Runway Cracks Widen At Suvarnabhumi

[george]

Runway cracks widen at Suvarnabhumi

SUVARNABHUMI: -- Cracks in the runways at Suvarnabhumi Airport runways have expanded and may affect passenger safety, according to the head of a panel looking into the construction of the multibillion-baht facility.

"The cracks in the runway and taxiways are truly an urgent matter that could become cri-tical, particularly to the safety of passengers, if nothing is solved," said Prapan Koonmee, chair-

man of the National Legislative Assembly's Suvarnabhumi Airport subcommittee.

Prapan and his panel visited the airport yesterday to inspect the construction-related problems, as well as alleged irregularities in the space allocated to duty-free shops.

The panel found several cracks on the runways and taxiways as well as in the terminal buildings and floors, which they believe are a result of construction flaws.

"If the airport had been operational for two or three years we could put it down to heavy use. But the current situation shows the problems at Suvarnabhumi are likely to come from its construction," said Prapan.

He added the runway and taxiway cracks had spread and as much as 100,000 square metres of tarmac would be affected if nothing were done.

"It is crucial that the involved parties find the causes and solutions to this matter," said Prapan.

He claimed debris from a cracked runway overseas had caused an aircraft accident that killed 130 people.

The subcommittee will conclude its investigation in two to three weeks and then report to the government.

It will ask parties involved in the airport's construction to give evidence on Friday.

--The Nation 2007-01-22

[TAWP]

Holy christ...and I got relatives comming in in a week. Should one be worried?

Would be nice if anything could be done properly here...ever.

[cdnvic]

I'm trying to think of a major project that hasn't been f'd up in the last ten years. Doesn't matter who's in charge, or what kind of government. They all wind up making Thailand look like a big joke, and of course nobody is responsible for it except the obligitory scapegoat which rarely is the real problem.

[Ijustwannateach]

Well, at least only the "quality" tourists will be landing there, risking their lives...

Maybe they should edge that visitor target down another notch?

[britmaveric]

The cracks are part of the innovative drainage system.

[Mai Krap]

I wonder how this will play into the reopening of Don Muang? It has always sounded as if they F'd up the runway since those reports of cracks large enough for people to fall into a couple years ago, Man did that story ever get shut up.

[Mai Krap]

The cracks are part of the innovative drainage system.

Yea, The money drain!

[The Skipper]

What do you expect from workers that earn 200bt a day and a gang of lazy supervisors that are mainly interested in how they can scam the project?

[skippybangkok]

Comon,

Mr. Taxin has told us there are no cracks and thats its.

[PhilHarries]

I am not in the airport business if there can be claimed there is such an all encompassing business as "airport business". I am in the engineering and construction business building large scale oil and gas facilities worldwide to international standards and although not a civil engineer I do know a reasonable amount about that discipline.

Cracks in concrete structures are to be expected, they occur during the setting and curing of the concrete and as long as within allowable limits can be tolerated. But these cracks are not in concrete structures, they are in a tarmac runway of a NEW airport and have been judged to be serious enough, by a panel of experts, to warrant urgent attention.

Edited January 22, 2007 by Jai Dee
Edited for unneeded personal insults

[jomama]

I remember that the BKK Post fired its editor and printed a front-page retraction over a story on cracks in the runway. How do they feel now after buckling under to Thaiksin? At least the Nation tried to stay strong in the face of pressure from the previous government.

[marshbags]

An observation i constantly witness in relation to basic common sense.

From an engineering / Thai culture wise point of view.

Take any road / runway construction and tell me how many are laid in a stable manner to eradicate possible movement, with adequate drainage systems.

Surely the foundations need to be deep enough to discourage the constant re occuring problem and enough hard core, ect. laid before finally laying the surface.

I,ve said this before in various threads and it still happens now in the majority of ground constructions.

After building a road most have to be recovered on an ongoing basis because even when the problem occurs / surfaces, ( sorry not an attempted pun. ) they just do a cosmetic job instead of digging up / re laying the foundations, properly.

That,s only lorries, cars ect. ect.

We are talking huge air traffic here on a constant go................................

The dreaded airport swamp will cause ongoing problems, movement wise on a mega scale unless they start again and lay ALL the surfaces that show signs of subsidence / movement properly.

It was only sited there to benefit the graft / corruption of the last government and we all should now acknowledge this along with all the dodgy land purchases done in the pre planning era.

Yet another of the Kamoy CEO legacies to be taken into account and added to the ever growing list.

O.K. the Tea money and graft play a big part in the quality but that aside, i have never yet witnessed demonstrations of sound engineering in these instances.

For a simple minor example of Thai construction let,s use the housing as a typical case.

