Chinook filling in the dam breach
Question for Wokka types...
Being ex-MAOT, I have spent rather a lot of time hooking loads etc under Wokkas, but it was 25 years ago. I *think* I recall that the Wokka had a special strop that released at the far end, rather than just the hook. Am I imagining that? Or was it just the center hook? Or a figment of my imagination?
First thing I noticed with this was that they were dropping 3 strops per lift, which is going to get expensive real quick. In my day, we'd have just sent the junior siggie to recover them, but in the duty of care age, if the dam breached and the lad went for a swim, that's a no-no. Of course I am jesting, we had a duty of care back then. But we'd still have recovered the strops
Being ex-MAOT, I have spent rather a lot of time hooking loads etc under Wokkas, but it was 25 years ago. I *think* I recall that the Wokka had a special strop that released at the far end, rather than just the hook. Am I imagining that? Or was it just the center hook? Or a figment of my imagination?
First thing I noticed with this was that they were dropping 3 strops per lift, which is going to get expensive real quick. In my day, we'd have just sent the junior siggie to recover them, but in the duty of care age, if the dam breached and the lad went for a swim, that's a no-no. Of course I am jesting, we had a duty of care back then. But we'd still have recovered the strops
Last edited by chinook240; 3rd Aug 2019 at 09:38.
also a discussion over at Rotorheads
RAF go from Dambusters to Dam builders
RAF go from Dambusters to Dam builders
"RAF soldiers" in today's Telegraph.
Will the squadron become "The Dam Menders"?
Will the squadron become "The Dam Menders"?
Last edited by langleybaston; 4th Aug 2019 at 15:49. Reason: addendum
In the seventies there used to be what were called 'Border Closures'. This was when the Royal Engineers placed a steel tank across a road which was a, 'Non Approved Crossing' between Northern Ireland and Eire.
The tank was about 8''x2'' and for most roads this required two of them. The trick was to place two of these across the road, suitably protected by loads of sqaddies at every angle and them your trusty Pumas would come and pour concrete into the tanks.
A secure site some five or so minutes away would be the secure Redimix lorry site and the skips. each holding about a cubic yard of concrete, would be filled and hooked on the a six foot strop. Then we would fly to the border road, be talked on to the tank straddling the road and some lunatic would stand on the tank and pull the skip lever that would release a ton of concrete into the tank. The tank was on the border, we were invariably positioned so we were facing south or east so the skip was on the border and the cockpit was in Eire.
We could do a turnaround in about five minutes so 12 tons/hour was the filling rate which covered a normal closure.
The tank was about 8''x2'' and for most roads this required two of them. The trick was to place two of these across the road, suitably protected by loads of sqaddies at every angle and them your trusty Pumas would come and pour concrete into the tanks.
A secure site some five or so minutes away would be the secure Redimix lorry site and the skips. each holding about a cubic yard of concrete, would be filled and hooked on the a six foot strop. Then we would fly to the border road, be talked on to the tank straddling the road and some lunatic would stand on the tank and pull the skip lever that would release a ton of concrete into the tank. The tank was on the border, we were invariably positioned so we were facing south or east so the skip was on the border and the cockpit was in Eire.
We could do a turnaround in about five minutes so 12 tons/hour was the filling rate which covered a normal closure.
Last edited by Fareastdriver; 5th Aug 2019 at 07:25. Reason: Keep SASless happy.
Consider me skeptical. Sand bags do add bulk, but not strength or water impermeability.
The spillway cladding was clearly undercut and has given way, leaving the earthen dam below exposed..I'd note that the spillway appears poorly supported at best, probably not designed for heavy use.
If there is renewed rain, that expensively air lifted sand won't help.
What is needed is to lower the water level of the impoundment and a subsequent reconstruction of at least that part of the dam and the spillway.
The spillway cladding was clearly undercut and has given way, leaving the earthen dam below exposed..I'd note that the spillway appears poorly supported at best, probably not designed for heavy use.
If there is renewed rain, that expensively air lifted sand won't help.
What is needed is to lower the water level of the impoundment and a subsequent reconstruction of at least that part of the dam and the spillway.
A secure site some five or so minutes away would be the secure Redimix lorry site and the skips. each holding about a square yard of concrete,
No doubt a cubic yard?
I shifted many a kibble of concrete up in the Australian Alps, a tonne is roughly a third of a cubic metre and that was enough for the BK at 6,000ft AMSL thank you, even with a couple of aluminium kibbles to keep the weight down (they're normally of steel to cope with high-rise crane drivers). Always on a long line, though, at least 50'. The Wokka could be quite productive with a large Kibble and a fleet of Readimix trucks
Consider me skeptical. Sand bags do add bulk, but not strength or water impermeability.
The spillway cladding was clearly undercut and has given way, leaving the earthen dam below exposed..I'd note that the spillway appears poorly supported at best, probably not designed for heavy use.
If there is renewed rain, that expensively air lifted sand won't help.
What is needed is to lower the water level of the impoundment and a subsequent reconstruction of at least that part of the dam and the spillway.
The spillway cladding was clearly undercut and has given way, leaving the earthen dam below exposed..I'd note that the spillway appears poorly supported at best, probably not designed for heavy use.
If there is renewed rain, that expensively air lifted sand won't help.
What is needed is to lower the water level of the impoundment and a subsequent reconstruction of at least that part of the dam and the spillway.
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Originally Posted by etudiant
Consider me skeptical. Sand bags do add bulk, but not strength or water impermeability.
The spillway cladding was clearly undercut and has given way, leaving the earthen dam below exposed.
The spillway cladding was clearly undercut and has given way, leaving the earthen dam below exposed.
Last edited by Easy Street; 5th Aug 2019 at 08:41.
I understood that the bags dropped by the Chinook are intended to provide something to which a stronger substance will be bonded once the Chinook lift is complete?
The bags which were placed along the top of the spillway were reportedly sealed together with concrete, but those were fulfilling a different purpose, diverting water away from the damaged section while the threat of overtopping remained. The ones on the embankment are only providing mass; I read a report earlier where an engineer said they would need to be removed before a permanent repair was made (sorry, can’t find it again). There would be no point in repairing the spillway over the bags in that case.
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Apart from regular media references to 'Army helicopter' and the infantile 'Army soldiers'
Well at least so far as I have seen no one in the meeja has described the Chinooks as "Army " helicopters
They may be operated by RAF crews, but that is merely semantic. All JHC aircraft are under command of Army HQ.