Exciting local events.

[Nigel Goodwin]

Well we're making the news locally at the moment, not 'too' far from me, with damage to a local dam and evacuation of the population below it.

 

[tvtech]

Best of luck to the chopper pilots Nigel. I hope it goes well. Photos please.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

If you look on YouTube (search for Toddbrook dam) there are a number of videos, including of the water cascading over it which seems to have damaged the slipway.

The RAF, in the Chinook, dropped bags of ballast blocking the feeds to the dam (to divert more water from coming in), and then (as above) dropped more on the front to support the dam. There are massive pumps there now, where they can get them, trying to reduce the water level so the damage can be inspected and repaired.

The dam itself is about 200 years old.

 

[tvtech]

200 years for a dam is really old. I hope it was maintained properly.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

200 years for a dam is really old. I hope it was maintained properly.

Supposedly all UK dams have an engineer allocated to them, and regular checks are done.

The damage in this case appears to have been done by an excess of water entering the reservoir due to heavy storms in the surrounding area. From what I can tell from the videos, an excessive amount of water went down the spillway, and damaged the concrete panels covering it. Once the water got to the soil under the concrete, it obviously started to wash the earth away.

There's a lot of Victorian infrastructure still in everyday use in the UK, they tended to build things quite well

One such item I 'discovered' a couple of years ago is the 'Derwent Aquaduct', it feeds water from three dams in the very North of Derbyshire to the cities of Nottingham and Leicester - a considerable distance. And it's entirely gravity powered all the way, and runs through tunnels, up and over large hills, it's really pretty impressive - and the only signs of it been there are the occasional stone built buildings that provide access points to it, and ventilation shafts that drop down to some of the tunnels.

Here's one of the buildings, you see a lot about if you start looking for them - notice that at some time the windows have been filled in, for security.

 

[gophert]

You need a Dutch boy with a large finger.

 

[gophert]

Victorian infrastructure still in everyday use in the UK, they tended to build things quite well

Very true of Victoria's infrastructure. Built stout enough to last 200 years.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

You need a Dutch boy with a large finger.

Interesting - I know a Dutch boy - my son-in-law!

 

[gophert]

Interesting - I know a Dutch boy - my son-in-law!

This Dutch boy's finger is not quite fat enough.

 

[shortbus=]

Very true of Victoria's infrastructure. Built stout enough to last 200 years.

Most of infrastructure at Victorias secret won't last past menopause.

 

[tvtech]

Most of infrastructure at Victorias secret won't last past menopause.

Someone's smoking something... gimme some lol.