Aqueduct removal

A new title for this blog, but just as much news. Actually, maybe even more, as it will now also feature other news from our civil engineering activities.

We carry on with:

BRIDGE 09 – AQUEDUCT/ PEDESTRIAN FOOTBRIDGE – FIRST WEEK'S ACTIVITIES

The contractors came to site on Monday 28^th October to set up their welfare and stores and other H & S requirements.  A line possession was put in place starting on Thursday 1^st November and work done at track level commenced. The first job was to remove the timbers forming the pedestrian walkway. This exposed the horizontal leg of the steel angle to which the timbers were attached. 

 




As you can see (photos) this ½” thick steel has been dramatically eaten away all along. 








 






Tremendous quantities of scale were also exposed, both on the top of the angle and also within the channel as well.










In places between 1.5 & 2m long sections of the top angle had completely gone. Just what supported the timber over those areas is a mystery. It’s a good job we closed it to pedestrians several months ago!!!

The next job was to provide support to the inner ends of the two outer spans to enable them to be cut away from the centre span, which was supported on the two brick piers. The support to the outer spans was provided by scaffolding which had jacks at the top to support the steel channel. 

The scaffolding was also there to provide stability to the slender brick piers during the dismantling work, and to provide access to cut the steel channel.

Next the ends of the steel channel had to be freed from the concrete encasement at each end.

 














The channel could then be cut through to leave it in 3 separated sections, weighing between 3 and 4 tonnes each. 

 














Then a mat of stone had to be prepared for the crane to sit on so that the outriggers would clear the rails. 

 

Last Thursday the 60t capacity crane came to site and its first job was to lay down timber pads for the outriggers to sit on. 

The tubular hand rails had been left until the last minute, to provide stability to the structure and were only cut through when the section was being supported by the crane.

With all outriggers deployed lifting was started, taking the Malvern side span out first. 














Then the centre span...

....and finally the Cotswolds side span.

The 3 sections (11 to 12m long) were laid down alongside the track and will be cut up and put in a skip, to go off site.

Work then commenced on the Cotswold side bank seat. First the stream (bone dry at the time!!) was blocked off and diverted down the embankment to our trackside drains. 

Photo in which the stream blocking bags and black plastic diversion pipe can also be seen

Next the brickwork was carefully dismantled as it was cracked, and the foundations were exposed. Investigations will now be done to see how deep the concrete is before any re-building is started.

Photos courtesy of John Balderstone, John Fancote & Richard Griffiths (Stepnell)

10.11.2018 - JOHN BALDERSTONE 




Additional photographs from another angle:

All three sections of the aqueduct removed

 Detail of corrosion:

Directly through the side of the channel

 Top flange and handrail bracket eaten away.













Cross section through the channel,showing varying thicknesses. The principal corrosion is in the lower half, where the water ran.









Section of channel showing corrosion of the flanges that supported the wooden walkway

 Maker's plate:

 E. Finch & Co Ltd. 

Engineers

1904

Iron Founders

Chepstow

Note the date is 1904, a year after the 1903 date on the canopy at Broadway, terminus of the first section of the Honeybourne line to open.

Cotswolds side pad on which the channel rested, temporary dam and pipe channeling the stream to the trackside drain. It was dry at the time of the photograph.
There was a significant leak here, as the stream took a shortcut down to the bottom right.

View of the pillars looking west

View of the pillars looking east, and Malvern side pad.

Malvern side pad and underground channel leading away. This pad was rebuilt by the railway in 2002.

The aqueduct works are due to be completed by the end of the month, in time for the DMU Santa shuttle to pass underneath on its way to Broadway.