On 27 Mar 2010 at 7:10pm Tunnel Vision wrote:
Is this some kind of joke? The panels are still all buckled. From BBC website. This doesn't even have the correct start date.
Sussex tunnel's £2.5m overhaul completed
Work to refurbish a tunnel in East Sussex which cuts through a chalk hillside has been completed.
East Sussex County Council said £2.5m had been spent on improvements to prolong the life of the Cuilfail Tunnel on the A26 in Lewes.
The refurbishment, which started in January, saw the structure's lighting and interior cladding replaced.
The council said the improvements would increase visibility, improve safety and reduce maintenance costs.
It is the tunnel's first major overhaul since it opened in 1980
On 28 Mar 2010 at 5:56pm Sam Spam wrote:
...well I think it looks very smart....just in time for Summer
On 28 Mar 2010 at 8:48pm Yawn wrote:
Yes, it would do, if it wasn't all dented and buckled. I wonder what the long term maintenance costsof wrongly fitted panels is?
On 28 Mar 2010 at 9:15pm J wrote:
It has certainly taken them a lot longer than the BBC claim, Since January when? Must be last year.
On 28 Mar 2010 at 11:26pm Bongo wrote:
It's not really done much to improve the lighting in there during the day, plus there is still drip, drip, drip, coming from the roof.
On 31 Mar 2010 at 5:56pm Neil wrote:
I'm a reporter with the Argus. Anybody interested in having a chat with me about the state of the tunnel? email [email protected] or call 01273 544530
On 1 Apr 2010 at 10:08am Despair wrote:
Oh, Neil. Please answer my prayers and write something about this. I cannot believe that ESCC have such low standards. I knew they were bad, but this saga takes the biscuit. This work was done with a grant, so I would love to know what the donors think of what has been done with the money. The panels clearly still don't fit, although I expect ESCC will offer some credible sounding explaination, until you check it with a professional opinion. They have never explained why the first job went as far as it did, before someone 'noticed' that all the fitted panels had to be replaced. And who has paid for all the associated cost for the german manufacturers to have a second try at providing metalwork that fits. I think this time ESCC have just given in, and accepted a potential liabilty, for which there is no grant. I have not seen any other tunnel like it, (try and find buckled panels in the Underground, or any other road tunnel) Not that I thought I would ever need to look! You would have thought that in the era of space travel, and DNA testing that they could fit a sheet of metal to a curve properly. 2.5million. Don't pay peanuts, but still get monkeys.
On 1 Apr 2010 at 11:07am Merlin Milner wrote:
They have explained to me why they the first panels stayed for as long as they did (I have explained on this forum before). They had to leave the original panels there as they act as a reflector for the new lighting they had installed, whilst replacements were being made
The panels were fitted by a sub-contractor to the main contractor who are specialists in fitting cladding. I have tried to find out why the sub-contractor did not use a UK manufacturer, Trico-ve, who specifically make enamelled panels for tunnels and the London Underground. Trico-ve were not asked to quote.
On 1 Apr 2010 at 11:22am Despair wrote:
Hi Merlin, did they expalin why they have fitted buckled and dented panels again? Sounds like the sub-contractor made a profit by using second rate manufacturer, and we are supposed to put up with it.
I understand why the first panels were left up, but why on earth were they attached in the first place? Its about time someone had a bit more of a delve into what has been going on. 2.5million is a lot of money for this dogs dinner. These superficial ESCC explainations are just not good enough.
On 1 Apr 2010 at 12:03pm Merlin Milner wrote:
As I work in UK maufacturing so it galls me that a leading UK manufacturer was not asked to quote. This is what ESCC wrote to me:
"The Cuilfail Tunnel Refurbishment Contract was let in accordance with Council standing orders and EU law. We are not permitted to stipulate that specific suppliers, manufacturers or sub-contractors are used.
The principal contractor for this scheme has sub-contracted the installation of the cladding panels to a specialist UK cladding installation company that has some 30 years experience.
Because the cladding sub-contractor has experienced problems with the supply of panels (some of which do not comply with the design specification) he has been instructed to investigate the possibility of using an alternative supplier for the panels. The sub-contractor has advised that he is only able to source alternative panels, of a size that complies with the design, from 2 other companies, one in Italy, the other in Korea."
Well perhaps the design is at fault making it difficult to make panels easily!
BTW the Principle Contractor is BAM Nuttall Ltd. The cladding sub-contractor is Star Ceilings Ltd.
On 1 Apr 2010 at 12:13pm Despair wrote:
Ho Merlin
Putting aisde the issue of the UK manufacturer for a moment (still don't understand why UK manufacturers were excluded from being asked to quote)
Is the design specification correct or is it that the panels don't meet that specification?
Are ESCC saying that they accepted sub-standard panels, or that the specification was wrong, or worse of all that they are a wonderful fit? Its not about them fitting easily, its about them fitting at all!
I would like to know if they have even noticed that they still don't fit.
Do let us know what they say. This is a scandal
On 1 Apr 2010 at 12:18pm Driver wrote:
I am a regular user of the tunnel, and I have been trying very hard to see where the so called 'buckled' and 'dented' panels are. Some of them have a slight 'wave' on them which reflects the light differently - hardly a 'dogs dinner'. I really can't imagine that those are the ones that people are getting so up tight about ?
On 1 Apr 2010 at 12:38pm LTR wrote:
Nearly all the panels have buckling mostly visible at the top,. It is especially obvious when going out of Lewes on the left when the light hits it. (keep your eyes on the road tho!) Buckling is stress, and creates long term maintenance problems. Many of them are as bad as those taken away, although the really terrible ones have gone. What is so patehtic is that there should n't even be even a scratch yet on these brand new steel panels costing 2.5million. No one would expect buckling of any sort on a brand new car would they? I don't expect the world, but surely it isn't that hard for a competent specialist to make panels out of steel that fit exactly, first time round.
On 1 Apr 2010 at 2:01pm Merlin Milner wrote:
I think that the buckling is caused by the enamalling process and / or whether the panels are pre-curved, to fit the tunnel profile, or not. I doubt that it will be a maintenance issue more a QA / design problem.
On 1 Apr 2010 at 2:57pm Ed Can Do wrote:
I think of more relevance than the apparently buckled panels is that it's now darker in there than it was before. I thought the refurb was supposed to make it lighter and therefore safer in the tunnel?
On 1 Apr 2010 at 3:54pm A child of 4 wrote:
I could do a better job that these jokers. Who cares why they are buckled. they are buckled, making tem uniquely rubbish! Why do other people get properly engineering work, while we get this ?Do all panel producing companies produce buckled (ie damaged) finished products, or is it just the one ESCC has used? Merlin you may be right, but I would suggest that they are buckled because they don't fit. Why would a competent company enamel already buckled panels?
On 2 Apr 2010 at 9:55pm pug lover wrote:
I think they have tried to re invent the wheel at our expense
It's not as though the method has not been done before
What's the problem with selecting the best contractor and not the cheapest?
Again you pay for the cheapest this is what you get
So why does ESSC accept the excuse from this contractor or sub contractor
Normally this work would call for test panels to be made inspection & acceptance
So was the first attempt was a big test panel
And the second panel another one
You never know it may be third time lucky. And by the third attempt they may get it right
The most upsetting thing is we as taxpayers foot the bill
Finally if it is now finished how come there are a few top panels fitted & where are all the rest???
On 2 Apr 2010 at 9:57pm Down and Out wrote:
It's certainly more annoying to drive through. The weird headlight reflections off the 'interesting' panels are very distracting.