exposed and vulnerable, and access across the station section during higher tides being very difficult; concerns on the impact of a large breakwater on marine life in the area; and concern of people foolishly getting stuck out there by walking on the proposed breakwater at low tide
comment.
Oh right, you are taking my request quite literally 😆
Luckily I didn't ask people to spell it then
@@andrewdking C O M M E N T = comment 👌👌
I do believe that it is for wheelchair users so that they can see over the wall
L ooks great ,and sturdy. It's what Brunel would have done, had he the technology and materials. It looks like a continuation of west of the Tunnel.
Next time, I want to see you walk along the sea wall during a big ass storm😂. You do realize, the ocean will win🤔
I know you are only joking, but indeed, that would make a really cool video. My phone is waterproof. However, I live 200 miles away, so it is unlikely to happen
Or just high tide would give you a run for your money most days
Where does the water go when the waves go over the wall
A very good question. Not at all obvious from looking at my video. But if you pause at 4:36 just as the gull goes out of shot, you can see little equally spaced mouse holes at the very bottom of each segment. There is also a very small slopped gutter type affair if you look closely. You can zoom-in using your fingers on a smartphone to check
enjoy your walk back x
I certainly did, and that was used to film the trains you see in video No. 040.
The seats along the walkway look to be lower than the wall therefore the view is gone! Hope I am wrong.
Well if they thought the wheelchair users needed a raised platform for them to see over the sea wall, and a wheelchair seating height must be much the same as a park bench I guess you are right, seated people won't be able to see the sea 😟, only breath the sea air, along with the diesel fumes !
It has a stated design life of 100 years according to Network rail.
Yes, I saw that same figure mentioned on the L Lynch website (the excavator plant hire / contractor). However, being cynical, what's in the stated design life and what's actually achieved are two separate things in reality
@@andrewdking will need to revisit and report back in 100 years time and see what happens
@@nigelcole1936 we won't need trains by then, we'll all be traveling via teleportation 🤔
I don't think a 100 year design life will matter. Our current new arrivals and the future generations of them won't embrace anything of the by then British minority like trips to the seaside.
@@kenstevens5065 let's hope the situation never gets that bad eh.
Salutari din Romania 🙋 🙋 🇷🇴
You are most welcome.
Beautiful England ❤️ 🇸🇭 ☺️ ⛴️
The county of Devon where this video was filmed is most definitely beautiful.
@@andrewdking thanks
@@andrewdking yep, a lovely part of the country - if I could move down there tomorrow I would.... currently I live in London and love coming down to Dawlish. A great little vid ADK. I agree with you about the ramp, it's probably so that wheelchair uses can access it easy to have a better view.
Going to Need it with Global warming ❤
Nice engineering, but if you want to see a genuine aesthetic sea wall, check out the 18th fairway at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
I can't find a clear image of it. Apparently, it's made of Faux Rocks, not real ones.
@@andrewdking Pebble Beach Corporation probably spent millions on its 18th fairway seawall made to look like a natural cliff, all 500+ yards of it. Completed about 10 years ago, it’s the Disneyland of sea walls. But with rate of sea rising and more frequent viscous storms, it’s only an expensive temporary fix. Meantime, it looks way better than rip rap.
@@ToesOverKauai I had to look up what Rip Rap was. Piles of rock rubble it seems. The Sea Wall at Dawlish Warren (other side of Red Rock), is protected using something like that along the railway line by the station. You can see it in my video No. 021.
It could last two generations IF the concrete it poured a good 30 feet below mean tide line. At the least sheet piling to that depth and concrete to 10 feet below mean sea line. However, if concrete only goes 10 feet below mean tide line, the footing can be exposed during a real bad storm. Yes maintenance will be an issue. After big storms, every few years, depends how well it's built. It would help alot if MEGA sized rip rap was installed infront going out to sea 50 to 100 feet. It's a shame the opportunity wasn't taken to raise the entire wall to the same level, like, the highest level. Flood defenses are ONLY AS GOOD AS THE LOW POINT. The low point will let mega tons of water through to wash out rails etc in no time at all. I assume this was done to 'preserve property values', that is, their view of the sea. Hope they like the view as a 6 foot wall of green bursts through the first floor doors and windows. In the states, just being exposed to such risk, ie, too close to tide line, berms and protection too low to protect against xxxx yr flood, means no bank loans for them, slashes value.
Would have made sense to pour solid concrete under the rails, used concrete ties.
Would have made sense to install SOLID barriers between walk and rail, to catch water, maybe get it out through scuppers? Downslope to car sized drains to???? some more protected part of coast where lack of wave action would allow it to discharge out to sea. Ditto on other side of rails. It could be decorative, metal scroll work welded to plate, perforated plate, etc..
This might be a good place for ocean electrical generation which could possibly dampen wave action if installed in sufficient quantity.
GOOD LUCK, it's a beautiful town.
You're going rather deep there, pardon my pun. I've been informed the concrete does indeed go deep by my man in the know, whose home would get a wave through his window if the sea burst right through. You may get a better response from those working on the project, who may be the very few giving it the thumbs down because I'm criticising the porosity quality issue.
Dawlish would be even more beautiful if one could look around better by having more car parking, allowing you to get out & walk. Winters OK, but not the Summer.
Are there reasons for not sinking some old ships as artificial reefs?
Maybe the British Merchant Marine fleet is not as big as it once was to have any old tubs to sink
I think the short up-down ramp at 1.46 has been built to give the skate boarders something interesting to go up.
The world's most expensive skateboard park eh. I expect the little blighters will do anyway
Ot would maybe wheelchair bound users like to see the view.
@@jonnerztube This little thread is a micky take. Yes the raised ramp area is really for wheelchairs.
It is a pity the new wall looks such a mess with all that black on it, which never seemed a problem with the stone wall. Brunel did an excellent job with the available resources of his time. 😊
I noticed the black staining on the seaward side too. I thought it strange for such a new wall. But it may actually be a dark green algae coating. The bright sunshine during the July heatwave would certainly have promoted its quick growth.
Looking at old footage of the previous wall, I think the same coloring issue is present, but more evenly spread and better blended in to the old wall
Quality issues so the concrete must be of British manufacture then?
Well, I've seen concrete being poured on building sites in India where there is hardly any quality control; frightening.
We know how to do this very well indeed, it should be done to British Standards (I'm one of their technical advisors, but not for building). As your teacher would say though, could do better.
I believe the precast sections have been ordered from an Irish company
@@andrewreynolds4949 should be ok then, those lads and lasses built most of our railways and they've lasted getting on for two hundred years!
British manufacturing quality is highly regarded throughout the world - by those in the know. Britain also has been a major contributor to European Standards too via its membership of CEN and CENELEC. By the way, these units were cast in Ireland.
@@petermorris3665 Yes we are, I know first hand. The Germans and the French also have high input. However in my opinion, true BSi based standards are the best
Ce se lucreaza aici? ⚒️🏗️🇸🇭
I've translated "Ce se lucreaz aici" to mean "What is being done here ?"
Well, I can't talk or write in Romanian, so you need to read the video Description section, which describes the basics. The original sea wall was built by our favourite engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunell. It was breached by a very big storm back in Feb 2014, leaving the tracks dangling in mid-air. It was repaired, but then a decision was made to build a completely new wall.
@@andrewdkinglittle spich English 🤷 🇸🇭