Let's destroy one myth from the first post. I don't believe the Glenfinnan viaduct will still be "as built". Most stone viaducts have had considerable work done on them.
Interestingly, albeit a Civil Engineering issue, in the late 1970's on the railway at Christian Malford in WIltshire (where the old GWR main line split towards Bristol and Wales), there was a major land slip, where the embankment slipped a distance of about 100 metres into an adjacent field. It took months and months to fix, and the root cause was identified as a failure of a Brunel design of chained piles - where piles were joined by chains, and after 130 years the chains were failing...
Interestingly, albeit a Civil Engineering issue, in the late 1970's on the railway at Christian Malford in WIltshire (where the old GWR main line split towards Bristol and Wales), there was a major land slip, where the embankment slipped a distance of about 100 metres into an adjacent field. It took months and months to fix, and the root cause was identified as a failure of a Brunel design of chained piles - where piles were joined by chains, and after 130 years the chains were failing...
Glenfinnan isn't a stone viaduct - it's built of concrete, very much a pioneer in the use of it giving Sir Robert McAlpine the nickname Concrete Bob - of course it's had maintenance done but no significant replacements.
If you search for the technical reports they will be there.
For more reading see this, Which helps in identification. It told me two things I was not aware of, First raac is used in walls, but I cannot see this should be a problem. But second. It is used in floors. This is worrying, I have no idea how widespread that might be, but as it has poor load bearing, I doubt it has much use.
It is easy to google reports like these.
John
Hence my OP referred to Concrete Bob. Glenfinnan isn’t the only Scottish railway structure. His mix was the strongest using real cement, sand and aggregate .No steel reinforcements were used other than Steel plates were inserted at the heads of the arches to provide additional strength.
If you examine it close up you can see the grain pattern of the wood shuttering. It has weathered and blended in brilliantly with its surroundings.
Hello All, -A little off topic but somewhat aligned. In Cornwall and to an extent in Devon between around 1900 & around the early 60's, Mundic block was commonly used. Mundic's make up was of 'concrete' blocks that contained waste materials from mines, mixed with aggregate: such as beach sand. Fast forward a few decades and it became realised that the mining materials were very subject to oxidising and decay in the presence of damp conditions. We moved to Cornwall in 2000 and when looking to buy our first home found that all homes built during the time above and containing any area of block construction required a mundic test to be carried out - if it failed, then was un-mortgageable. Depending on the size / position of the affected section of the property they can be a good deal for a cash buyer / someone with building skills. Anyways just I'd share in case of interest.
We called it Mundic Cancer. Sadly not covered by any insurance policies. It left a lot of very heart broken people standing financially alone
I am beginning to think that the press are blowing it up out of all proportion. In our county apparently no buildings are affected.
However there was quite an amusing snippet on the news today. The current opposition are blaming the current government however the opposition were in power when most of the buildings were built. Secondly the opposition were made aware of the 30 year lifespan in the nineties and commissioned surveys and got the results. I thought it quite amusing listening to them when possibly they were at fault!
Whether in power or in opposition amazing how short the memories of all politicians become after a few years. LOL! The above is just a bit of humour and nothing more!
However there was quite an amusing snippet on the news today. The current opposition are blaming the current government however the opposition were in power when most of the buildings were built. Secondly the opposition were made aware of the 30 year lifespan in the nineties and commissioned surveys and got the results. I thought it quite amusing listening to them when possibly they were at fault!
Whether in power or in opposition amazing how short the memories of all politicians become after a few years. LOL! The above is just a bit of humour and nothing more!
As an FM for a school with four sites in four towns to manage, I count myself lucky not to have RAAC on any of my sites.
My heart goes out to those schools affected, especially after all the hard work to get back to some sort of normal following the recent pandemic.
Steve
My heart goes out to those schools affected, especially after all the hard work to get back to some sort of normal following the recent pandemic.
Steve
If you look at the period 1950-1980 I think you will find the time in Government fairly evenly split between the Conservative and Labour Party. So the blame game is a pointless exercise, rather efforts be concentrated on sorting out the schools and hospitals without detracting from their existing budgets vI am beginning to think that the press are blowing it up out of all proportion. In our county apparently no buildings are affected.
However there was quite an amusing snippet on the news today. The current opposition are blaming the current government however the opposition were in power when most of the buildings were built. Secondly the opposition were made aware of the 30 year lifespan in the nineties and commissioned surveys and got the results. I thought it quite amusing listening to them when possibly they were at fault!
Whether in power or in opposition amazing how short the memories of all politicians become after a few years. LOL! The above is just a bit of humour and nothing more!
Good news, the first and second floors and balcony are constructed from conventional reinforced concrete beams.
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