View allAll Photos Tagged Scheming
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken in the third full week of November 2014. There's a big drop-off in activity on this site now. Continued removal of equipment, back to base or other construction sites. The last 'crawler crane' is being stripped down. Heavy-duty vehicular access to the far bank is restricted by the width and load-bearing capacity of the temporary bridge at Coburg, meaning that the crane has to propel itself out and across the river to a waiting low-loader. The boom arm of the 50-ton CCH3000 Crawler Crane is broken down into sections, and shipped out by truck. A Liebherr LTM 1050/1 All Terrain Mobile Crane was used for the job. The steep angle of the bank meant that the attending CAT 3300L had to nudge and lift the crawler crane at critical moments. These guys knew what they were doing, had done it many times before and never faltered for a moment. A great lunch-hour show for me to watch.
This little montage features a veritable gathering of four Mean Green Machines.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken towards the end of the second week of February 2017.
These are the critical stabilisation works at the Silverbridge site, adjacent to the N11 dual-carriageway:
Back in November 2014, we'd observed bank stabilisation works here involving excavation, repair and building of a support wall structure -- carried out by JONS Construction on behalf of the National Roads Authority.
We would occasionally catch sight of this work in the distance. Quite an impressive little piece of structural engineering.
Having built a retaining concave wall, backfilled for solidity, they were also drilling, fixing and sealing ground anchors to pin the entire structure together.
Now we see that further works are being undertaken.
Word has it that extra ‘stabilisation work’ had to be done to protect the integrity of the riverbank.
At the section here we can see that there’s not much space between the edge of the rock face and the Armco at the side of the dual-carriageway.
Have yet to determine what precisely that will entail. Serious work to reinforce the side access ramp down to the river.
The N11 carriageway runs adjacent to this sunken side of the riverbank -- barely 2 (large) paces divide the two. Even with twin strips of Armco along the roadside, it's perilously close. Traffic speeds along this stretch (maximum speed 100 kmp). Only needs a touch from a heavy vehicle to cause secondary impact, which (worst possible scenario) could result in something going airborne.
Working in these confined spaces puts a premium of safety and communication.
The guys have hard-filled a working shelf on the riverbed, to allow machinery access to the rockface. Obviously some serious drilling is called for before a form of extra 'pinning' is put in place.
They have sunk a series of hollowed tubes/casings -- obviously to form the foundations of a more extensive structure.
And some investigative work around the transverse buttress of the access bridge, parallel to the heavy-duty pipeline carrying water down from the Vartry reservoir.
At a (rough) guess -- I'd say the foundations were sunk to a depth of approx 4+m.
With such secure foundations in place, they would then look to construct a substantial bank of material, and/or retaining wall (similar to that in place further along the roadside bank).
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Previously the guys drilled and sunk 4+metre deep reinforced tubing and rods along a newly laid concrete base. Those stubs were then used to attach steel rod cradles -- which, in turn, were filled with poured concrete. Result - the wall quickly rises. Variation on the method they've used elsewhere along this stretch of the river.
A continuous stretch of protective wall has now been poured, and joined up with the section originally erected back in 2014.
As we can see from the side-on shot, the base of the wall has pre-cut openings for the retaining pins that have been driven into the side wall of the roadside cliff. These have been sealed and capped.
Progress has been rapid, the full stretch of wall is completed, and the guys are now working on back-filling the empty space between the protective wall and the roadside rock face. You don't just throw in a few trucks loads of soil and hope for the best. You load, layer, level and compress.
And, at the same time, the guys are clearing away material used to build access ramps down into the riverbed.
The thought crossed my mind -- in doing so (removing the stone-filled gabions etc,) are they potentially exposing the river bank on that side to erosion, slippage etc?
We know the destructive force of fast running waters. Hell, this is precisely why the protective works have been carried out along the rest of the stretch, down to the Bray Harbour. Unless they have other plans to stabilise it, what is going to be left here is loose soil -- very close to the access road into the halting site itself.
Some repair/reinforcing work is going on here to protect the (old) buttress that supports the pipework carrying water to the Bray region.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the Bank Holiday weekend of August 2014.
As far back as October 2014, I'd previously crossed over the river to record in close-up detail what was happening on the ground in the whole Slang/Rehills section.
Now, with the main tranche of work here completed, I reckoned it time to pay another visit.
Wanted to record the area before they seeded it and the vegetation took over.
Although the entrance gate was locked for the weekend, the water levels were low enough to allow me to walk across at a particularly narrow section.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the Bank Holiday weekend of August 2014.
As far back as October 2014, I'd previously crossed over the river to record in close-up detail what was happening on the ground in the whole Slang/Rehills section.
Now, with the main tranche of work here completed, I reckoned it time to pay another visit.
Wanted to record the area before they seeded it and the vegetation took over.
Although the entrance gate was locked for the weekend, the water levels were low enough to allow me to walk across at a particularly narrow section.
