High Voltage Electricity Towers Fall On Residential Homes In Saraburi Province

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High Voltage Electricity Towers Fall on Residential Homes in Saraburi Province

SARABURI: -- High voltage electric poles along a road in Saraburi Province have collapsed and fell onto four residential homes.

The result of the collapse is expected to be from the canal dredging operation of the municipality.

High voltage electric poles along Phaholyothin Road between kilometer markers number 96-97 in the Ban Hin Kong area of Saraburi's Nong Kae District have collapsed across an area spanning one kilometer.

After the report of the collapse of high voltage electric poles, Hin Kong Mayor Sonthichai Jangjensin and Hin Kong Regional Electricity Manager Sangwan Chanchaisri, along with rescue officials and fire trucks, were dispatched to the scene.

The poles fell onto four residential homes and commercial buildings, as well as motorbikes.

One resident was reported to be seriously injured and was identified as the owner of a dynamo repair shop. Officials were rushed to the scene to fix the collapsed electric poles.

The manager of Hin Kong Regional Electricity Authority disclosed that the poles are 14 meters high and spaced out 25 meters apart from each other.

Each pole costs approximately 60,000 baht and the premiliary damage cost is around one million baht.

The cause of the poles' collapse is expected to be the canal dredging operation of the municipality to open waterways for the upcoming rainy season.

Officials have dredged out the soil around the poles, resulting in land erosion, and caused electric poles to collapse.

-- Tan Network 2012-03-29

[AleG]

What's up with Saraburi today? deadly car pileups, firework factory blows up, high voltage poles fall... What's next, Godzilla?

[Gone]

This is a clear case of Civil Engineers who most likely bought their degrees from Khao Sarn Rd.

[culicine]

This is a clear case of Civil Engineers who most likely bought their degrees from Khao Sarn Rd.

I think Thais get their degrees from 'normal' universities here...bought or not:)

As I said to a graduating student who failed physics and maths who went on to study engineering......God help anyone who walks over your bridge.

[ratcatcher]

SARABURI: -- High voltage electric poles along a road in Saraburi Province have collapsed and fell onto four residential homes.

Shocking news.

Must have sparked a lot of interest in the neighborhood though.

We are lucky that Thailand is nuclear free.

[Pib]

This is a clear case of Civil Engineers who most likely bought their degrees from Khao Sarn Rd.

I think Thais get their degrees from 'normal' universities here...bought or not:)

As I said to a graduating student who failed physics and maths who went on to study engineering......God help anyone who walks over your bridge.

Maybe the folks dredging the canals figured the power poles were like an iceberg in that only 10% of the pole was showing above ground.

[MEL1]

"One resident was reported to be seriously injured and was identified as the owner of a dynamo repair shop,"

I wonder if he was generating interest in his local business?....

-mel.

[mca]

What's up with Saraburi today? deadly car pileups, firework factory blows up, high voltage poles fall... What's next, Godzilla?

I was thinking that....

"News update - Scientists have discovered that asteroid HR-452, which is approximately five kilometers in width, will impact with the earth sometime on Friday on top of Tesco Lotus Saraburi. In other news,we have been receiving reports that in Amphur Muak Lek the dead have risen from their graves and are attempting to eat the brains of the living. And now over to Sombat with the weather..."

[trainman34014]

Look at the way what looks like a metal pole has bent at the bottom. Sub-standard steel most like and as for the concrete poles, well probably not into the ground deep enough, and without enough concrete on a sloping footing next to what looks like a Klong. Marvelous bit of survey work by some unqualified twerp to allow them to be erected there.

[samsiam]

Any current updates ??

[damo]

Shocking

[mowgus]

Those are cement poles. Ok...I hate to say this but, when I first saw the photo, I laughed. I laughed because it was pathetic. Have you ever seen when they're putting these poles in? They dig maybe four feet down (MAYBE! more like 3) (by hand), stuff the pole in and backfill. Now....go and dig out a ditch beside these poles that is about four feet deep. What?! They fell over?! Huh. All I can do is shake my head. I thought I had seen some stupid things but this one takes the cake.

[damo]

Could you imagine the mindset of those involved in excavating the trench alongside the power lines?

Totally oblivious.....

I think the trait is so broad that even the Thais take advantage of other Thais obliviousness ( if that is a real word) and fuc_k thier ( thai ruk thai ) mates whilst being oblivious to themselves being fuc_ked.

Edited March 29, 2012 by damo

[WarpSpeed]

This is a clear case of Civil Engineers who most likely bought their degrees from Khao Sarn Rd.

