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Post by JohnV on Apr 2, 2019 11:06:33 GMT
I think the bridge is 1970s. that's why I said "or Victorian style" |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2019 11:16:31 GMT
I think the bridge is 1970s. that's why I said "or Victorian style" Oh yes |
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Post by TonyDunkley on Apr 2, 2019 12:09:03 GMT
There are in fact remote grease nipples for each of the pin and eye bearings at both ends of each of the two hanger bars.
The nipples are mounted on a small, square plate attached to the hanger bars, just above the top of the safety rails on the bridge deck, and grease from them is fed to all four pivot bearings via a 3/16" copper pipe.
When inspected, all four nipples were devoid of any residual traces of grease and were beginning to show signs of external corrosion. It is impossible to determine just when any routine lubrication was last carried out from the appearance alone of the nipples, but the fact that the bearing surfaces of the failed hanger bar attachment had been operating completely 'dry', and were showing signs of corrosion and 'fretting', it is safe to say that it has been very much too long an interval !
It is not unreasonable to assume that the sort of routine inspection to which any type or form of lifting apparatus must be subjected to by law, has been attended to with the same lack of diligence that has been applied to routine maintenance and lubrication. It is also not unreasonable to assume that all the other lifting bridges in the area, which, despite being overall rather bigger, are of similar or even identical design, have been neglected to the same degree, and that any or all of them could be at the point of an imminent and similar failure.
C&RT, to say nothing of the road and canal users who could have been killed or injured, were extremely fortunate on the 19th of March that only one of the hanger bar attachments failed, . . had both sides failed simultaneously the counterweight would have swung uncontrollably and rapidly down to it's 'bridge raised' position only just above bridge deck/road level, possibly initiating either a full or partial collapse of the uprights carrying the counterweight and the counterweight beams at the same time.
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Post by JohnV on Apr 2, 2019 12:26:53 GMT
There are in fact remote grease nipples for each of the pin and eye bearings at both ends of each of the two hanger bars. The nipples are mounted on a small, square plate attached to the hanger bars, just above the top of the safety rails on the bridge deck, and grease from them is fed to all four pivot bearings via a 3/16" copper pipe. When inspected, all four nipples were devoid of any residual traces of grease and were beginning to show signs of external corrosion. It is impossible to determine just when any routine lubrication was last carried out from the appearance alone of the nipples, but the fact that the bearing surfaces of the failed hanger bar attachment had been operating completely 'dry', and were showing signs of corrosion and 'fretting', it is safe to say that it has been very much too long an interval ! I would think that if the HSE get wind of that, CRT could be in line for a right royal rollicking. Putting the safety of the public at risk by failing to carry out basic maintenance would almost certainly be regarded as extremely serious. They can probably consider themselves very lucky there was no involvement of the public in the failure |
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Post by kris on Apr 2, 2019 12:31:14 GMT
There are in fact remote grease nipples for each of the pin and eye bearings at both ends of each of the two hanger bars. The nipples are mounted on a small, square plate attached to the hanger bars, just above the top of the safety rails on the bridge deck, and grease from them is fed to all four pivot bearings via a 3/16" copper pipe. When inspected, all four nipples were devoid of any residual traces of grease and were beginning to show signs of external corrosion. It is impossible to determine just when any routine lubrication was last carried out from the appearance alone of the nipples, but the fact that the bearing surfaces of the failed hanger bar attachment had been operating completely 'dry', and were showing signs of corrosion and 'fretting', it is safe to say that it has been very much too long an interval ! I would think that if the HSE get wind of that, CRT could be in line for a right royal rollicking. Putting the safety of the public at risk by failing to carry out basic maintenance would almost certainly be regarded as extremely serious. They can probably consider themselves very lucky there was no involvement of the public in the failure You would hope so John, but unfortunately I think something serious would have to happen before they do anything. |
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Post by TonyDunkley on Apr 2, 2019 13:00:43 GMT
There are in fact remote grease nipples for each of the pin and eye bearings at both ends of each of the two hanger bars. The nipples are mounted on a small, square plate attached to the hanger bars, just above the top of the safety rails on the bridge deck, and grease from them is fed to all four pivot bearings via a 3/16" copper pipe. When inspected, all four nipples were devoid of any residual traces of grease and were beginning to show signs of external corrosion. It is impossible to determine just when any routine lubrication was last carried out from the appearance alone of the nipples, but the fact that the bearing surfaces of the failed hanger bar attachment had been operating completely 'dry', and were showing signs of corrosion and 'fretting', it is safe to say that it has been very much too long an interval ! I would think that if the HSE get wind of that, CRT could be in line for a right royal rollicking. Putting the safety of the public at risk by failing to carry out basic maintenance would almost certainly be regarded as extremely serious. They can probably consider themselves very lucky there was no involvement of the public in the failure I contacted both the HSE and Doncaster Council's Highways Dept. yesterday John, and everything I've posted on here today has already been forwarded to them. The complete cessation of routine maintenance on lock equipment is bad enough in itself, but in expanding the scope of their neglect to the extent of seriously endangering the general public C&RT have, hopefully, now put themselves utterly beyond the pale. My only regret in all this is that some of the flak is inevitably going to land on Sean McGinley, C&RT's newly appointed Regional Director for the area. He is a thoroughly able, conscientious, and decent man who has inherited much of the responsibility for the god-awful mess that has been created over the last few years by Jon Horsfall, the former so-called Waterway Manager based at Leeds. By way of a modicum of light and rather amusing relief, it's worth noting that in his new role as Head of Customer Service Support, Mr Horseshit is still involved to some extent with the goings-on at Wykewell End Lift Bridge in that this week he is sending one of his minions to serve a Section 8 Notice on a boat which has been left moored near the bridge for too long, and which C&RT are saying is causing an obstruction to navigation ! |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2019 14:42:59 GMT
I find it a little bit odd that highways agency would not take an interest in routine inspection of moveable bridges.
After all if it did fail in the way Tony suggested ie the counterweight initiating a collapse of the main upright structure there would be quite a high probability of it having a negative or even catastrophic effect on a vehicle or vehicles.
So why do highways not keep an eye on this sort of thing ?
I've noticed a tendency for grease nipples to be painted over.
To be fair I think that something as critical as a lifting bridge should be subjected to regular bearing replacement rather than relying on regular greasing which may well not happen or nipples get painted.
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Post by JohnV on Apr 2, 2019 16:09:55 GMT
I know that the bridges over the river Hull are operated and maintained by the council and not by the highways agency
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