Early Risers.

[polybear]

6 hours ago, TheQ said:

What's the doggy word for GROAN?

 

Woof

 

29 minutes ago, Erichill16 said:

Dave,

Now you’re back Sydney wants to know if you want a lick of his (doggie) ice cream?

 

 

Would that be first lick or second lick?  Dave needs to know.......

 

Bear here......

A bit more architrave work this afternoon (prep work for fitting the second and third door frame sets tomorrow) followed by an evening at the M.E. Evening Class - nothing busted, screwed up or blood visible.  A result.

 

 

[Winslow Boy]

19 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Woof

 

 

Would that be first lick or second lick?  Dave needs to know.......

 

Bear here......

A bit more architrave work this afternoon (prep work for fitting the second and third door frame sets tomorrow) followed by an evening at the M.E. Evening Class - nothing busted, screwed up or blood visible.  A result.

 

 

 

Oh you are a spoil sport Mr Bear.

[Tony_S]

33 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Quote

 

Hopefully both will be OK, however they ended up there.

Aditi told me that her uncle and cousin owned a tap factory in Chandigarh. Their night watchman couldn’t be found one morning. Eventually his remains were discovered in a tank of chromic acid. It seemed he had been drinking some sort of industrial alcohol and had fallen in. 

[TheSignalEngineer]

Evening all. 

A lot of the G word today. Garden is now in a relatively tidy state. Plot inspections were done at the allotments by someone from a different site. Right jobsworth having to justify his existence. Passed my plot for the state of cultivation but then put on an advisory because there was still a nail in some scrap timber which is waiting to be disposed of. It took me some time to find it  and the inspector had missed the rusty piece of jagged metal on the end of a scrap length of scaffold board next to it. Don't think he had actually been on my plot as he would have seen that first, provided he hadn't come to grief on the tripping hazard on the path currently being relaid. Committee rep will get some feedback when I see her at the weekend. 

[Kelly]

3 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

 

 

* Construction sand comes from estuarine and littoral environments. Desert sand is not as suitable - it's too smooth.

 

 

 

There has also been a shortage of sand suitable for electronics production, especially for chips such as cpus. Just one factor in the combination of price rises and short supply of many computer components as well as a number of basic components for electronics, effecting the supply and cost of new cars and things like raspberry pi which are in very short supply apparently with the prices being silly currently as a result. 

 

Also related to this, noble gases such as freon are required for chip production. Guess which country is the leading supplier of and recently been hit with a cpu speed supply restriction from Taiwan...

 

On the subject of concrete, what is the alternative? Bricks require sand as well (maybe not the same sand?) and plastic is not really viable. 

 

There are a lot of questions facing the world over the next couple of decades and how they get answered will have huge consequences. 

[monkeysarefun]

59 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Other than wall-to-wall coverage of "The Hill" this evening,

Theres always Fox!

[andyram]

Evening all and welcome back to @Dave Hunt. I am sorry to hear that you are also struggling with the black dog. I hope you find these pages of some support. I know I have, even the process of journaling thoughts, worries and challenges can be helpful whether people read them or otherwise.

 

Here in this corner of Derbyshire many of the issues I described yesterday remain. The morning was spent chasing up Sky and EBay but without success.  Sky have promised to call with an update by the end of tomorrow. I have heard that before and I am not optimistic. They have been challenged to come up with suitable date for payment and revised compensation otherwise I will be looking to take further action whatever that may be. 
 

On the subject of deadlines, I see that the American chancer has been given a deadline of 5pm tomorrow to complete the purchase of our football club or walk away. I am not optimistic.

 

 At home, as if there were not enough problems, we now have a leaking boiler to contend with. I am really beginning to wonder how much more I can take. I am trying to find some kind of positive but it is difficult.

 

Take care

 

Andy 

[TheSignalEngineer]

Not able to get to Sam's cricket tonight but got a report afterwards. He was captaining the team in a league match for the first time. Won the toss and batted as the pitch was damp. Not the runfest like Tuesday, much more care needed as the ball wasn't coming through but a respectable total was posted. Opposition openers also played carefully  getting the target down to 45 then the fun started. The pitch was getting umpredictable by this time and they were getting behind the clock. After the first couple of wickets had gone down the rest folded with 8 going down in six overs for seven runs. 

Edited June 9, 2022 by TheSignalEngineer

[PhilJ W]

3 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

I believe that would be Hainault then.

Barking is on the District line, Hainault is on the Central line.

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

This news story is right out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

 

CNN: Two people rescued after falling in tank full of chocolate in Pennsylvania

 

Other than wall-to-wall coverage of "The Hill" this evening, I wonder if late night television will insert at least one Augustus Gloop reference - assuming those involved recover.