You think they actually paid for them? I think they should return them in that case .. I'm just surprised and pleased that they didn't fall over when the high waters were present..

[WarpSpeed]

Look at the way what looks like a metal pole has bent at the bottom. Sub-standard steel most like and as for the concrete poles, well probably not into the ground deep enough, and without enough concrete on a sloping footing next to what looks like a Klong. Marvelous bit of survey work by some unqualified twerp to allow them to be erected there.

It isn't metal it's concrete with a metal guard around the base to help hold and protect the cables running up the pole..

Edited March 29, 2012 by WarpSpeed

[kruangfaifar]

Look at the way what looks like a metal pole has bent at the bottom. Sub-standard steel most like and as for the concrete poles, well probably not into the ground deep enough, and without enough concrete on a sloping footing next to what looks like a Klong. Marvelous bit of survey work by some unqualified twerp to allow them to be erected there.

Not metal poles but standard concrete with stel cable support who is the unqualified twerp now?

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[Soupdragon]

You are looking at this all wrong. Someone got paid to put those poles up and now they are going to get paid again. Happens a lot in Thailand.

[MEL1]

Look at the way what looks like a metal pole has bent at the bottom. Sub-standard steel most like and as for the concrete poles, well probably not into the ground deep enough, and without enough concrete on a sloping footing next to what looks like a Klong. Marvelous bit of survey work by some unqualified twerp to allow them to be erected there.

Not metal poles but standard concrete with stel cable support who is the unqualified twerp now?

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

In essence, it's all bi-polar. That's TiT for us.

-mel.

[mowgus]

You are looking at this all wrong. Someone got paid to put those poles up and now they are going to get paid again. Happens a lot in Thailand.

The guys digging the trench no doubt .

[Thai at Heart]

You are looking at this all wrong. Someone got paid to put those poles up and now they are going to get paid again. Happens a lot in Thailand.

I think they can get them quite cheap from one of the cement factories up the road. it is laughable to see the spacing on these concrete poles, obviously cement is so cheap you can put them in the ground every 3 metres? of course wouldn't want to say that someone may have believed that they were overspecking the whole shebang by putting them so close together.

[David006]

the digging out of the soil around power poles leaving a hub ( can't believe I said that!) of couple of cubic metres around the pole seems very common practice everyplace.....always wondered why they don't fall over....especially since as one member stated they are probably only a metre or so into the soil....the power companies need a major kick up the bum for not monitoring construction work around their facilities....total apathy reigns supreme ...

[airconsult]

I look at that picture and one question comes to mind......

Are they *sure* they removed the lead contaminating the school drinking water in Saraburi????? (google back to 2007 if you don't remember)

[strollling]

Having lived here a good few years I simply cannot trust anything a Thai has been involved in manufacturing/producing.

[trainman34014]

Having lived here a good few years I simply cannot trust anything a Thai has been involved in manufacturing/producing.

.......or erecting !

[trainman34014]

Look at the way what looks like a metal pole has bent at the bottom. Sub-standard steel most like and as for the concrete poles, well probably not into the ground deep enough, and without enough concrete on a sloping footing next to what looks like a Klong. Marvelous bit of survey work by some unqualified twerp to allow them to be erected there.

Not metal poles but standard concrete with stel cable support who is the unqualified twerp now?

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

The same twerp who allowed these poles to be erected so close to a Klong (ditch), or the twerp who allowed them to dig the ditch so close to the poles.....take your pick !

[Narratio]

.....always wondered why they don't fall over....

(Enter Electrical Engineer) In very simple terms, the pole spacing is determined by the wieght of cable pushing it down, the surface area of the pole in touch with compacted soil (stopping it from going any deeper) and how low to the ground the power conductor is allowed to get.

Still keeping it simple, the biggest force on the pole, after wind loading (and associated snow/ice for nasty countries) is accounted for, is the backwards and forwards expansion of the conductor the pole line is carrying. Assuming everything else if perfect and there's no wind, then digging out the side of the pole line doesn't really matter.

But, just one teeny, tiny puff of wind, or a 6 year old child on a tricycle, will knock down the pole. And, when one goes, the rest get dragged down as they're all now unbalanced, until a braced pole is found. That's a pole with another pole angled up against it, or a couple of steel wires anchioring it against a direction of movement. And braced poles are, generally a kilometre apart on a straight line or at large angle changes of direction or when another conductor joins the line.

And other posters are correct. Pole lines in Thailand are installed to the very minimum of engineering specification. I'm permanently amazed I don't see more fallen line.

[ginjag]

how many ..OHMs were affected---one way to get cable quick !! could now SWITCH to gas -safer,  the pylons now have a proper earth.