Entrance to the Cinecittà studios
Cinecittà (pronounced [ˌtʃinetʃitˈta]; Italian for Cinema City) is a large film studio in Rome, Italy. With an area of 400,000 square metres, it is the largest film studio in Europe, and is considered the hub of Italian cinema. The studios were constructed during the Fascist era as part of a scheme to revive the Italian film industry.[1]
World-renowned filmmakers such as Federico Fellini, Roberto Rossellini, Luchino Visconti, Sergio Leone, Bernardo Bertolucci, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and Mel Gibson have worked at Cinecittà. More than 3,000 movies have been filmed there, of which 90 received an Academy Award nomination and 47 of these won it.[2] In the 1950s, the number of international productions being made there led to Rome being dubbed "Hollywood on the Tiber."
The studios were founded in 1937 by Benito Mussolini, his son Vittorio, and his head of cinema Luigi Freddi under the slogan "Il cinema è l'arma più forte" ("Cinema is the most powerful weapon").[3] The purpose was not only for propaganda, but also to support the recovering Italian feature film industry, which had reached its low point in 1931.[1] Mussolini himself inaugurated the studios on 21 April 1937.[4] Post-production units and sets were constructed and heavily used initially. Early films such as Scipio Africanus (1937) and The Iron Crown (1941) showcased the technological advancement of the studios. Seven thousand people were involved in the filming of the battle scene from Scipio Africanus, and live elephants were brought in as a part of the re-enactment of the Battle of Zama.[5]
The studios were bombed by the Western Allies during the bombing of Rome in World War II. Following the war, between 1945 and 1947, the studios of Cinecittà were used as a displaced persons' camp for a period of about two years, following German occupation and Allied bombing that destroyed parts of the studio.[6] An estimated 3,000 refugees lived there, divided into two camps: an Italian camp housing Italians as well as displaced people from colonized Libya and Dalmatia, and an international camp, including refugees from Yugoslavia, Poland, Egypt, Iran, and China.[7]
After rebuilding in the postwar years, the studios were used once again for their post-production facilities. In the 1950s, Cinecittà, described as Hollywood on the Tiber, was the filming location for several large American film productions, like Roman Holiday (1953), Beat the Devil (1953), The Barefoot Contessa (1954), Ben-Hur (1959), and some low-budget action pictures starring Lex Barker, who also starred in Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960).[8] The studios were for many years closely associated with Fellini.[9][10]
Later, the studios were used for further international productions such as Francis of Assisi (1961), Cleopatra (1963), The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965), Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet (1968), Fellini's Casanova (1976), La Traviata (1982) and many other productions.
After a period of near-bankruptcy, the Italian Government privatized Cinecittà in 1997, selling an 80% stake.[11] On August 9, 2007, a fire destroyed about 3000 m² (32,000 sq. ft.) of the Cinecittà lot and surroundings. The historic part that houses the sets of classics such as Ben-Hur was not damaged; however, a good portion of the original sets from the HBO/BBC series Rome was destroyed.[12] In July 2012, another fire damaged Teatro 5, the vast studio where Fellini filmed La Dolce Vita[13] and Satyricon (1969).[14][11]
Since the 1990s, films have included Anthony Minghella's The English Patient (1992), Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York (2002),[13] Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) and Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ (2004).
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken in the second full week of November 2014.
There's a big drop-off in activity on this site now. The main (final) focus will be on completing the profiles to the wall, securing with poured concrete, and then the completion with the pre-fabricated stone capping.
The guys have attached steel frames to the recess of the sheet-steel uprights, and filled with concrete. They very carefully check levels, laser-assisted.
There's still a surprising amount of intricate manual work involved -- machines can only do so much!
The next step involves swinging in Precast Retaining Structure, Standard Capping Units (1.4T - supplied by Banagher Precast Concrete), with inset jacking points, and embedded rods to intertwine with the sheet-steel wall.
Accuracy satisfied, the welder melds them together.
A race against time, schedules - and the heavy rains, with high river levels that finally arrived, in fine time to test the effectiveness of the riverbed changes.
It's no co-incidence that whenever we see fast-flowing muddy waters, we also see our resident Cormorant stalking patiently. Perfect hunting conditions for them, obviously.
And I regularly seen them catch fish, so the river is fish-friendly still!
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the Bank Holiday weekend of August 2014.
As far back as October 2014, I'd previously crossed over the river to record in close-up detail what was happening on the ground in the whole Slang/Rehills section.
Now, with the main tranche of work here completed, I reckoned it time to pay another visit.
Wanted to record the area before they seeded it and the vegetation took over.
Although the entrance gate was locked for the weekend, the water levels were low enough to allow me to walk across at a particularly narrow section.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the second week of May 2017.
Most of the main civil engineering works have ceased along the Slang/Rehills section of the river bank.
However, the soil-shifters are at it again.
Smaller operation than before, but a steady process of removing soil, shifting soil and reshaping the banks.
Said it before, and I'll say it again . . . . .
I call it the 'Biggest Sandpit/Playarea' in Wicklow, in Leinster, in Ireland.
The place is a mess. Aesthetically, the uneven flow to the ridges and terraces annoys me.
You don't have to be a certified civil engineer to figure out that there are quicker and more efficient ways to move the soil.
Using one excavator, a few dumper-trucks and a single bulldozer is a process not driven by time/cost.
If you 'really' had to complete this work quickly, you'd line up a few 'bigboy' bulldozers . . . . . and shift the soil in days, rather than weeks-months.