 

It actually sounds a bit nasty:

Hopefully both will be OK, however they ended up there.

 

This unfortunate chap drowned in a vat of beer.

https://boakandbailey.com/2015/08/the-strange-death-of-ronny-fincham/

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

I managed to get all I wanted from the big orange DIY shed, so sometime in the not too distant future I shall be making quite a few 6mm dowels. Once back home, I made myself a muggertea and went downstairs to the cellar and made a start on clearing the area around the hole that needs enlarging. I then did a bit more work on the artwork for the TPO vans on the computer in the office. 

 

This afternoon Charlie came round for his weekly model making session. Today he brought a new kit that he’d had on order for a couple of weeks. This kit is of a figure, something a little bit different to what he’s been build up until now, he made a start on that, but he needs to paint some of it before it can be finished, as one part in particular hides a fair bit of the figure, which if completely built up, would be practically impossible to paint. I, did a little more work on the DH Tiger Moth, a second coat of paint was applied to the top of the upper wing and a bit of detail painting was done around the cockpits. Whilst that lot was drying, I started to paint a couple of figures for the turntable area. 

 

Nice to see Dave back among us once again. 

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Time seems to be running away today, where its all gone is a mystery. Good to see some of the absentees back in the fold. Now for the rest of RMweb and bed.

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[Ozexpatriate]

51 minutes ago, Kelly said:

On the subject of concrete, what is the alternative? Bricks require sand as well (maybe not the same sand?) and plastic is not really viable. 

For many applications (bridges, airport aprons etc), there is not much alternative.

 

The real question is where it is and what it is used for. I did see a chart (no numbers) splitting global applications as residential (maybe ~40%) and non-residential.

 

The PRC produces 60% of the world's cement - 2.5Gt which is almost 8x the next highest producer (India) at 330Mt.  Presumably that's a lot of massive blocks of flats, in addition to other infrastructure. It is staggering just how much cement the PRC produces compared with the rest of the world.

 

There is a lot of work in engineered, cross-laminated timber sustainable wood products for medium/high-rise buildings as an alternative to concrete.

 

The 18-storey Mjøstårnet tower in Brumunddal, Norway (85m) was built in 2019. One in Winterthur, Switzerland (Rocket&Tigerli) will be 100m high.

 

A 12-storey project (Framework) here in Portland was suspended. A 36-storey project (Spar) has been mooted, but I don't know whether it will proceed.

 

Edited June 9, 2022 by Ozexpatriate

[Pacific231G]

45 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

For many applications (bridges, airport aprons etc), there is not much alternative.

 

The real question is where it is and what it is used for. I did see a chart (no numbers) splitting global applications as residential (maybe ~40%) and non-residential.

 

 

 

The main alternative to concrete is probably to repurpose as many existing structures as possible rather than flattening them and starting afresh. It'not always possible of course but I suspect that there's a lot more scope for it than we currently realise. 

Good night all.

[BR60103]

5 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

This news story is right out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

 

CNN: Two people rescued after falling in tank full of chocolate in Pennsylvania

 

Other than wall-to-wall coverage of "The Hill" this evening, I wonder if late night television will insert at least one Augustus Gloop reference - assuming those involved recover.

 

It actually sounds a bit nasty:

Hopefully both will be OK, however they ended up there.

 

 

Chocolate - The Smothers Brothers - YouTube

 

I yelled "Fire" when I fell into the chocolate.

Edited June 10, 2022 by BR60103
oops

[Ozexpatriate]

3 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

... rather than flattening them and starting afresh

Concrete recycling is a useful thing (and is in widespread use) but it produces aggregate and doesn't address the CO2 emitted when calcinating clinker since new cement is needed to produce new concrete - with the recycled content.

 

Globally, most concrete is used for new infrastructure or new construction, rather than a teardown of an existing structure.

 

The PRC produces 27x the cement produced in the US.

 

Edited June 10, 2022 by Ozexpatriate

[Tony_S]

5 hours ago, Kelly said:

 noble gases such as freon are required for chip production. 

I think your spellchecker has intervened and tried to ennoble freon. I assume you typed neon. 

[iL Dottore]

10 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

There is always interest in Dachshunds here 

I find Dachshunds to be the most engaging and endearing little dogs. They have amazing characters, but sadly they are cursed by being overbred.

 

If you look at photographs of Dachshunds from the turn of the last century, you will note that they are slightly taller, slightly shorter in length, better proportioned and – I would hazard – probably free of those genetically linked health problems caused by breeding within a very small gene pool.

