I was one of the people fortunate enough to be invited on one of the EH tours into the excavations last weekend (boo, hiss, traitor etc) and it was one of the most amazing and honoured experiences of my life. It was also quite shocking to see the extent of damage from the inside and I can definately confirm that EH were right in opening up the tunnel to repair this. The problem lies at the centre, where Atkinson's workings join Northumberland's shaft. At this point the workings were not so much a tunnel as a canyon. Yes Atkinson's supporting rings are still in place, but the problem was they are not supporting anything for a good distance from the centre.
As you know from the EH updates the roadstone backfill only went in so far, leaving a void behind. Unfortunately from this point the underside of the hill was not chalk, but a chalk, clay mixture which has subsided and is what caused the dig to slow. This, and the surrounding sides was sodden when we were in there, showing the extent of water penetration. Because Skanska did not want to introduce to much extra modern intrusion to the dig they were using the exisiting Atkinson rings as shuttering supports, with shuttering plywood, steel sheets etc over the top to protect the excavators. At the centre, where the clay 'collapse' had been, there was of course a void above these roof supports, which already had a good mound of loose chalk piled on it, which presumably must have happened from the time the sheets had been put across to when we went in (2 weeks max?). It is my guess that it is this area that has become unstable and the collapse is spreading upwards, like taking the mould away from an unstable jelly.
As to apportioning blame, I feel that is a pretty pointless exercise. Without doubt the root cause of this is the water seeping down through the hill causing failure and collapse of material around an exisiting large void. Were EH right to open the tunnel, in my view most definately so? Who could have predicited the horrendous wet weather we have had recently? But plenty of people (including some on here) did mute the posibility so should contingencies have been made? Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I hope it is not too late to put up 'the brolly' and to backfill as safely as possible.
We were allowed to take photographs in the hill but EH did request that we would not publish them on the interweb so I hope the above will give you a good image.
the fool
This topic is locked | Posted by fool on the hill 27th July 2007ce 20:49 |
Silbury updates (Littlestone, May 20, 2007, 16:20)- Re: Silbury updates (Pete G, May 20, 2007, 23:50)
- Re: Silbury updates (moss, May 21, 2007, 07:52)
- Re: Silbury updates (Pilgrim, May 21, 2007, 08:04)
- Re: Silbury updates (Littlestone, May 21, 2007, 21:11)
- Sentient Silbury: A lithic laxative? (Pilgrim, May 22, 2007, 01:28)
- Re: Silbury updates (tiompan, May 22, 2007, 07:43)
- Re: Silbury updates (Littlestone, May 22, 2007, 19:31)
- Re: Silbury updates (Pete G, May 23, 2007, 15:46)
- Re: Silbury updates (Littlestone, May 23, 2007, 22:26)
- Re: Silbury updates: 'Atkinson/BBC Entrance' (Littlestone, May 24, 2007, 17:34)
- Re: Silbury updates (Littlestone, May 31, 2007, 20:23)
- Re: Silbury updates (RSleepy, May 28, 2007, 12:54)
- Re: Silbury updates (Littlestone, May 22, 2007, 10:28)
- Re: Silbury updates (tomwatts, May 22, 2007, 11:35)
- Re: Silbury updates (Littlestone, Jun 01, 2007, 18:01)
- Oh come off it! (nigelswift, Jun 07, 2007, 08:23)
