A real pile of a day today. Infact it’s been 2 days of piling.
Yesterday saw us excavate two pile, both being changed due to being undersized, however otherwise perfectly sound timber. The pile pictured here will be replaced on Thursday, however the other, was completed today.
Today’s pile required a whole new sill to be prepared, which was promptly done.
The usual fine artistry of cutting a tongue to fit between the crossheads was done, taking slightly longer than usual due to an extremely hard and knotty piece of timber, it’ll last a long time, but it was incredibly tough.
And by day’s end, it was in, bolted up with braces refitted and ready for trains tomorrow! It looks funny with a hole there. However, the dirt offers no structural benefit to the bridge, rather it just aids in stabilising the piles over the years and during flood, so it’s quite safe for trains tomorrow.
Today’s pile was installed slightly higher (on purpose) than the previous one, removing what was quite a noticeable dip in the track above.
Thursday’s gang will meet at Maldon at 7.45am or on site from 8.15am to replace the next pile.
VGR Civil Blog 