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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2019 16:43:04 GMT
LONG LIFE LOCK GATES TO BE TRIALLED ON KENNET & AVON CANAL The Canal & River Trust, the charity that looks after 2,000 miles of waterways across England and Wales, is to trial a set of new ‘long life’ lock gates on the Kennet & Avon Canal. Currently being installed at Picketsfield Lock near Hungerford in Berkshire, the innovative new gates are intended to bring efficiencies and long term environmental benefits.  The new ‘long life’ lock gates are an evolution of the composite gates – made out of steel and timber – that are used in some places on the Canal & River Trust’s waterways. In developing the gates the Canal & River Trust has been consulting with the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust about the design and construction. Made predominantly out of steel, the innovative new gate design is intended to last at least twice as long as a standard lock gate, with an anticipated life span of over 50 years. The robustness of the metal construction will reduce the need for repairs saving the Canal & River Trust time and money and reducing disruption for boaters. The gates have been designed with sacrificial parts such as the sections where the gates meet to be watertight. But by being sacrificial they can be easily removed and replaced without draining the canal or removing the gates; bringing environmental benefits by reducing the need to mobilise heavy plant and materials at often remote locations. The gates at Picketsfield Lock retain the same paddle gearing, the same fixings and the same steel balance beam and so the proposed gate will resemble the gate that it is to replace giving boaters and visitors the look and feel of a ‘classic’ lock gate.  Richard Wakelen, head of asset management at the Canal & River Trust, said: “The canals were built over 200 years ago and it’s a testament to the original engineers that their designs have stood the test of time. Now, with modern technology, we can trial some improvements that could make things better for boaters while making the best use of our resources. It’s exciting to be trialling something new and innovative on the canals and imagining that, in generations to come, engineers could be looking at our designs and building on them. “As the charity that looks after 2,000 miles of waterways across England & Wales, we are always searching for innovative ways to look after the locks, bridges, tunnels and other infrastructure in our care and welcome the support of the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust.” Chris Sims, chair of the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust said: “Timber lock gates are renewed every 20 to 25 years, however we can see that these newly designed trial gates lasting over 50 years. “The Kennet and Avon Canal Trust has been looking at innovative new designs for some while now and we see this exciting trial as a first step of change that we are undertaking in partnership as two canal charities.” |
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Post by peterboat on Dec 12, 2019 17:04:50 GMT
We have had steel gates on the SSYN since it was redone in 88 shame CRT didnt check before printing the above
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2019 17:22:06 GMT
We have had steel gates on the SSYN since it was redone in 88 shame CRT didnt check before printing the above There are several on the gu as well, but I believe these new gates are different in they have a modular design that allows for various repairs without the need for long stoppages and heavy plant. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2019 17:34:48 GMT
I wonder if the collars and gate anchors are being redesigned as well. I could see them suffering from having steel gates. ETA from the first picture it looks like yes. However with all metal it seems that those anchors will get shaken loose from gates being slammed. A collar with two halves bolted together is going to want to be well bolted and locked up. The old collars are single piece with collar keys and spacers called hog rings. Then came the threaded ones which come undone. Now we have two semicircles bolted together. People will slam gates. I see the seals themselves are wooden rather than rubber.  |
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Post by naughtyfox on Dec 12, 2019 17:39:04 GMT
P45s all round at the workshops! Money saved = bigger bonuses for the management!
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Post by quaysider on Dec 12, 2019 19:48:06 GMT
There are loads of steel gates on the L & L and from what I was told, English Heritage (/I think it was them) have issued crt with a deadline to replace them with "traditional" gates ... wtf?
It makes sense to make ALL new ones as cheaply and robustly as possible - using modern techniques. Perhaps, in a flight like marple, RATHER than fecking around having it closed for months like it was (for heritage reasons no doubt) they could make new gatesin new ways and just do 1 set "original" as a nod to heritage and make a feature out of it.... doing the rest "economically" so they actually WORK .
Just my thoughts
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Post by naughtyfox on Dec 13, 2019 8:39:02 GMT
TAG: CORRUPTION ENGLISH HERITAGE WATCH "This sort of waste of public money can only be found in the UK, in quangos. Run by self-indulgent rich-kids, pursuing their own interests with no regulation or proper scrutiny. Why is this not criminal? Why is it still possible to run quangos such as English Heritage without normal social, political and financial controls?" englishheritagewatch.wordpress.com/tag/corruption/ |
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Post by naughtyfox on Dec 13, 2019 8:41:51 GMT
"That this House is deeply concerned to learn that the Direct Works Department of English Heritage has been sold to a French-owned waste management company, SITA, and that the Chairman of the parent company and a director of the United Kingdom arm, Jean-Jacques Prompsy, was last November found guilty of corruption and given a four year suspended sentence by a French court, and was taken into custody on 24th January this year as part of an investigation into a second corruption scandal; notes that English Heritage refuses to disclose the price paid by SITA (GB) for assets and goodwill in the sale; further notes that in the Government's guidelines for competitive tendering, prospective contractors are subject to thorough vetting; is dismayed that the procedures for vetting are clearly inadequate and parliamentary scrutiny is being undermined by claims of commercial confidentiality; and calls on the Department of National Heritage and to intervene immediately and re-open the tendering process in the interests of the British taxpayer." edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/12878/privatisation-of-english-heritage-direct-works-department |
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Post by TonyDunkley on Dec 13, 2019 9:20:49 GMT
Whoever has dreamed up - I won't glorify them by describing them as having been designed - this miraculous new generation of gates doesn't know very much about the subject, . . and even less about how and why lock gates deteriorate to the point of becoming unserviceable and potentially dangerous.