- Update No. 4 (nigelswift, Jun 11, 2007, 13:06)
- Diminishing returns (Littlestone, Jun 13, 2007, 22:52)
- Re: Silbury updates (Littlestone, Jun 15, 2007, 07:51)
- I'd take the Fifth.... (Pilgrim, Jun 18, 2007, 07:35)
- Week 5 update (Littlestone, Jun 18, 2007, 15:58)
- Re: Silbury updates (tomwatts, Jun 20, 2007, 17:14)
- Re: Silbury updates (Littlestone, Jun 25, 2007, 18:21)
- Re: slumpy's EH comment - England's Heritage (slumpystones, Jun 28, 2007, 17:21)
- English Heritage - Another side (Robert Carr, Jun 29, 2007, 07:15)
- Re: Silbury updates (goffik, Jun 29, 2007, 13:07)
- Re: Silbury updates (Littlestone, Jun 29, 2007, 13:16)
- Re: Silbury updates (scousemaiden, Jun 30, 2007, 14:42)
- Re: Silbury updates (moss, Jun 30, 2007, 16:48)
- Re: Silbury updates (slumpystones, Jun 30, 2007, 17:59)
- Re: Silbury updates (scousemaiden, Jun 30, 2007, 20:11)
- Re: Time Capsules? (Pilgrim, Jun 30, 2007, 23:44)
- Re: Silbury updates (nigelswift, Jul 01, 2007, 05:39)
- Re: Silbury updates (Littlestone, Jul 01, 2007, 06:39)
- Re: Silbury updates (scousemaiden, Jul 01, 2007, 08:16)
- Re: Silbury updates (slumpystones, Jul 01, 2007, 08:44)
- Hate? (Pilgrim, Jul 01, 2007, 09:01)
- Re: Silbury updates (nigelswift, Jul 01, 2007, 09:19)
- Re: Silbury updates (Mustard, Jul 01, 2007, 13:29)
- Re: Silbury updates (Toxic Delerium, Jul 01, 2007, 15:12)
- Re: Silbury updates (nigelswift, Jul 01, 2007, 15:23)
- Re: Silbury updates (Toxic Delerium, Jul 01, 2007, 15:25)
- Re: Silbury updates (nigelswift, Jul 01, 2007, 15:28)
- Re: Silbury updates (Toxic Delerium, Jul 01, 2007, 15:33)
- Re: Silbury updates (rammie, Jul 01, 2007, 15:36)
- Re: Silbury updates (Pete G, Jul 01, 2007, 15:38)
- Re: Silbury updates (slumpystones, Jul 01, 2007, 15:40)
- Re: Silbury updates (nigelswift, Jul 01, 2007, 15:44)
- Re: Silbury updates (Toxic Delerium, Jul 01, 2007, 15:47)
- Re: Silbury updates (Mustard, Jul 01, 2007, 15:51)
- Re: Silbury updates (slumpystones, Jul 01, 2007, 15:55)
- Re: Silbury updates (Toxic Delerium, Jul 01, 2007, 15:59)
- Re: Silbury updates (Mustard, Jul 01, 2007, 16:00)
- Re: Silbury updates (Toxic Delerium, Jul 01, 2007, 16:08)
- Re: Silbury updates (slumpystones, Jul 01, 2007, 16:24)
- Re: Silbury updates (Toxic Delerium, Jul 02, 2007, 08:36)
- Re: Silbury updates (fitzcoraldo, Jul 02, 2007, 08:38)
- Re: Silbury updates (moss, Jul 02, 2007, 09:24)
- Re: Silbury updates (nigelswift, Jul 02, 2007, 09:50)
- Re: Silbury updates (Rockrich, Jul 02, 2007, 10:49)
- Re: Silbury updates (slumpystones, Jul 02, 2007, 11:35)
- Re: Silbury updates (nigelswift, Jul 01, 2007, 16:03)
- Re: Silbury updates (Mustard, Jul 01, 2007, 15:28)
- Re: Silbury updates (Pete G, Jul 01, 2007, 12:49)
- Re: Silbury updates (Robert Carr, Jul 01, 2007, 08:32)
- Re: Silbury updates (VenerableBottyBurp, Jul 01, 2007, 08:33)
- Re: Silbury updates (slumpystones, Jul 01, 2007, 08:15)
- Re: Silbury updates (Lubin, Jul 01, 2007, 14:52)
- Ask the Experts (Littlestone, Jul 01, 2007, 10:50)
- Re: Silbury updates (Mustard, Jul 01, 2007, 15:08)
- Re: Silbury updates (Littlestone, Jul 01, 2007, 16:18)
- Re: time capsule - would this solve the problems? (VenerableBottyBurp, Jul 02, 2007, 15:39)
- Re: time capsule - would this solve the problems? (goffik, Jul 02, 2007, 15:55)
- Re: time capsule - would this solve the problems? (Pete G, Jul 02, 2007, 16:07)
- Re: time capsule - would this solve the problems? (Littlestone, Jul 02, 2007, 16:20)
- Re: time capsule - would this solve the problems? (slumpystones, Jul 02, 2007, 16:28)
