Thames Valley Section

Newsletter PERMANENT WAY INSTITUTION October 2015 The Institution for Rail Infrastructure Engineers

West Yorkshire Section

Meeting Venue:

Cosmopolitan Hotel. 2 Lower Briggate, Leeds LS1 4AE. Tel: 0113 2436454

Committee:

Chair:George D. McMonagle. Secretary: Martin N. Wooff www.thepwi.org [email protected] Tel: 07487652622 Email: [email protected]

October Meeting: Tuesday 20th October @ 18:00.

Paper: Omnicom - One Version of the Truth.

Speaker: Stirling Kimkeran.

This paper relates to Omnicom Engineering. On a previous visit a representative from Omnicom told us about their involvement with the development of the technology now used on the New Measurement Train.

Welcome!/Section Membership:

Due to the sad demise of the Sheffield and Doncaster Section, we now have an extra 38 members, which raises our total to 89. A letter of welcome is enclosed/attached for each of our new members.

Section Visit – Bombardier, Derby, 14/10/2015:

As the participants are already aware, our visit to Bombardier takes place this Wednesday, 14th October 2015. Most of the Leeds group meet at the Leeds Railway Station to travel to Derby on the 10:11 departure to Plymouth. On arrival in Derby we meet members of the Nottingham & Derby Section and then travel by taxi to Bombardier’s premises in Litchurch Lane, Derby, DE24 8AD. After lunch in the Staff Canteen, we tour the site on foot, which our hostess Kathryn suggests will take 1.5 – 2 hours. We then return to Derby Railway Station to travel back to Leeds on the 14:44 Cross Country service, due to arrive in Leeds at 16:01. Bombardier Phone No: 01332 344666.

Section Visit – Signal Box/Control Centre in York:

We also have an invitation to visit the signalbox/control centre in York. David Reed has offered a maximum of eight places at a mutually convenient date and time. In fairness to all members, many of whom do not have access to email, I will accept expressions of interest in this trip only by telephone on: 07487652622. (09:00 – 21:00 Monday to Saturday, please.)

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Review: Scour Damage and Underwater Inspections – Brian Maddision:

This review is based on my memory and his presentation notes that Brian kindly supplied at my request. It was my pleasure to thank Brian for his fascinating, and in some ways, frightening, presentation. Sadly, for whatever reason our attendance was notably lower than average.

Brian began with an image of a section of track dropping into a void as a method of showing the relevance of his presentation to the PWI. After outlining his career as an engineer/diver and author of the Standards used for Underwater Inspections by British Rail, Brian used a number of slides to define scour damage, and explain and illustrate the different types, numerous causes, the method of inspection, and some of the remedial works.

The causes included the natural action of water over the course of time, the gradual deepening and movement of a river bed which leads to once apparently substantial bridge foundations being undermined. There were also examples of the impact of increasing water levels due to Global Warming, obstruction of flood plains or debris carried down rivers in flood.

There were some spectacular pictures of damage to various structures including: the harbour wall at Holyhead, the Cefyn viaduct, the brick arch of a railway bridge over the River Rother, and a bridge on the railway line between Belfast and Dublin.

The latter example highlighted the need for both diligence and specialist knowledge. At first glance the fact that the river had created a deeper channel between Piers 4 and 5 didn’t seem a problem, until Brian pointed out the significance – the erosion of the foundations under one of the piers which prompted it to collapse and leave the multiple tracks ‘floating in thin air.’

Other images, notably those of a bridge carrying a farm track at Ruddington, illustrated the need to give careful consideration to potential solutions. In this instance, the bridge foundations have been protected by the installation of piles under the arches. However, the amount and design of the piling had to allow for the fact that the piles made the channel narrower, thus increasing the rate of flow.

Similarly, extending bridge foundations upstream with the intention of providing enhanced protection, can cause eddies and currents to erode the foundations at the downstream side of the bridge!

Brian’s pictures also proved that the modern use of concrete isn’t a panacea. The ‘wrong’ sort of concrete is simply washed away, exposing the reinforcement to rusting and eventual failure.

To me, the overriding message was that foundations, especially in water, must be diligently designed, deep, substantial, very carefully constructed and subjected to rigorous and knowledgeable inspections.

Brian explained that Regulations governing diving work are, quite rightly, strict. Many inspections are undertaken from the surface, or ‘merely putting one’s head under the surface.’ However, when greater depth is involved, personal air tanks are for emergency use and divers have to be provided with ‘on-demand’ air delivered by a pipe from equipment operated by qualified personnel. Transporting this heavy equipment to remote locations can be a considerable challenge, and divers have to be careful that the pipes don’t get tangled, or damaged. [Printed, & posted, 2nd Class 12/10 /2015]