This 'hurdler on the ditch' simply comments on the piecemeal nature of this planning!
Hard to believe - but I've been recording this project now for 5 years.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the fourth week of June, 2017.
The levels of activity fluctuate along this stretch of the riverbank, and especially around the Irish Rail bridge, informed by the tides and priorities.
Since Summer 2016, this is where the heavy-duty engineering works have been taking place.
This is a section of the flood protection scheme that I have not covered in detail -- it's inconvenient for me to access, and others cover it much better.
Standing on an access bridge, adjacent to the Bray Boxing Club (from whence sprang Katie Taylor, and others of illustrious note), looking back up the river, towards the town direction.
That was the site of the old Bray Golf Club -- hotly contested as a (potentially) poorly considered as a site for a shopping centre development complex, and still an area of ground that has to act as a flood plain in the event of tidal surges.
As well as raising a heightened flood protection wall, they've created an access ramp down to the riverside.
The area in the background, site of the old Bray Golf course, was both a works compound and vehicle route for the transportation of material to/from the other sectors along the River Dargle involved in construction works.
The Irish Rail Bridge, Bray Harbour:
Phase 1 flood defence works to the Irish Rail bridge commenced in August 2016.
Phase 2 flood defence works will be completed during May to September 2017. This work is being undertaken directly by Irish Rail.
The work includes strengthening the integrity of the bridge by creating buttresses around the base of each pillar.
To do this they have to pile-drive sheets into the river bedrock.
The work is complicated by;
(a) the need not to damage or disturb in any way the actual bridge itself (Irish Rail train and DART carriages pass overhead on an hourly basis), (b) the confined spaces under the bridge, and (c) the twice-daily rising tides from Bray Harbour which spill upriver into the newly expanded basin.
The length of the Ravenswell Road is to be landscaped into a pedestrian 'experience', with plants, seating and viewing points created in the sea-wall. I think this might link up with a new road and pathway being constructed around to Little Bray.
Through the past few weeks/months, we can see the construction in and around the Irish Rail bridge, where new and extensive reinforced concrete collars are built up to support the existing support pillars/piers. The river and sea beds are also engineered to control the flow of tides and river flows.
For all the convenience, speed and efficiency that modern machinery offers, the scale and nature of this specialised construction works still requires the team of workers to get down and 'hands-on' with the river-bed and the associated fittings that go to shape the upgraded flood defence works.
State of Rajasthan is the largest state in the country covering an area of 3,42,239 sq.km which is more than 10% of the total geographical area of the country. The status of water in the state is very critical.Some projects benefiting Rajasthan : Narmada Project, Mahi Project, Bisalpur Project, Isarda Drinking cum Irrigation Project, Ratanpura Distributary, Rajasthan Water Sector Restructuring Project (RWSRP), etc. .
The Morristown and Erie and the New York & Greenwood Lake both takes inspiration in some or most of their paint scheme from the Erie Railroad.
ME MX-29 @ Passaic, NJ
ME C424 19
EL U34CH 3372
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October, 2016.
On occasional check on works on-going close to the centre of Bray itself, in and around the Bridge.
This is a section of the flood protection scheme that I have pretty much ignored -- it's inconvenient for me to access, and others cover it much better.
Check out 'Turgidson'.
Looking downriver, from the People's Park, towards the town of Bray with the 'Fran O'Toole bridge' in immediate view.
Bray: Fran O’Toole Bridge:
On 31 July 1975, five members of the Miami Showband were travelling by minibus back to Dublin from a gig in Banbridge, County Down.
At the townland of Buskhill, outside of Newry, they were stopped at a bogus military checkpoint by gunmen dressed in British Army uniform, who ordered them to get out and line up by the roadside.
They were members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). Two of them had hidden a time bomb on the minibus, but it exploded prematurely and killed them.
The remaining gunmen then opened fire on the band members, killing Fran O'Toole, Brian McCoy and Tony Geraghty and wounding Des Lee and Stephen Travers.
On Saturday 4 July, Bray Bridge was renamed the Fran O'Toole Bridge.
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Bray Bridge, Main Street, Bray, County Wicklow :
Three-arch stone built road bridge over the Dargle or Bray River, built in 1855-56. The bridge is in dressed granite, with round-ended piers rising into panelled pilasters and a string course just above the level of the arches.
The arches themselves are segmental, whilst the parapets have rounded coping. Branching off to the north-east of the bridge a smaller single-arch dry bridge, carrying the Ravenswell Road over a grass-covered laneway which leads down to the riverbank itself.
This smaller bridge is in granite rubble with a segmental arch with dressed granite voussoirs, and rounded coping to the parapets.
(Description: National Inventory of Architectural heritage)
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the fourth week of July, 2016.
And we're back to the Rehills/Slang section -- between La Vallee and Rivervale.
Where previously this area was an organised structure of vast earth mounds, which ebbed and flowed with the removal of material, saw the import and removal of enormous mounds of stone material, and emerged as a relatively levelled piece of ground -- we saw the arrival of a fleet of 4-axle trucks bearing fresh mounds of stone. This continued for the best part of a week.