Wooden heel and mitre posts fixed in position to a box section frame with a few bolts is a point of weakness and incipient failure built-in from new. All steel gates with wooden 'fits' in rebates in the mitres, the bottom beams, and on the downhill side of the heel posts is the well proven way to go for any navigation authority looking to successfully modernize lock gate construction !
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2019 12:27:05 GMT
Whoever has dreamed up - I won't glorify them by describing them as having been designed - this miraculous new generation of gates doesn't know very much about the subject, . . and even less about how and why lock gates deteriorate to the point of becoming unserviceable and potentially dangerous. Wooden heel and mitre posts fixed in position to a box section frame with a few bolts is a point of weakness and incipient failure built-in from new. All steel gates with wooden 'fits' in rebates in the mitres, the bottom beams, and on the downhill side of the heel posts is the well proven way to go for any navigation authority looking to successfully modernize lock gate construction ! We've had metal vee gates on the Nene since at least the very early 70's The Great Ouse was rebuilt with metal vee gates from the 50's onwards. The MLC seem to favour would though. |
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Post by mouse on Dec 13, 2019 12:42:30 GMT
A wonderful language is English. Two words spelt differently meaning different things but pronounced the same! 🤪🤪
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2019 15:18:37 GMT
Whoever has dreamed up - I won't glorify them by describing them as having been designed - this miraculous new generation of gates doesn't know very much about the subject, . . and even less about how and why lock gates deteriorate to the point of becoming unserviceable and potentially dangerous. Wooden heel and mitre posts fixed in position to a box section frame with a few bolts is a point of weakness and incipient failure built-in from new. All steel gates with wooden 'fits' in rebates in the mitres, the bottom beams, and on the downhill side of the heel posts is the well proven way to go for any navigation authority looking to successfully modernize lock gate construction ! We've had metal vee gates on the Nene since at least the very early 70's The Great Ouse was rebuilt with metal vee gates from the 50's onwards. The MLC seem to favour would though. A wonderful language is English. Two words spelt differently meaning different things but pronounced the same! 🤪🤪 Well spotted, I wood have corrected it had you not picked me up on it! Predictive text innit?! |
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Post by metanoia on Dec 13, 2019 16:54:13 GMT
A wonderful language is English. Two words spelt differently meaning different things but pronounced the same! 🤪🤪 Well spotted, mouse   Can't remember if that is a homonym or homophone ….? No doubt someone with a proper edjukation with be along soon...…….. Meanwhile, I'm just pleased to see any kind of new gates being installed anywhere on the system! met x |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2019 9:28:14 GMT
Updates on £43.6 million winter works programme We're carrying out a £43.6 million programme of repairs on waterways across England & Wales this winter. Ahead of Christmas, here's an update on the first six weeks of works and what’s coming up in the new year. Llangollen winter works at Quoisley Of the 118 hand-crafted lock gate leaves due to be replaced, over 100 have been made and about half are now on site either having been fitted or about to be put in place. Our teams have completed 14 of the published winter improvement works with another 36 due to be finished by the Christmas break. A further 92 repair and refurbishment projects will be completed in the new year.  Major projects In terms of major projects that the we are carrying out, work has been completed to replace gate cylinders on the Tees Barrage. On the Lancaster Canal, the Lune Embankment is being relined, while on the Macclesfield Canal similar work is being carried out at Palmerston Street Embankment. At Hurleston on the Llangollen Canal, where movement in the lock walls has restricted passage through the lock, we are carrying out work to rebuild the affected wall, halt movement, and increase the width of the lock chamber. Work is ongoing at Winterburn Reservoir, and at Blackbrook Junction Bridge in the West Midlands. In the new year we have scheduled a programme of works that includes repairs to mechanical swing and lift bridges, embankment relining, and culvert repairs, amongst others. Two pumping stations are also on the list for special attention. Bowyer Street Pumping Station, a key water supply to the Grand Union Canal, will see works to upgrade and replace life-expired pumps. On the Wendover Arm, a similar project at Tringford Pumping Station will replace the pumps, pipes, electrics and gantry. Dredging in action Dredging has been completed on the Macclesfield Canal and on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, where we have removed 27,000 tons of contaminated sediment at Titford Pools. Further dredging, bank protection and tree works are planned in the new year. On the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal at Pontymoile, 4km of dredging has been completed, with a further 2.2km planned in the new year. Spot dredging on the Llangollen Canal is ongoing with around 1700 cubic metres of silt removed from the 2km length between Frankton Junction and New Marton Locks, with some dredgings reused to repair offside erosion. The work will continue into the new year, along with reactive spot dredging across the country and projects at Sharpness Dock, Ribble Link, Liverpool Dock approaches, and on the Upper & Lower Peak Forest and Chesterfield canals. |
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