New Engineering Technique Pioneered On Samui!

[robsamui]

Hi y'all.

Just had a mail from a chum in Surat whose wife works for the Ampoe's office. The Gov is trialing a new drain system here on Samui.

Following-on from the almost instantaneous collapse of the side-grids around the Go-Cart place in Bo Phut, the Engineers Department are deploying a new technique. It's seemingly only in the experimental stages, but it promises to be something of a breakthrough.

It's all about the collapse of the Bo Phut drain grids. It would appear that the problem was the volume of traffic. The previous installation was based on the volume of Samui traffic - this was what was issued to the engineers department when they were tendered to make the drainage. Unfortunately the traffic statistics were taken from a government website, not updated by some oversight and based on 1987 figures, not the current traffic flow - an understandable error somewhere. However . . .

In a pioneering breakthrough, the Department of Engineering has come up with a new design.

The problem before was that fifty-times more vehicles than expected were banging over the Bo Phut grids, rapidly causing them to crumble and for conscientious locals to then have to stick bits of broken tree in all of these to warn oncoming vehicles of the hazard (hence all the tree-stumps and lack of greenery along the road between Fisherman's Village and Zazen Resort.)

Now, however, this won't happen again. Take a look at what's happening on Soi 1 in Mae Nam. Thai engineering can move mountains! So, in order to prevent too many motorbikes, trucks and unlicenced taxis breaking all the drainage grids, the drains have been raised eight inches higher than the surrounding road surface.

"It's a breakthough!", Khun Pumpibum Wossgoinon of the Surat Engineer's Dept exclaimed. "If we raise the drain grids way up above the road then nobody is going to drive over them and break them. This is on a par with the Bangkok Flood Drainage System! These grids will last for years!"

Yet another first for Thai thinking. This could well follow a recent pattern of forward-looking that has put Thailand three points in front of neighbouring Laos - a vital element in the up-coming race for ascendancy in the oncoming ASEA arena. Nowhere in Laos are there drains like this. Move over Japan - top this if you can!

Photographic documentation of the clever new Thai design will follow, as soon as the huge sea of mud caused by the new drains and the last few day's rainfall allows vehicular access. Right now only big trucks and 4x4 tractors can can get up the road - but it'll get better and begin draining properly any day now.

Keep tuned!

R

See attached - this has now, of course, been fixed!

Edited November 1, 2012 by robsamui

[Boater]

That will sure add to the accident statistics

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[robsamui]

That will sure add to the accident statistics

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

If not the drainage. By the time the water has risen 8 inches, pelting downhill at 30 kph, the grids will remain virgin. Last for ever. The ring-road near the police station, however, will catch the force of it all, just like before.

AND . . . the drains don't GO anywhere. There is no outlet - just like Chaweng, outside Centara.

R

Edited November 1, 2012 by robsamui

[CARLIN]

When I saw the hight difference I assumed it was to allow for the tarmac

that will come one day

.

[robsamui]

But I have to add - it only ever happens for a coupla weeks a year. Hardly worth the bother in the first place.

Innit.

R

[concerned]

When I saw the hight difference I assumed it was to allow for the tarmac

that will come one day

.

Probably is. That's what they normally do.

[robsamui]

When I saw the hight difference I assumed it was to allow for the tarmac

that will come one day

Tarmac's there already - on either side of the grids, raising them up.

You mean the "tarmac" of the eventual future that will eventually be spread over every one of Samui's side roads?

Only if Tesco-Lotus intends to open an 'Express' up every side=street - like on Soi 5 Mae Nam!

R

[robsamui]

When I saw the hight difference I assumed it was to allow for the tarmac

that will come one day

Probably is. That's what they normally do.

Then why not Bo Phut last year?

It's not as if Soi 1 Mae Nam actually goes anywhere . . . other to Lamai over the 4-inch thick un-reinforced concrete where nobody now wants to go . . . dead end from the start!

Just check some of the engineer-based comments on this thread from last year, about groundings, foundations and road construction in general.

R

[CARLIN]

Don't know about Bo Phut but the drains you are talking about are 4 inches higher than the concrete road so that it's all nice and level when finnished with Tarmac

Don't knock it

it's been a while coming

.

[robsamui]

Don't know about Bo Phut but the drains you are talking about are 4 inches higher than the concrete road so that it's all nice and level when finnished with Tarmac

Don't knock it

it's been a while coming

.

OK! Fair dos. I'll shut up. But I'll still wait for it to happen.

If you're still here in 5 years, I'll remind you of this post! Like I've just done with Rooo about the Zoning on Samui . . .

TTFN

R

[Mole]

They're laying on the tarmac rapidly between namuang waterfall and nathon, so it'll be on the whole ring road soon enough.

[robsamui]

They're laying on the tarmac rapidly between namuang waterfall and nathon, so it'll be on the whole ring road soon enough.

Hope so!

But up the side roads, too?

R

[Tropicalevo]

They're laying on the tarmac rapidly between namuang waterfall and nathon, so it'll be on the whole ring road soon enough.

Hope so!

But up the side roads, too?

R

Come on Rob - you have been here for a while now. Don't give up

Not sure what you mean by 'side' roads, but Choengmon has tarmac all of the way to Chewang. It wasn't even completely concreted when I first got here.

[Boater]

But doesn't the Tarmac all collapse come rainy season ? ... Or is this a planned thing for external contractors to come in and repair ?

[John 1]

But doesn't the Tarmac all collapse come rainy season ? ... Or is this a planned thing for external contractors to come in and repair ?

Tarmac or concrete doesn't collapse if the base is prepared properly but as we know nothing is done correctly on Samui just a cosmetic make over.