And what has been dumped, has to be sorted, and piled, and graded . . . and ultimately moved on to somewhere else!
In fairness to this contractor (Jons Construction) they recognise the need to control the working environment . . . and YES, that involves watering the access route to the disposal zone.
Hold on, are you telling me that it hasn't been raining recently in Ireland/Wicklow/Bray?
Apparently, not enough.
Hence the arrival of our little friend -- the Ruscon 2000 Slurry Tanker, used as a water bowser/sprayer.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the fourth week of June, 2017.
The levels of activity fluctuate along this stretch of the riverbank, and especially around the Irish Rail bridge, informed by the tides and priorities.
Since Summer 2016, this is where the heavy-duty engineering works have been taking place.
This is a section of the flood protection scheme that I have not covered in detail -- it's inconvenient for me to access, and others cover it much better.
Standing on the new riverside walkway alongside Seapoint Court, we could see construction activity sited along the Ravenswell Road, temporarily closed due to on-going works.
That was the site of the old Bray Golf Club -- hotly contested as a (potentially) poorly considered as a site for a shopping centre development complex, and still an area of ground that has to act as a flood plain in the event of tidal surges.
As well as raising a heightened flood protection wall, they've created an access ramp down to the riverside.
The area in the background, site of the old Bray Golf course, was both a works compound and vehicle route for the transportation of material to/from the other sectors along the River Dargle involved in construction works.
The Irish Rail Bridge, Bray Harbour:
Phase 1 flood defence works to the Irish Rail bridge commenced in August 2016.
Phase 2 flood defence works will be completed during May to September 2017. This work is being undertaken directly by Irish Rail.
The work includes strengthening the integrity of the bridge by creating buttresses around the base of each pillar.
To do this they have to pile-drive sheets into the river bedrock.
The work is complicated by;
(a) the need not to damage or disturb in any way the actual bridge itself (Irish Rail train and DART carriages pass overhead on an hourly basis), (b) the confined spaces under the bridge, and (c) the twice-daily rising tides from Bray Harbour which spill upriver into the newly expanded basin.
The length of the Ravenswell Road is to be landscaped into a pedestrian 'experience', with plants, seating and viewing points created in the sea-wall. I think this might link up with a new road and pathway being constructed around to Little Bray.
Through the past few weeks/months, we can see the construction in and around the Irish Rail bridge, where new and extensive reinforced concrete collars are built up to support the existing support pillars/piers. The river and sea beds are also engineered to control the flow of tides and river flows.
For all the convenience, speed and efficiency that modern machinery offers, the scale and nature of this specialised construction works still requires the team of workers to get down and 'hands-on' with the river-bed and the associated fittings that go to shape the upgraded flood defence works.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the fourth week of August, 2016.
On one of my infrequent trips down to the Harbour area, just to check out progress here. Throughout the summer, this is where the heavy-duty engineering works have been taking place.
This is a section of the flood protection scheme that I have pretty much ignored -- it's inconvenient for me to access, and others cover it much better.
Check out 'Turgidson'.
Standing on the new riverside walkway alongside Seapoint Court, we see construction activity sited along the Ravenswell Road, temporarily closed due to on-going works.
That is the site of the old Bray Golf Club -- hotly contested as a (potentially) poorly considered site for a shopping centre development complex, and still an area of ground that has to act as a flood plain in the event of tidal surges.
As well as raising a heightened flood protection wall, they've created an access ramp down to the riverside. Further temporary soil shelves have been laid to allow construction machines to work alongside the riverbed. That access is critical to pursue work on the nearby Irish Rail bridge.
The area in the background, site of the old Bray Golf course, is both a works compound and vehicle route for the transportation of material to/from the other sectors along the River Dargle innvolved in construction works.
The Irish Rail Bridge, Bray Harbour:
Phase 1 flood defence works to the Irish Rail bridge commenced in August 2016.
Phase 2 flood defence works will be completed during May to September 2017. This work is being undertaken directly by Irish Rail.
The work will include strengthening the integrity of the bridge by creating buttresses around the base of each pillar.
To do this they have to pile-drive sheets into the river bedrock.
The work is complicated by;
(a) the need not to damage or disturb in any way the actual bridge itself (Irish Rail train and DART carriages pass overhead on an hourly basis), (b) the confined spaces under the bridge, and (c) the twice-daily rising tides from Bray Harbour which spill upriver into the newly expanded basin.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of November, 2016.
We saw some activity here during the latter part of September.
On the stretch opposite the Riversdale apartment complex, we saw them working on a steep slope of the riverbank.
Some 4 years ago the steep part of the bank had been stripped away and a lot of work invested in 'soil stitching', intended to stabilise the integrity of such a steep, but 'exposed' bank. The soil on the hill behind had been prone to slippage, aggravated by shallow rooting trees etc.
It would seem that yet another strip will have to be similarly treated to 'preserve' it's integrity.
Yea, it begs the question:
Why wasn't this fully scoped when the first work was being implemented, and/or was it a factor is causing (what I call) erosion-spread?