- Re: time capsule - would this solve the problems? (CianMcLiam, Jul 02, 2007, 16:36)
- Re: time capsule - would this solve the problems? (nigelswift, Jul 02, 2007, 17:02)
- Re: time capsule - would this solve the problems? (tiompan, Jul 03, 2007, 08:33)
- Re: Silbury updates (Pilgrim, Jul 03, 2007, 06:07)
- Re: Silbury updates (goffik, Jul 03, 2007, 14:48)
- Re: Silbury updates (moss, Jul 09, 2007, 15:15)
- Re: Silbury updates (Littlestone, Jul 16, 2007, 16:38)
- Time capsule - Lord Avebury's opinion (Littlestone, Jul 19, 2007, 06:51)
- Re: Time capsule - Lord Avebury's opinion (slumpystones, Jul 19, 2007, 09:52)
- Re: Time capsule - Lord Avebury's opinion (nigelswift, Jul 19, 2007, 15:59)
- Re: Time capsule - Lord Avebury's opinion (Littlestone, Jul 19, 2007, 17:26)
- Re: Time capsule - Lord Avebury's opinion (Robert Carr, Jul 19, 2007, 17:51)
- Re: Time capsule - Lord Avebury's opinion (slumpystones, Jul 19, 2007, 19:13)
- Re: Time capsule - Lord Avebury's opinion (Littlestone, Jul 19, 2007, 22:01)
- Re: Time capsule - Lord Avebury's opinion (Robert Carr, Jul 20, 2007, 09:54)
- Re: Time capsule - Lord Avebury's opinion (nigelswift, Jul 20, 2007, 10:06)
- Re: Time capsule - Lord Avebury's opinion (Robert Carr, Jul 20, 2007, 10:12)
- Re: Time capsule - Lord Avebury's opinion (Robert Carr, Jul 20, 2007, 11:02)
- Re: Time capsule - Lord Avebury's opinion (nigelswift, Jul 20, 2007, 11:08)
- Re: Time capsule - Lord Avebury's opinion (goffik, Jul 20, 2007, 11:12)
- Re: Time capsule - Lord Avebury's opinion (Robert Carr, Jul 20, 2007, 11:15)
- Re: Time capsule - Lord Avebury's opinion (nigelswift, Jul 20, 2007, 11:32)
- Re: Time capsule - Lord Avebury's opinion (Robert Carr, Jul 20, 2007, 11:57)
- Re: Time capsule - Lord Avebury's opinion (nigelswift, Jul 20, 2007, 12:02)
- Re: Time capsule - Lord Avebury's opinion (Moth, Jul 20, 2007, 12:14)
- Re: Time capsule - Lord Avebury's opinion (moss, Jul 20, 2007, 12:26)
- Re: Time capsule - Lord Avebury's opinion (slumpystones, Jul 21, 2007, 10:08)
- Re: Time capsule - Lord Avebury's opinion (VenerableBottyBurp, Jul 20, 2007, 00:10)
- Re: Silbury updates (Mr Hamhead, Jul 20, 2007, 08:00)
- And now for the door... (Littlestone, Jul 20, 2007, 18:54)
- English Heritage and Heritage Action meeting? (Robert Carr, Jul 21, 2007, 12:46)
- Re: Silbury updates (Littlestone, Jul 23, 2007, 15:38)
- Silbury about to implode? (Littlestone, Jul 26, 2007, 12:51)
- Re: Silbury about to implode? (nigelswift, Jul 26, 2007, 13:05)
- Re: Silbury about to implode? (Rhiannon, Jul 26, 2007, 14:15)
- Re: Silbury about to implode? (VenerableBottyBurp, Jul 26, 2007, 21:48)
- More details re temporary halt (whipangel, Jul 27, 2007, 11:15)
- Re: Silbury about to implode? (Littlestone, Jul 27, 2007, 17:36)
- the view from inside (fool on the hill, Jul 27, 2007, 20:49)
- Re: the view from inside (fitzcoraldo, Jul 28, 2007, 08:26)
- Re: the view from inside (Littlestone, Jul 28, 2007, 11:14)
- Re: the view from inside (moss, Jul 28, 2007, 11:23)
- Re: the view from inside (Robert Carr, Jul 28, 2007, 13:55)
- Re: the view from inside (goffik, Jul 28, 2007, 19:47)
- Re: the view from inside (nigelswift, Jul 28, 2007, 22:09)
- Re: the view from inside (Pilgrim, Jul 28, 2007, 23:53)
- Re: Silbury about to implode? (slumpystones, Jul 27, 2007, 20:27)
- Mr Carr (Littlestone, Jul 29, 2007, 07:34)
- Calling "Fool on the Hill" (nigelswift, Jul 30, 2007, 11:42)
- Re: Silbury updates (goffik, Jul 31, 2007, 17:11)
|
|