Edited June 10, 2022 by iL Dottore

[iL Dottore]

5 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

There is a lot of work in engineered, cross-laminated timber sustainable wood products for medium/high-rise buildings as an alternative to concrete.

 

The 18-storey Mjøstårnet tower in Brumunddal, Norway (85m) was built in 2019. One in Winterthur, Switzerland (Rocket&Tigerli) will be 100m high.

I first found out about engineered, cross-laminated timber through watching an episode of Grand Designs. It really is the most amazing building material and I would be very happy to build a house with it.

 

As another poster suggested, one way to decrease the use of new concrete is to re-purpose old buildings. But from what I read (and from a couple of posts on RMWeb) it seems that - at least in the UK - a major obstacle to repurposing old buildings are the local planning departments, Whitehall diktats and organisations such as Heritage England.

 

Over the years, I have read stories in the British press about fine old buildings being allowed to deteriorate to the point where they have to be torn down, simply because the owner could not afford to jump through the very expensive (and frequently self-contradictory) hoops put in place by the local planning department and bodies like Heritage England.

 

Whilst holidaying in Britain, I’ve come across many a fine old factory or other industrial building, currently neglected, where I have thought “that would make a nice block of flats“ Unfortunately, assuming that I had the wherewithal to buy such a building, I think I would be so tied up by contradictory red tape (such as being required to put in windows that meet certain insulation requirements whilst at the same time making sure that only era appropriate materials and methods are used) that I would quickly give up and either sell up or raze it to the ground and put up a McApartment Building.

 

Surely it is not beyond the wit and the ability of planning departments and bodies such as Heritage England to look at how the Italians and the Spanish (amongst others) are managing to save and modernise historical buildings and learn something?

Edited June 10, 2022 by iL Dottore

[iL Dottore]

5 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

.….The PRC produces 27x the cement produced in the US.

Probably because over the last two decades the PRC has decided to upgrade/modernise its infrastructure. And what The National People’s Congress decides will be done, will be done.

 

A good example of this is with High Speed Rail: Around about 2003, 2004 or so, the PRC decided that it will have a high-speed rail network and the first construction started in 2005. Now, a mere 17 years later, the PRC has the worlds most extensive HSR network. In comparison, the US still has to do anything significant in terms of building a single high speed rail line.

 

With a modern infrastructure and the political will and the means to execute long-term plans, I see the PRC is taking a much more significant role in the world. What is reassuring, at least at one level, is the PRC said it will address environmental issues. And if the PRC has decided they will be addressed, they will be addressed.

Edited June 10, 2022 by iL Dottore

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

Probably because over the last two decades the PRC has decided to upgrade/modernise its infrastructure. And what The National People’s Congress decides will be done, will be done.

 

A good example of this is with High Speed Rail: Around about 2003, 2004 or so, the PRC decided that it will have a high-speed rail network and the first construction started in 2005. Now, a mere 17 years later, the PRC has the worlds most extensive HSR network network. In comparison, the US still has to do anything significant in terms of building a single high speed rail line.

 

With a modern infrastructure and the political will and the means to execute long-term plans, I see the PRC is taking a much more significant role in the world. What is reassuring, at least at one level, is the PRC said it will address environmental issues. And if the PRC has decided they will be addressed, they will be addressed.

 

That's the beauty of a one party state/dictatorship compared to a democracy.

 

There are ways in which the volume of concrete required can be reduced but at the end of the day there will always 'waste' - I include co2 here, in the production of materials. What I think needs to be done is requiring that it be reduced and reused.

 

about old buildings not been reused. There are several good examples of cotton mills being repurposed here in the northwest. However I think the main problem is that things like VAT are charged at different rates- I think its zero on new builds but not sure. 

Edited June 10, 2022 by Winslow Boy

[Winslow Boy]

One of the difficulties I do have is understanding why large developers don't install things like solar panels when they build new houses. Not only are they in a position to drive costs down it would prove a very good selling point yet they just don't do it. Before you say isn't that what planners should do I would counter with there is a limit to what can enforced given the current guidance. It does I think highlight a problem with the developers business model- build them cheap, sell them dear.

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

There are a few examples of repurchased concrete buildings.. offices turned into hotels etc. Two major problems..

 

The floor to ceiling heights seen in 1960s built blocks is too small to fit any service pipework/trays (think sprinklers, electrics, air conditioning etc.

 

Secondly some of the blocks suffer from concrete " rot" which can cost a lot to rectify.

 

The ex British Gas office block  in Leeds is now a Hampton by Hilton Hotel as an example close to me which has seen more conversions over the years. The K1 accommodation block in the City Centre is another example.

 

In other news.. Time for my mugatea and then prepare for my meeting.

 

Stay safe!

 

Baz