Check out the images here, taken in August 2012:
Looking out the office window, we see (slightly blurred) some machinery en-route to the works area, including our old friend the 4x4 Bedford truck (featured in the albums as far back as 4 years ago), and a specialised rig used for the bank stabilisation work -- a MANITOU MRT1432 MANISCOPIC ROTATION TELEHANDLER.
The Maniscopic forklift is carrying a platform upon which the contractors have mounted a drilling rig - used to bore drills into the steeply sloped bank, which are then injected with a liquid cement solution and finished out with fastening rods.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the second week of May 2017.
This image was snapped outside the Riversdale apartment complex, adjacent to La Vallee.
Doesn't need much more explanation!
In fact, the sign disappeared quicker than the canine excrement.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the second week of May 2017.
Most of the main civil engineering works have ceased along the Slang/Rehills section of the river bank.
However, the soil-shifters are at it again.
Smaller operation than before, but a steady process of removing soil, shifting soil and reshaping the banks.
Said it before, and I'll say it again . . . . .
I call it the 'Biggest Sandpit/Playarea' in Wicklow, in Leinster, in Ireland.
The place is a mess. Aesthetically, the uneven flow to the ridges and terraces annoys me.
You don't have to be a certified civil engineer to figure out that there are quicker and more efficient ways to move the soil.
Using one excavator, a few dumper-trucks and a single bulldozer is a process not driven by time/cost.
If you 'really' had to complete this work quickly, you'd line up a few 'bigboy' bulldozers . . . . . and shift the soil in days, rather than weeks-months.
This 'hurdler on the ditch' simply comments on the piecemeal nature of this planning!
Hard to believe - but I've been recording this project now for 5 years.
When the DublinBike scheme was first announced many, if not all, people believed that it would fail because the bikes would be stolen or vandalised within days. Much to my surprise it has been a huge success and apparently only bicycle has been stole. According to local legend the thief tried to sell the stolen bike to a local bicycle shop claiming that he owned the bicycle.
Dublin was the 17th city to implement such a scheme, and it is considered one of the most successful bike sharing schemes in the world. As part of my “Street Of Dublin” project I am in the process of photographing all the bike stations in the city. The photographs will be included on a website which will include maps and detailed information about the surrounding areas including pubs, restaurants and places of interest.
DublinBikes is a public bicycle rental scheme which has operated in the city since 2009. Initially the scheme used 450 French-made unisex bicycles distributed across 40 stations. By 2011 the scheme had expanded to 550 bicycles and 44 stations, and again in 2013 it was announced that a major expansion of the scheme would add a further 950 bikes and another 58 hire points.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October 2014.
The guys were now working to reinforce the riverside of the sheetpiling, buttressing with large boulders, and an overlay of smaller gravel. Most of the sheet piles were driven into place. Work now involved re-inforcing the base of the sheet wall.
On this side of the river, that work required the placement of steel-rod reinforced concrete pouring. Weekend stroll along the riverbank to get a closer look at the structures.
Wanted to monitor the effects of the overnight deluge of rain. Took the opportunity also to fully explore the Slang (Rehill) area on the other side of the bank.
Hadn't been there before.
Spectacularly bright and sunny day (a bit difficult for photos), interestingly different view of the buildings we work in.
Apart from occasional soft surface, there was little evidence of flooding.
That would occur a few days later!
Watched on by the media, Chief of Army Lieutenant General Peter Leahy speaks to Special Forces Direct Recruiting Scheme (SFDRS) soldiers after a live fire platoon attack as the culmination of their training at the Special Forces Training Centre which prepares them for a posting into the Australian Defence Force's Special Operations Command. .
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The SFDRS is a groundbreaking scheme designed to boost Defence's Special Forces capability..
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The program allows intelligent, fit and motivated young men to apply directly for positions in the Special Operations Command..
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Defence Recruiting has received 1674 SFDRS applications since the scheme was launched last October..
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A total of 145 men have enlisted through the program so far this year, during three intakes..
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Most soldiers recruited through SFDRS will serve with the Sydney based regular commando battalion 4RAR (Commando)..
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Commandos are highly trained Special Forces soldiers proficient in parachuting, amphibious operations and a range of other specialist skills including counter terrorism..
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken at the end of the third week of October 2014.
Most of the sheet piles were by now driven into place.
Work now involved reinforcing the base of the sheet wall.
On this side of the river, that work involved the build up of material behind the steel wall, to better reinforce the existing soil bank itself.
Throughout the days, it was a constant 2-way stream of Volvo trucks -- some bringing varying grades of hardcore down to the riverside to build up the rear of the steel wall - other times it was to remove previously laid boulders, as part of temporary access shelf on the outside of the steel wall.
2 of the large crawler cranes had already been dismantled, and removed.
Work continues late into the evening, aided by artificial lighting to assist better visibility in a crowded work area, but more importantly to provide visibility for the overnight security now necessary on-site.
The increased number of Volvo trucks being used, and laagered overnight, presented the problem -- it being impossible to attach screens to protect the windows of the machines, unlike the CAT excavators which had attachable fabricated screens.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken at the end of the third week of October 2014.
Weekend visit to the site to check progress.
Most of the sheet piles were by now driven into place.
Work now involved reinforcing the base of the sheet wall.