How many have rising damp simply because they do not put a damp proofing seal into the foundations,

or subsidence because they do not lay solid foundations.

I do know this rarely happens in the U.K where i,ve lived most of the last 60 odd years.

When it does it is put right by the contructors so as to stop it re occuring using sound engineering practices and irrespective of the costs.

Just a thought as a curious onlooker.

marshbags and for the brown paper bag beneficiaries is anyone looking.

Edited January 22, 2007 by marshbags

[John K]

Well as Thaksin does his 180 degree truth thing about no cracks........

My concern is the airport has been open for about 16 weeks 16=100%

waiting another 2 or 3 weeks is about another 15%.

The cracks will widen at an increasingly accelerated rate as the weight of the aircraft becomes more focused and starts to act like a hammer and not just pressure of rolling over the area.

[Galong]

I remember that the BKK Post fired its editor and printed a front-page retraction over a story on cracks in the runway. How do they feel now after buckling under to Thaiksin? At least the Nation tried to stay strong in the face of pressure from the previous government.

So I wonder if the editor will get his job back with back pay?

To me, this whole airport drama is a MEGA loss of face... I wonder how the thais feel about this. Is it a loss of face or something else?

HenryB - you got served!

[noctiluca]

I wish someone would have asked Toxin about that when he was interviewed by CNN. I am sure, however, he would refuse the responsibility and blame someone else as always.

Ironically, outside Thailand, they still perceive him as benevolent. I don't agree the way it turns out with the Coup and all, but I understand why and how it happened.

[danone]

remember the bangkok post guy who had been sued by the government by mentioning there were cracks in the runways?

had been sued over an astronomic amount by thaksin's cohorts.

not even mentioning cracks on a runway was allowed anymore back then.

people tend to easily forget too easily in this beautiful country.

[OlRedEyes]

To me, this whole airport drama is a MEGA loss of face... I wonder how the thais feel about this. Is it a loss of face or something else?

The thing with loss of face that farang no unnerstand is that one only worries about it if there is something to be gained by using it as an excuse. For the situations that one cannot gain any advantage by worrying about loss of face, one simply ignores it and say mai pen rai.

Loss of face is a handy tool.

[chownah]

This "news" was generated by the HEAD OF A COMMITTEE!!! I'm an engineer (among other things) and my experience has been that the head of a committee doesn't know doodly about squat and need I point out that this is the head of a THAI COMMITTEE!!!......so......need I say more?......I will anyway......look at all the announcements about everything by all these Thai committee people that occur in the news forum here on TV and try to figure out what percentage of them are just idle day dreams....ask PeaceBlondie what his opinion is about the accuracy of these news reports in general.

I'll wait for the bottom man on the totem pole, the inspector, to be quoted here before I will believe anything about any cracks anywhere.

Chownah

[threelegcowboy]

Remember the critics who said the airport is being built on a swamp. Well here we are. This may not be as bad as it made out to be. Here is another opportunity for the contractors to add to this project. Patch the current runways and also start new runway projects. Make work is a way of life in Thailand. Just over spec these new runways so that it would be OK to float on water. Sky is not falling.

LLL

[Jai Dee]

This thread has had several off-topic posts and personal flames removed.

Please see the Forum Rules.

Edited January 22, 2007 by Jai Dee
Topic closed pending moderation, edited, and re-opened.

[h90]

Well, at least only the "quality" tourists will be landing there, risking their lives...

Maybe they should edge that visitor target down another notch?

The idea was take more money from the tourists, not offering them more.

[midas]

Well, at least only the "quality" tourists will be landing there, risking their lives...

Maybe they should edge that visitor target down another notch?

The idea was take more money from the tourists, not offering them more.

it would be interesting to get some feedback/ comments from representatives

of some of the major international airlines as to what they think regarding

these runway cracks

[marshbags]

It is important to remember that ALL the new airport isues do not only apply to the well being of Thai,s and Thailand.

For starters, no one can say this is Thailand for Thai,s and has nothing to do with guests / visitors and if you don,t like it ect. ect.

The fact is once many visitors leave, the airport will have a negative impact on ALL nationalities and discourage their next holiday here when they can easily go to the many other places both near and far who do not neglect their guests in the welcoming areas on arrival and the departure areas when leaving.

These continuous negative reports are in most cases justified and more importantly........................

They are relevant to the safety, first and foremost, of all the different nationalities that have to use the airport.

They are relevant to the comfort and needs of all nationalities who expect ( and reasonably so ) many of the failures / sub standard issues to have been of a standard compatable with their needs and basic requirements.

This new airport is nothing less than a disgrace in practically every area of what is needed and what should be expected as a normal basic requirement.