[SamuiRes]

Drove along the Ring Road south of Nathon today where they are doing all the road and drainage work. It would seem that they might just have decided to implement a sensible solution. The drains are being built alongside the road, not under it, and they are providing inlets in the kerbs so there will be no drain covers in the road. You see this in many countries and it usually works quite well. My only concern would be that the drains being provided will be large enough in some of the deluges that we get. However seems a move in the right direction.

[Rooo]

Drove along the Ring Road south of Nathon today where they are doing all the road and drainage work. It would seem that they might just have decided to implement a sensible solution. The drains are being built alongside the road, not under it, and they are providing inlets in the kerbs so there will be no drain covers in the road. You see this in many countries and it usually works quite well. My only concern would be that the drains being provided will be large enough in some of the deluges that we get. However seems a move in the right direction.

They used massive pipes under where the footpath will go. I have seen the work in progress over the past year. As you said the right solution with the inspection / manhole covers on the footpath.

[robsamui]

They're laying on the tarmac rapidly between namuang waterfall and nathon, so it'll be on the whole ring road soon enough.

Hope so!

But up the side roads, too?

R

Come on Rob - you have been here for a while now. Don't give up

Not sure what you mean by 'side' roads, but Choengmon has tarmac all of the way to Chewang. It wasn't even completely concreted when I first got here.

Ah - sigh - you're right . . . I hope.

But although I have this long-established doomy view of the Thai approach it could well be true that Mae Nam Soi 1 is gonna get blacktop.

I'd like to see what happens when the huge heavy tarmac machine gets to the thin bit of concrete tho - up Soi 1 where the concrete is only 4 inches thick and with no footings . . .

Either that or Khun Pumpibum is right . . .

(grin)

R

[CARLIN]

Can you smell it Rob?

.

[robsamui]

Can you smell it Rob?

.

I

I am totally gobsmacked. How utterly illogical is this? With huge swathes of road that's in dreadful condition (try the main road through Nathon, for instance) why do this piddly little side road first?

Unless . . .

. . . maybe there is a directive that has decreed that ALL Samui roads have got to be done. Big intersections and busy main streets are a real headache, re-directing traffic flow and such. So they are doing all the small, easy, fuss-free ones first?? And then when they are all done and they have run out of side streets, they'll just have to do the tricky stuff . . . ?

Anyway - what's Thai for 'Ta Mac'? Not complaining in the least!

R

Edited November 16, 2012 by robsamui

[oldsailor35]

I am lucky where i live on Soi 4 Maenam (Buddha beach area). The drains will never get blocked up as they are "cunningly placed" on the high side of a sharp bend so that all the water hangs on the inside of the bend where it cambers down..............brilliant !

[samuijimmy]

Is this the new system??... You're on about there, Rob?

This is what they are putting in on Soi Maenam Resort road, just past Santi Buri Hotel, headed towards Ban Tai, if so it "I think" may work OK ??? ... It's not finished yet...

I suppose time will tell... but not sure it would work on roads where there is continual heavy traffic... but you never know!!!

Edited November 25, 2012 by samuijimmy

[robsamui]

Is this the new system??... You're on about there, Rob?

This is what they are putting in on Soi Maenam Resort road, just past Santi Buri Hotel, headed towards Ban Tai, if so it "I think" may work OK ??? ... It's not finished yet...

I suppose time will tell... but not sure it would work on roads where there is continual heavy traffic... but you never know!!!

Yes - this is the one! And if you go to Soi 5in Mae Nam you can see it in action right now, due to the rain. I was pondering on the fact that none of these drain actually drain anywhere - kind of illogical really. Lots of time and money spent but no outlet. But there is!!

All the water flows downhill until it gets to the drain grid that is at the end/bottom of the road. Then it gushes out of this and onto the ring road. It seems that the only difference between this 'new system' and what we had before is 1) lots of time and money spent, plus badly-inset grids some of which are already a hazard (as on the rind road around the Bo Phut lights) and 2) the water now doesn't just flow down the hill and flood the main road, it flows down the hill underground and then floods the main road!

Photos to follow in a day or so!

Yobbadobbadoo.

R

Edited November 30, 2012 by robsamui

[MAJIC]

When I saw the hight difference I assumed it was to allow for the tarmac

that will come one day

.

Agreed! meanwhile in i'ts present form,it's hardly a breakthrough,or a new invention,more like common sensense addition,until some bad accidents happen,due to a vertical protrusion from the 8 inch grating.

[oldsailor35]

The new drains photographed by Samuijimmy in Soi Maenam Resort rd (soi 4) must be really working as this is the first time that the road has not been flooded through there after rain.

[fatfather]

What do I misunderstand? What have frequent traffic to do with rain pouring out of the sky? If the drainage is insufficient it is insufficient. What is the point of "new engineering"? Missed I something?

Fatfather

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[samuijimmy]

The new drains photographed by Samuijimmy in Soi Maenam Resort rd (soi 4) must be really working as this is the first time that the road has not been flooded through there after rain.

Well here is today's update and progress report. Just happened down there to have a cuppa tea!

The cement truck driver was a real jerk and put too much cement in two spots, just to make the workers have to move it by hand...

Several Thai locals came to the rescue and helped, before it set hard ...

The cement laid for the driveways is so thin, that it will look like doo doo in no time...

Yes no water sitting !!! very nice! .....

[robsamui]

What do I misunderstand? What have frequent traffic to do with rain pouring out of the sky? If the drainage is insufficient it is insufficient. What is the point of "new engineering"? Missed I something?

Fatfather

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Yes, it would seem that you did, in fact, miss the entire point of everything I wrote . . .

R

Edited December 2, 2012 by robsamui