Throughout the days, it's been a constant 2-way stream of Volvo trucks -- some bringing varying grades of hardcore down to the riverside to build up the rear of the steel wall - other times it was to remove previously laid boulders, as part of temporary access shelf on the outside of the steel wall.
Checked out the condition of site on the opposite Slang/Rehill side of the river.
Through the past couple of weeks, the contractors have shipped in huge quantities of large boulders.
There's never a handy trebuchet around when you need one!
It's estimate that approx 4,500 tons of stone are stockpiled at present.
It will be used to rebuild the river bed, along the stretch of sheetpile wall.
The purpose of that is to (a) fulfill the environmental commitment to repair/replace the riverbed so as to foster healthy fish life, and (b) present a profiled structure on the riverbed that will assist in the process of 'slowing' the run of water when levels rise after persistent rains.
Fast running water always has a greater impact on surrounding bank structures, so anything that helps to slow it is beneficial.
Broken rainbow -- portent of . . . what?
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken in the second full week of November 2014.
There's a big drop-off in activity on this site now. The main (final) focus will be on completing the profiles to the wall, securing with poured concrete, and then the completion with the pre-fabricated stone capping.
The guys have attached steel frames to the recess of the sheet-steel uprights, and filled with concrete. They very carefully check levels, laser-assisted.
There's still a surprising amount of intricate manual work involved -- machines can only do so much!
The next step involves swinging in Precast Retaining Structure, Standard Capping Units (1.4T - supplied by Banagher Precast Concrete), with inset jacking points, and embedded rods to intertwine with the sheet-steel wall.
Accuracy satisfied, the welder melds them together.
A race against time, schedules - and the heavy rains, with high river levels that finally arrived, in fine time to test the effectiveness of the riverbed changes.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the second full week of August 2014.
Work is now on-going in this area of the The Slang/Dargle River, involving: -- Site preparation and mobilisation comprising sheetpile flood defence walls. The site preparation required the removal of mature trees and vegetation along the riverbank. Section-by-section, long lengths of steel sheet piling are aligned within a frame, and then driven partially into the bedrock by crane-suspended hydraulic hammers.
After a spell of spectacularly good weather, frequent and heavy squalls of rain swept the country. River levels were now prone to heavier flows.
The guys were now working to reinforce the riverside of the sheetpiling, buttressing with large boulders, and an overlay of smaller gravel.
Our friend in the CAT laid out the barrier with wonderful precision and speed. We sensed he wasn't well pleased when someone came along and marked out a line -- by which he should reset the alignment of the boulders!
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken in the third full week of November 2014. There's a big drop-off in activity on this site now. Continued removal of equipment, back to base or other construction sites. The last 'crawler crane' is being stripped down. Heavy-duty vehicular access to the far bank is restricted by the width and load-bearing capacity of the temporary bridge at Coburg, meaning that the crane has to propel itself out and across the river to a waiting low-loader. The boom arm of the 50-ton CCH3000 Crawler Crane is broken down into sections, and shipped out by truck. A Liebherr LTM 1050/1 All Terrain Mobile Crane is used for the job. It's telescopic boom, in working mode, extends to 40 m. At a near-vertical angle of 83º it could lift 7.4 ton. In secured compacted mode (10.5 m height), it could lift 50+ ton. Overall length: 8.7 m, - overall width: 2.5 m.
This following montage features four BigBoy toys -- a veritable gathering of Green Mean Machines.
Scheme 15 from Carbodiimides-Mediated Multi Component Synthesis of Biologically Relevant Structures Published in Organic Chemistry Insights
Magdeburg 2021 - Some kind of former ambulance, probably for mountain accidents, they had the same colour scheme.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken in the last full week of January 2017.
These are the critical stabilisation works at the Silverbridge site, adjacent to the N11 dual-carriageway:
Back in November 2014, we observed bank stabilisation works here involving excavation, repair and building of a support wall structure -- carried out by JONS Construction on behalf of the National Roads Authority.
We would occasionally catch sight of this work in the distance. Quite an impressive little piece of structural engineering.
Having built a retaining concave wall, backfilled for solidity, they were also drilling, fixing and sealing ground anchors to pin the entire structure together.
Now we see that further works are being undertaken.
Word has it that extra ‘stabilisation work’ has to be done to protect the integrity of the riverbank. At the section here we can see that there’s not much space between the edge of the rock face and the Armco at the side of the dual-carriageway.
Have yet to determine what precisely that will entail. Serious work to reinforce the side access ramp down to the river.
The N11 carriageway runs adjacent to this sunken side of the riverbank -- barely 2 (large) paces divide the two. Even with twin strips of Armco along the roadside, it's perilously close. Traffic speeds along this stretch (maximum speed 100 kmp). Only needs a touch from a heavy vehicle to cause secondary impact, which (worst possible scenario) could result in something going airborne.
Working in these confined spaces puts a premium of safety and communication.
The guys have hard-filled a working shelf on the riverbed, to allow machinery access to the rockface. Obviously some serious drilling is called for before a form of extra 'pinning' is put in place.
They have sunk a series of hollowed tubes/casings -- obviously to form the foundations of a more extensive structure.
