Taxi falls into a huge crack of cave-in road near Bangkok

[webfact]

Taxi falls into a huge crack of a cave-in road

A taxi driver and his male passenger narrowly escaped injury when the car fell into a huge crack of a cave-in road along a klong in Thanyaburi district of Pathum Thani province on Monday.

The cabbie, 54-year old Boonlom Pongsamran, later told the media that as he was driving his Toyota on Thanyaburi-Lam Lookka road to bring a passenger to his home in Thanyaburi district he noticed the road ahead of him was cracking and collapsing.

He said that his car fell into a huge crack, prompting him and the passenger to quickly exit from the car and run for their lives. Both escaped unhurt.

Highway officials said that about 80 metres of the road caved in about two metres deep. They blamed the sharp drop of water in Klong 14 for causing the road to collapse.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/153988


-- Thai PBS 2016-03-08

[NeverSure]

I wonder how much graft there is, in road building in Thailand. Every time I see a collapse like this I see the following errors:

1. I see native soil and overburden rather than it be removed and replaced with imported and compacted crushed rock.

2. I see absolutely no provision for drainage.

3. I see a very thin veneer of actual paving rather than at least about 6" (150 mm) on top of imported and compacted rock.

Water moving through the native soil would erode it until the road simply fell in. The road surface itself is impervious and creates more water runoff than if it wasn't there.

It's no wonder they routinely collapse and fail.

Cheers.

Edited March 7, 2016 by NeverSure

[trogers]

I wonder how much graft there is, in road building in Thailand. Every time I see a collapse like this I see the following errors:

1. I see native soil and overburden rather than it be removed and replaced with imported and compacted crushed rock.

2. I see absolutely no provision for drainage.

3. I see a very thin veneer of actual paving rather than at least about 6" (150 mm) on top of imported and compacted rock.

Water moving through the native soil would erode it until the road simply fell in. The road surface itself is impervious and creates more water runoff than if it wasn't there.

It's no wonder they routinely collapse and fail.

Cheers.

Don't expect the authorised specifications for road construction in Thailand to follow those of developed countries.

Lower specifications, lower budget, and more maintenance contracts...

[razer]

It is starting ... the Uranus curse

[SOTIRIOS]

....how reassuring....not......

...where is the taxi....???

[KIWIBATCH]

"...it was the waters fault.....". .......typical isn't it.......blame anything except themselves....(roading engineers, road construction process etc etc)

[Pimay1]

I wonder how much graft there is, in road building in Thailand. Every time I see a collapse like this I see the following errors:

1. I see native soil and overburden rather than it be removed and replaced with imported and compacted crushed rock.

2. I see absolutely no provision for drainage.

3. I see a very thin veneer of actual paving rather than at least about 6" (150 mm) on top of imported and compacted rock.

Water moving through the native soil would erode it until the road simply fell in. The road surface itself is impervious and creates more water runoff than if it wasn't there.

It's no wonder they routinely collapse and fail.

Cheers.

Don't expect the authorised specifications for road construction in Thailand to follow those of developed countries.

Lower specifications, lower budget, and more maintenance contracts...

Quite right. The small town five kilometers from where I live has a four lane road about one mile on each side of the town. Every 5/6 months it falls apart and the contractor comes back to resurface the road. It surely is a money making scheme for someone.

[MaxLee]

I wonder how much graft there is, in road building in Thailand. Every time I see a collapse like this I see the following errors:

1. I see native soil and overburden rather than it be removed and replaced with imported and compacted crushed rock.

2. I see absolutely no provision for drainage.

3. I see a very thin veneer of actual paving rather than at least about 6" (150 mm) on top of imported and compacted rock.

Water moving through the native soil would erode it until the road simply fell in. The road surface itself is impervious and creates more water runoff than if it wasn't there.

It's no wonder they routinely collapse and fail.

Cheers.

Construction materials Almost made in China

Edited March 8, 2016 by MaxLee

[Strangebrew]

Well at least they had something to place blame heaven forbid that a Thai not doing his job correctly would be blamed. And what with I noticed crack and fround sinking so We ran for cab after I drove into crack. I would think if you saw crack you would stop before driving into it. On a happier note Thank god proof reading is still a dream here or I wouldn't get a good laugh daily here.

Edited March 8, 2016 by Strangebrew

[Stoker58]

I wonder how much graft there is, in road building in Thailand. Every time I see a collapse like this I see the following errors:

1. I see native soil and overburden rather than it be removed and replaced with imported and compacted crushed rock.

2. I see absolutely no provision for drainage.

3. I see a very thin veneer of actual paving rather than at least about 6" (150 mm) on top of imported and compacted rock.

Water moving through the native soil would erode it until the road simply fell in. The road surface itself is impervious and creates more water runoff than if it wasn't there.

It's no wonder they routinely collapse and fail.

Cheers.

Many years ago when I was first studying engineering a lecturer mentioned that different road surfaces had different design life spans. You could design a 20 year road or you could design a 100 year road. This came as a surprise to me. If you can build a 100 year road, why would anyone build a 20 year road?

The explanation was that a kilometer of 100 year road costs as much as two or three kilometers of 20 year road, so if you're in a developing country you build lots of low cost, low spec, roads to get the traffic moving. If you're in a developed country with mature infrastructure you build high spec to minimise your future maintenance costs.

There's an old saying in engineering....better, faster, cheaper, choose two of the above.

[JAG]

It is starting ... the Uranus curse

Imodium , works every time!

[JAG]

....how reassuring....not......

...where is the taxi....???

Down the hole those two blokes are peering into?

[elgordo38]

I wonder how much graft there is, in road building in Thailand. Every time I see a collapse like this I see the following errors:

1. I see native soil and overburden rather than it be removed and replaced with imported and compacted crushed rock.

2. I see absolutely no provision for drainage.

3. I see a very thin veneer of actual paving rather than at least about 6" (150 mm) on top of imported and compacted rock.

Water moving through the native soil would erode it until the road simply fell in. The road surface itself is impervious and creates more water runoff than if it wasn't there.

It's no wonder they routinely collapse and fail.

Cheers.

Don't expect the authorised specifications for road construction in Thailand to follow those of developed countries.

Lower specifications, lower budget, and more maintenance contracts...

Throw a little graft in for good measure. Geeze the road out the back of our condo is really something. The thin veneer of cement has worn off of the top long ago exposing large stone and wire mesh. Some contractor made off like a bandit on this. I guess like the apartment building in Tiawan not all mistakes stay buried.

[otherstuff1957]

Is this the same road that collapsed a week ago?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/899477-klong-13-canal-road-subsides-in-eastern-bangkok/

If so, was it blocked off or just open as a trap for unwary drivers????

[FredNL]

One of my friends once told me that they were working on the road next to his house again. He could not leave or access by car. Every 3 to 4 months this was the problem for not showing up. If you see the road that goes to his house, unbelievable badly paved. He told me that he asked the company that was doing the repairs why they just didn't pave it all the way. He said that there wouldn't be money in it as they don't have to repair the road for a long time. Repairs bring more cash in.

Edited March 8, 2016 by FredNL