[TheForge] long time to read

[terry l. ridder]

hello;

it has been a long time since i have posted anything to theforge.
I have been busy. not doing much in the way of metalwork.

this posting does deal with metalworking on a rather unusual scale and
purpose. Tomorrow a rather lovely home is going on the auction block
with a starting bid of 25,000.00 GBP. The problem is that the lovely home
is on an unstable cliff in Torquay, Devon, UK. The ground has to be
stablized before the house maybe certified for occupancy.

This is where the metalworking comes in.
Two engineering firms are suggesting that the ground and cliff be
stablized by driving steel plates into the ground on the boundaries of
the property and using a horizontal boring unit use cables to connect
the plates together underground. basically, creating an open cube below
the ground. The theory is that the amount of earth that would have to
move at one time as a rough cube would be to much and the ground would
thereby to stablized.

there are many caveats and frequent mumbling during the question and
answer meetings. there is no guaranty that the act of driving the steel
plates into the ground will not cause the ground slippage that is trying
to be prevented. There is the question concerning the 1936 home which is
all ready damaged by the ground/cliff slippage. Driving the plate in may
cause this property to slip into the ocean or at least to the beach.

So for a minute ignore all the legal ramifications and deal with
strictly the engineering task.

One inch steel plate would be used for the sides of the cube. two steel
plates would be bored and threaded for the cables.

if the stablization would work the return-on-investment would be
reasonable very good. if the stablization does not work the
return-on-investment would be whatever one may salvage from the home
before it slips into the ocean.

anyway below are the links to the property and news stories about the
house and the auction.


Cliff top Devon home going cheap
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23252455


Tor Cottage, Redcliffe Road, St. Marychurch ,Torquay, TQ1 4QG
http://tinyurl.com/qhbfe5o

btw, literally moving the house is not an option. the local council
feels that the act of jacking the house up so that it may be lowered
unto flatbed trailers would cause slippage. they consider it to be too
dangerous to even attempt.

-- 
terry l. ridder ><>