And some investigative work around the transverse buttress of the access bridge, parallel to the heavy-duty pipeline carrying water down from the Vartry reservoir.
At a (rough) guess -- I'd say the foundations were sunk to a depth of approx 4+m.
With such secure foundations in place, they would then look to construct a substantial bank of material, and/or retaining wall (similar to that in place further along the roadside bank).
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Previously the guys drilled and sunk 4+metre deep reinforced tubing and rods along a newly laid concrete base. Those stubs were then used to attach steel rod cradles -- which, in turn, were filled with poured concrete. Result - the wall quickly rises. Variation on the method they've used elsewhere along this stretch of the river.
A continuous stretch of protective wall has now been poured, and joined up with the section originally erected back in 2014.
As we can see from the side-on shot, the base of the wall has pre-cut openings for the retaining pins that have been driven into the side wall of the roadside cliff. These will be sealed and capped.
Painting and markings:
Very straightforward, too. I used real life Iraqi T-72s as benchmark and chose a typical desert scheme, with an overall sand tone on top of which some brown mottles had been added. For the sand tone I used a car color: a Sixties Volkswagen tone called "Mexicobeige", applied with a rattle can. The brown mottles were later added with a small brush and they were mixed from Humbrol 29 (RAF Dark Earth) and 66 (Olive Drab) in a 2:1 ratio.
The Arabian tactical code number actually belongs to a MiG-29 (from a Begemot sheet), while the New Iraqi Army flag and the grey/green marking were printed with an inkjet at home on white decal paper.
The kit received a light dry-brushing treatment with Humbrol 168 (Hemp) and also a light wash with a highly thinned mix of red brown and grey. A coat of matt acrylic varnish sealed the model.
After the track segments had been mounted, the running gear was dusted with fine artist pigments, and another dusting treatment was finally applied to the upper hull, too, once the tank model had been fully assembled.
We decided to go for a city break rather than sun in Tenerife again this September. Other than a few days in the North East we haven’t been away since last March and wanted a change and hopefully some sun. The problem is getting flights from the north of England to the places we want to go to. We chose Valencia as we could fly from East Midlands – which was still a pain to get to as it involved the most notorious stretch of the M1 at five in the morning. In the end we had a fairly good journey, the new Ryanair business class pre-booked scheme worked quite well and bang on time as usual. It was dull when we landed with storms forecast all week, the sky was bright grey – the kiss of death to the photography I had in mind. I was full of cold and wishing I was at work. It did rain but it was overnight on our first night and didn't affect us. There has been a drought for eleven months apparently and it rained on our first day there! The forecast storms didn't materialise in Valencia but they got it elsewhere.
You May notice discrepancies in the spelling of some Spanish words or names, this is because Valencian is used on signs, in some guide books and maps. There are two languages in common use with distinct differences. There may also be genuine mistakes - it has been known!
Over the course of a Monday to Sunday week we covered 75 miles on foot and saw most of the best of Valencia – The City of Bell Towers. The Old City covers a pretty large area in a very confusing layout. There was a lot of referring to maps – even compass readings! – a first in a city for us. The problem with photography in Valencia is that most of the famous and attractive building are closely built around, some have poor quality housing built on to them. Most photographs have to be taken from an extreme angle looking up. There are no high points as it is pan flat, there are a small number of buildings where you can pay to go up on to the roof for a better view and we went up them – more than once!
The modern buildings of The City of Arts and Sciences – ( Ciutat de Las Arts I de les Ciencies ) are what the city has more recently become famous for, with tourists arriving by the coachload all day until late at night. They must be photographed millions of times a month. We went during the day and stayed till dark one evening, I gave it my best shot but a first time visit is always a compromise between ambition and realism, time dictates that we have to move on to the next destination. I travelled with a full size tripod – another first – I forgot to take it with me to TCoAaS! so It was time to wind up the ISO, again! Needless to say I never used the tripod.
On a day when rain was forecast but it stayed fine, albeit a bit dull, we went to the Bioparc north west of the city, a zoo by another name. There are many claims made for this place, were you can appear to walk alongside some very large animals, including, elephants, lions, giraffe, rhino, gorillas and many types of monkey to name a few. It is laid out in different geographical regions and there is very little between you and the animals, in some cases there is nothing, you enter the enclosure through a double door arrangement and the monkeys are around you. It gets rave reviews and we stayed for most of the day. The animals it has to be said gave the appearance of extreme boredom and frustration and I felt quite sorry for them.
The course of The River Turia was altered after a major flood in the 50’s. The new river runs west of the city flanked by a motorway. The old river, which is massive, deep and very wide between ancient walls, I can’t imagine how it flooded, has been turned into a park that is five miles long. There is an athletics track, football pitches, cycle paths, restaurants, numerous kids parks, ponds, fountains, loads of bridges, historic and modern. At the western end closest to the sea sits The City of Arts and Sciences – in the river bed. Where it meets the sea there is Valencia’s urban Formula One racetrack finishing in the massive marina built for The Americas Cup. The race track is in use as roadways complete with fully removable street furniture, kerbs, bollards, lights, islands and crossings, everything is just sat on the surface ready to be moved.
