Concrete Sample from the New Panama Canal Locks Does Not Look Good (trunc)

gcaptain.com ^ | 08/27/15 | Mike Schuler

[SWAMPSNIPER]

A core sample pulled from the concrete of the Cocoli Locks where cracks and leaks have appeared does not bode well for the Panama Canal expansion project, which is on a strict deadline for completion in April 2016.

[DoughtyOne]

Oh yes chairman. Well no our problems aren't that bad. Yes we have a couple of minor leaks, but we've got it under control. We have some bracing nearby, and a big patch will take care of this.

Oooo, they call up firing squads for less than this...

[DaveA37]

Who did they say is building that?

[DoughtyOne]

I was just having some fun, but here's the name:

Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC), the main contractor for the Third Set of Locks project, issued a statement last Friday acknowledging the leaks, but has since gone quiet.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

That core sample is pitiful.

[Crazieman]

Looks like a minor leak.

[DoughtyOne]

Did not look like a good pour did it.

I’m no expert, but even to a layman that looked pretty lame.

[DoughtyOne]

As I told another person, I know nothing about this stuff. I will say that from everything I’ve ever known about water leaks, is they don’t get smaller over time.

When damns fail, you generally see minor leaks first (I believe).

[Nailbiter]

interesting

[SWAMPSNIPER]

On a deep pour you use a vibrator to bring air out and compact the pour. It looks like they skipped that step.

[Crazieman]

Its a basic rule of water.

It is an extremely damaging substance and will destroy everything it touches if you are in the interest of preservation.

A water leak will always get worse. Period.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

When damns fail you have to say things I can’t say here.

[Joe Boucher]

Chi-coms

[DoughtyOne]

That makes a lost of sense.

[T-Bird45]

I watched a TV program about this project recently and it included info about the short time window they have with the concrete pour from when it leaves the plant to being placed. That core tells me those time constraints are causing them to short the time they used the vibrator to remove trapped air. I’d also question the adherence to the aggregate screening specification.

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks Crazieman.

[SampleMan]

That is a really, really bad pour. No one on that job knew what the hell they were doing.

That can’t be patched. It has to be removed and re-poured.

[DoughtyOne]

LOL...

Okay, okay, so I’m tired...

= :^)

[SWAMPSNIPER]

There are many vibrator heads still embedded in pours that cooked off too fast. It can happen in an instant.

[Wingy]

It's either global climate change or Bush's fault.

Really, the concrete plant is on site so the pour shouldn't be constrained by time. I mean they shouldn't run into a traffic jam, right? If the distance is too far from the plant to the pour, simply delay the addition of water until they are closer to the pump site. I'm not any kind of expert, and I'm not there, but from the outside looking in, it seems someone was asleep that day.