|
The Modern Antiquarian Forum » Silbury Hill » Silbury updates |
This topic is locked
|
|
|
|
| Topic View: Flat | Threaded | |
Pilgrim 597 posts |
Jul 27, 2007, 10:11
|
||
|
moss wrote: This not knowing is painful. Vibes to the Mound. Peace Pilgrim X
|
|||
|
whipangel 137 posts |
Jul 27, 2007, 11:15
|
||
|
Just had a short conversation with Rob Harding from the site (I gather), who very kindly gave me some more details about the temporary halt to repair works. As we know an internal collapse, the knowledge that some of the tunnels were not filled, and the strain that the supports in the Atkinson tunnel are under has meant that work has had to stop. A new plan has already been put together (by Rob Harding) on how to proceed now that previous working methods are no longer viable for safety reasons. He hopes to have this plan approved (and funded) early next week. I gather that the flooding has made much material on the surface of the (vertical) tunnel loose. I asked whether the hill was in more danger now, and was told that there was no way of knowing without entering, but (if I understood correctly) that it was not thought to be catastrophic. I gather there is no discernable change to the hill's outward appearance. With more rain on the way over the next few days I imagine all any of us can do is wait and see now.
|
|||
ocifant 1758 posts |
Jul 27, 2007, 11:30
|
||
|
This might sound silly, but it sounds like the best thing they can do *immediately* is to put a brolly of some description over it, to stop further water damage from above from occurring. I'm sitting here very sad at the moment... the words 'We warned you' keep ringing in my head.
|
|||
Littlestone 5386 posts |
Jul 27, 2007, 11:49
|
||
|
This might sound silly, but it sounds like the best thing they can do *immediately* is to put a brolly of some description over it, to stop further water damage from above from occurring. Best idea in a long while! Even a large marquee until something more suitable/stable can be found.
|
|||
|
whipangel 137 posts |
Jul 27, 2007, 12:21
|
||
|
Had an email from the very helpful person I rang at Beeb Radio Wilts News last night to tell me they had an EH spokesperson live on air at 10:33am, however I missed it. She's also very kindly offered to let me know if there's any developments. They did do a report on the story on Radio Wiltshire's 1pm news, including a snippet of the interview, chances are they'll repeat it on the hour through the aft' if anyone's interested. http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/local_radio/radio_wiltshire/ From what I heard of it, the hill is in worse condition than they thought before they re-opened it, but it was right to re-open it (not a minute too soon really).
|
|||
|
Littlestone 5386 posts |
Jul 27, 2007, 17:36
|
||
|
More in today's Guardian at - http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/heritage/story/0,,2136400,00.html#article_continue part of which reads - Rain was falling remorselessly on Silbury Hill yesterday, pooling on the sodden fields at its foot, and dangerously seeping down into the core of the most enigmatic prehistoric monument in Europe. The entire hill near Avebury in Wiltshire is artificial, built around 4,500 years ago by stupendous human effort with an estimated 35m baskets of chalk. Yesterday, archaeologists and engineers were engaged in urgent discussions on how to save Silbury, after the torrential rain caused further damage to a structure already weakened by earlier floods.
|
|||
|
slumpystones 769 posts |
Jul 27, 2007, 20:27
|
||
I've been tied up and without a decent connection for a few days, and I am stunned to read this tonight. How much worse can this whole project get?
|
|||
|
fool on the hill 2 posts |
Jul 27, 2007, 20:49
|
||
|
I was one of the people fortunate enough to be invited on one of the EH tours into the excavations last weekend (boo, hiss, traitor etc) and it was one of the most amazing and honoured experiences of my life. It was also quite shocking to see the extent of damage from the inside and I can definately confirm that EH were right in opening up the tunnel to repair this. The problem lies at the centre, where Atkinson's workings join Northumberland's shaft. At this point the workings were not so much a tunnel as a canyon. Yes Atkinson's supporting rings are still in place, but the problem was they are not supporting anything for a good distance from the centre. As you know from the EH updates the roadstone backfill only went in so far, leaving a void behind. Unfortunately from this point the underside of the hill was not chalk, but a chalk, clay mixture which has subsided and is what caused the dig to slow. This, and the surrounding sides was sodden when we were in there, showing the extent of water penetration. Because Skanska did not want to introduce to much extra modern intrusion to the dig they were using the exisiting Atkinson rings as shuttering supports, with shuttering plywood, steel sheets etc over the top to protect the excavators. At the centre, where the clay 'collapse' had been, there was of course a void above these roof supports, which already had a good mound of loose chalk piled on it, which presumably must have happened from the time the sheets had been put across to when we went in (2 weeks max?). It is my guess that it is this area that has become unstable and the collapse is spreading upwards, like taking the mould away from an unstable jelly. As to apportioning blame, I feel that is a pretty pointless exercise. Without doubt the root cause of this is the water seeping down through the hill causing failure and collapse of material around an exisiting large void. Were EH right to open the tunnel, in my view most definately so? Who could have predicited the horrendous wet weather we have had recently? But plenty of people (including some on here) did mute the posibility so should contingencies have been made? Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I hope it is not too late to put up 'the brolly' and to backfill as safely as possible. We were allowed to take photographs in the hill but EH did request that we would not publish them on the interweb so I hope the above will give you a good image. the fool
|
|||
|
Littlestone 5386 posts |
Jul 27, 2007, 21:16
|
||
|
Well, slumpy, call me a fool but I somehow think the old lady will pull through without a catastrophic collapse (that's more a hope than anything based on fact). That's not to say that there have not been collapses within the structure and the damage and losses due to those collapses will not be a reflection on those who could have foreseen them and, had they acted more quickly, may have prevented them. We did our best, prodded tigers and rattled cages, but the bureaucratic machine rolls ever on, a mindless creature set on mindless theatricals... But you already knew that, re: your poem published elsewhere.
|
|||
fitzcoraldo 2709 posts |
Jul 28, 2007, 08:26
|
||
|
cheers for that fascinating account, It sounds like awfully risky work, relying on shuttering instead of pinning the walls and roof of the tunnel. I just hope the engineers and archaeos can come up with a solution that will allow them to safely re-enter the hill and continue with their work. no boo-hissing from this corner fitz
|
| Pages: 67 – [ Previous | 1 … 57 58 59 60 61 62 | Next ] | This topic is locked |
|
|
|
| The Modern Antiquarian Forum Index | |