We found the beach almost by accident, we were desperate for food after putting in a lot of miles and the afternoon was ticking by. What a beach, 100’s of metres wide and stretching as far as the eye could see with a massive promenade. The hard thing was choosing, out of the dozens of restaurants, all next door to each other, all serving traditional Paella – rabbit and chicken – as well as seafood, we don’t eat seafood and it constituted 90% of the menu in most places. Every restaurant does a fixed price dish of the day, with a few choices, three courses and a drink. Some times this was our only meal besides making the most of the continental breakfast at the hotel. We had a fair few bar stops with the local wine being cheap and pleasant it would have been a shame not to, there would have been a one woman riot – or strike!
On our final day, a Sunday, we were out of bed and down for breakfast at 7.45 as usual, the place was deserted barring a waiter. We walked out of the door at 8.30 – in to the middle of a mass road race with many thousands of runners, one of a series that take place in Valencia – apparently! We struggled to find out the distance, possibly 10km. The finish was just around the corner so off we went with the camera gear, taking photos of random runners and groups. There was a TV crew filming it and some local celebrity (I think) commentating. Next we came across some sort of wandering religious and musical event. Some sort of ritual was played out over the course of Sunday morning in various locations, it involved catholic priests and religious buildings and another film crew. The Catholic tourists and locals were filling the (many) churches for Sunday mass. Amongst all of this we had seen men walking around in Arab style dress – the ones in black looked like the ones from ISIS currently beheading people – all carrying guns. A bit disconcerting. We assumed that there had been some sort of battle enactment. We were wrong, it hadn’t happened yet. A while later, about 11.30 we could hear banging, fireworks? No it was our friends with the guns. We were caught up in total mayhem, around 60 men randomly firing muskets with some sort of blank rounds, the noise, smoke and flames from the muzzles were incredible. We were about to climb the Torres de Serranos which is where, unbeknown to us, the grand, and deafening, finale was going to be. We could feel the blast in our faces on top of the tower. Yet again there was a film camera in attendance. I couldn’t get close ups but I got a good overview and shot my first video with the 5D, my first in 5 years of owning a DLSR with the capability. I usually use my phone ( I used my phone as well). Later in the day there was a bullfight taking place, the ring was almost next to our hotel, in the end we had other things to do and gave it a miss, it was certainly a busy Sunday in the city centre, whether it’s the norm or not I don’t know.
There is a tram system in Valencia but it goes from the port area into the newer part of the city on the north side, it wouldn’t be feasible to serve the historic old city really. A quick internet search told me that there are 55,000 university students in the city, a pretty big number. I think a lot of the campus is on the north side and served by the tram although there is a massive fleet of buses as well. There is a massive, very impressive market building , with 100’s of stalls that would make a photo project on its own, beautiful on the inside and out but very difficult to get decent photos of the exterior other than detail shots owing to the closeness of other buildings and the sheer size of it. Across town, another market has been beautifully renovated and is full of bars and restaurants and a bit of a destination in its own right.
A downside was the all too typical shafting by the taxi drivers who use every trick in the book to side step the official tariffs and rob you. The taxi from the airport had a “broken” meter and on the way home we were driven 22 km instead of the nine that is the actual distance. Some of them seem to view tourists as cash cows to be robbed at all costs. I emailed the Marriot hotel as they ordered the taxi, needless to say no answer from Marriot – they’ve had their money. We didn’t get the rip off treatment in the bars etc. that we experienced in Rome, prices are very fair on most things, certainly considering the city location.
All in all we had a good trip and can highly recommend Valencia.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of November, 2016.
Remember how I'd opined in late September about . . . .
"Constant traffic nowadays with hard material being trucked in and dumped in storage areas along The Slang/Rehills section of the river bank. Further work is now being undertaken to upgrade the protection of the riverbank edge with the laying down of extra stone material."
Well, for every action, there clearly is an equal and opposite reaction.
Time to move the soil on. Again.
I tell you, the company hiring out trucks for the movement of all this material must be rubbing their hands with glee.
But what do I know? Just an itinerant observer.
But there is huge increase in these heavy vehicles travelling up and down the Upper Dargle Road.
Before and after the October Bank Holiday weekend there has been a dramatic increase in the volume of trucks contracted to haul away soil.
The previous 'mountains' are suddenly shrinking.
Will we (ever) see their like again?
Don't bet against it.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken in the third full week of November 2014. There's a big drop-off in activity on this site now. Continued removal of equipment, back to base or other construction sites. The last 'crawler crane' is being stripped down. Heavy-duty vehicular access to the far bank is restricted by the width and load-bearing capacity of the temporary bridge at Coburg, meaning that the crane has to propel itself out and across the river to a waiting low-loader. The boom arm of the 50-ton CCH3000 Crawler Crane is broken down into sections, and shipped out by truck. A Liebherr LTM 1050/1 All Terrain Mobile Crane is used for the job. It's telescopic boom, in working mode, extends to 40 m. At a near-vertical angle of 83º it could lift 7.4 ton. In secured compacted mode (10.5 m height), it could lift 50+ ton. Overall length: 8.7 m, - overall width: 2.5 m.
This following montage features four BigBoy toys -- a veritable gathering of Green Mean Machines.