Suvarnabhumi " International " has up to now failed not only Thailand but passengers from all over the globe who use these facilities as the gateway to the wonders of a country many will have travelled thousands of miles to see and to experience it,s famous sites, people and it,s many pleasures.

It is also the back door out when leaving Thailand.

It is a sham in relation to the standards all passengers and users should come to expect and have been provided with.

O.K. the single unattached or long term residents may think it is a lot about nothing, well i,m sorry to say it is a lot about everything.

Please also remember this means the needs of passengers and users where never planned for or taken into account of, otherwise many of the basics would have been addressed in the planning.

The main priority it appears was to make as much dishonest money, both in the planning and the future running of the airport with graft / corruption the number one priority.

WHY DID THEY HAVE TO OPEN THE AIRPORT PREMATURELY APART FROM THE NEED TO GET THEIR STICKY FINGERS ON ALL THE MONIES THEY HAD CORRUPTLY MINIPULATED TO COMMENCE ON THE SAID DATE AND COULDN,T WAIT TO GET INOT THEIR COFFERS.

After all the old favourite was still up and running and providing a SAFE and to be reasonably expected service ???????????????????

It was made abundantly clear, well / long before, that the new airport was NOT ready and up to the required standards one should expect and it should have been put back until it WAS.

Bare in mind that the EX CEO and his coherts did NOT at the time foresee what was to happen on the 19th of September 2006 / 2549.

SAFETY will not, i hope be put to the test, relating to the functioning of it all in the future, either on the runways or in the airport enclosures.

From LANDING to TAKING OFF and all the important issues in between, safety and comfort are PARAMOUNT.

People will remember these 2 important parts of their holidays and they will pass their observations on when they get back to their respective countries and yes it will have an effect on one of the jewels in the crown when their friends and families are told about this negativity and chaos at either end of it.

" Tourism. "

marshbags

In my humble " non engineering " user opinion of course. ( no disrespect to Chownah ect. intended. )

P.S.

Should they follow through their thoughts on the returning scenario to D.Muang and expect passengers to lump their baggage ect. all the way from the new airprort and across town along with the time and inconvenience it will entail, then this will just exasperate the negativity that exists already.

Edited January 22, 2007 by marshbags

[Dupont]

Well, at least only the "quality" tourists will be landing there, risking their lives...

Maybe they should edge that visitor target down another notch?

The idea was take more money from the tourists, not offering them more.

it would be interesting to get some feedback/ comments from representatives

of some of the major international airlines as to what they think regarding

these runway cracks

Thats right. Any safety issues here and the flights will stop. No face saving cover ups, finito, no land here krap, we go K/L until you mend runway or re-open Don Muang.

No chance that they could bury this, so I too am a little sceptical(ish) about the current seriousness, and awaiting a Foreign Technical report/comment on the matter.

[midas]

Well, at least only the "quality" tourists will be landing there, risking their lives...

Maybe they should edge that visitor target down another notch?

The idea was take more money from the tourists, not offering them more.

it would be interesting to get some feedback/ comments from representatives

of some of the major international airlines as to what they think regarding

these runway cracks

Thats right. Any safety issues here and the flights will stop. No face saving cover ups, finito, no land here krap, we go K/L until you mend runway or re-open Don Muang.

No chance that they could bury this, so I too am a little sceptical(ish) about the current seriousness, and awaiting a Foreign Technical report/comment on the matter.

And the other question i have is whether this sort of information is being fed deliberately or otherwise

to NOTAMS ( Notice to Airmen ) ? somehow I'm a little skeptical that anyone at AOT is going to that trouble ?!

If I was the captain of a 747 I would want to be kept very much up-to-date on this issue because it may get

to a critical stage where as a pilot I would deem it unsafe to land my jumbo on these of runways ?

[mark lamai]

now that's a top quality looking repair.

must be the same guy who does the samui ring road

[alexth]

I remember that the BKK Post fired its editor and printed a front-page retraction over a story on cracks in the runway. How do they feel now after buckling under to Thaiksin? At least the Nation tried to stay strong in the face of pressure from the previous government.

So I wonder if the editor will get his job back with back pay?

To me, this whole airport drama is a MEGA loss of face... I wonder how the thais feel about this. Is it a loss of face or something else?

HenryB - you got served!

I don't think so, probably they'll say that at that time, there were no cracks...better than admitting their mistakes, TiT

[Mai Krap]

What are the Las Vegas odds this whole damm airport will be unusable in 5 years? Im feeling lucky!

[Tony Clifton]

"Please have your boarding passes ready!"

Edited January 22, 2007 by Tony Clifton

[Who, me ?]

What are the Las Vegas odds this whole damm airport will be unusable in 5 years? Im feeling lucky!

Now it is " runway crack", and soon it will be the "runaway airport"...............shame , shame, shame