Re: The 13th pillar of the Pont de l'Alma underpass

John wrote:
"Dan Holdsworth" <dan1701usenet@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:slrnfg58go.aub.dan1701usenet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:08:34 +0100, Dave Plowman (News)
<dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
was popularly supposed to have said:

In article <Xns99BD977A1E827adrianachapmanfreeis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Adrian <toomany2cvs@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
You're assuming two+ ton of Merc travelling at 100+mph didn't just smear
the Armco around the pillar as if it were pipe cleaners...
It's designed to reflect any likely load back onto the road. Wouldn't be
much point in it otherwise...
It does, too; it even reflects big articulated lorries back onto the
road (makes a terrible mess, but it does reflect 'em back).

The probable cause of the crash was a drunken driver driving like an
utter tit, and photographers playing silly buggers trying to snap
photos. Several things occur to me at this point:

Firstly, why not use part-mirrored glass on luxury cars, instead of
merely tinted glass? This would reflect photographic flashes and render
such photos useless.

Secondly, why was the tunnel designed with pillars? Even where armco
isn't extensively used such as in the Leeds Inner Ring Road tunnels, the
divider is not pillars but a solid wall with occasional narrow personnel
access hatches. The ethos there is the same as armco; keep two streams
of traffic separate (and stop one side dazzling the other, too).

Whichever way you look at it, the pillar road tunnel was a really,
really, stupendously crap design.

Thirdly, why did the French authorities scrub down the tunnel so quickly
after the accident? Granted they wanted to re-open it, but surely not
before forensic examiners have had a chance to have a look at it?


--
Dan Holdsworth PhD dan1701usenet@xxxxxxxxxxxx
By caffeine alone I set my mind in motion, By the beans of Java
do thoughts acquire speed, hands acquire shaking, the shaking
becomes a warning, By caffeine alone do I set my mind in motion

Thanks for a sensible reply. Yes - solid walls are more usual.

The next question is - should the Ritz Management be prosecuted for corporate manslaughter for allowing a drunken driver to drive the car? (but perhaps this is getting a bit off topic.

Obviously I don't know the truth of it, but there were claims that the driver was not actually drunk.

Best wishes all,
Dave.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: The 13th pillar of the Pont de lAlma underpass
    ... the Armco around the pillar as if it were pipe cleaners... ... isn't extensively used such as in the Leeds Inner Ring Road tunnels, ... Whichever way you look at it, the pillar road tunnel was a really, ... really, stupendously crap design. ...
    (uk.rec.driving)
  • Re: The 13th pillar of the Pont de lAlma underpass
    ... smear the Armco around the pillar as if it were pipe cleaners... ... isn't extensively used such as in the Leeds Inner Ring Road tunnels, ... really, stupendously crap design. ...
    (uk.rec.driving)