Integrity is what you do when no-one's watching

Status
Not open for further replies.
Shannow

Shannow

Joined
Dec 12, 2002
Messages
43,888
Location
'Stralia
It's a silly quip from an Australian bread advertisement, but pretty true.

Found out today that a power station i worked at has been sold to the Kiwis, which reminded me of the long defunct Units 1 and 2 at the same dam.

76237820.jpg


There's the dam, and the power station Units 1 and 2...they are in a building about middle of the screen horizontally, 20% of the screen down...that box.

When it was built, it was literally nowhere
But this is what they built...



https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/po..._Nomination.pdf
 
Like any craftsman even the work that no one will probably never see has to meet their standards or they don't feel right about the job.
 
I read a story once about some carpenters who were framing a house and were asked why they were taking taking great care with their measurements and cuts and spacing on something than nobody would ever see, and the answer was someday someone might take it apart and see their work...these men were craftsmen.

Sorry to say this is not the same attitude the men have who recently framed the house being built for us. What they lack in the accuracy of a cut they make up for with the nail gun... these men are framers.

If the house is plumb, square, and level it doesn't really matter but it points out different attitudes and expectations.
 
Goes for design too.

Years ago I was part of a huge house build. The bedrooms were all rectangles (as they should've been) but someone got the idea to "polygonize" the outside walls.
Ergo, there were triangular voids-wasted space!-all over the place.
I bothered the DICKENS out of me.

Granted, in the future these pockets could be transformed into discrete hiding places. That would be nifty.
In the meantime, these pockets will fill with "mouse aftermath" as this house was in the woods.

In the case of the power station: They unrolled an existing plan...contacted their rock cutter to do multiples of any prefab work etc. It was cheaper to do it that way.
It is also an emblem of the company. Remember, these people vie for contracts the world over.
I AM NOT belittling the fine workmanship in evidence here. I'm just pointing out it was cheaper to build it the good way than to find a "cheaper way".
 
To me that looks like a government owned utility or regulated utility type of project. Cost is not really a concern because it will be charged back to the ratepayers so the design engineers, so of whom may never set foot there and are not paying for it will spec top end stuff. These type of projects are built to last 50+ years and very forward thinking in many ways. I'm in the utility industry and in my neck of the woods we are deregulated now so private companies build the new power plants. Typically stuff is built to last 30 years and they build cheaper steel frame buildings, the bean counters don't really look beyond 30 years.
 
The main post office in my town was built by Craftsmen during the great depression as part of a federal works project. Granite and limestone, marble floors and is a beautiful landmark. The new one built down the street in the 1960's is a steel and glass architectural eyesore. Thankfully the old one has been maintained by a large furniture manufacturer, and is used as a furniture market showroom.
 
Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
Shannow, you would probably like the Sir Adam Beck generating station in Niagara Falls, ON. Canada


101821-526099.jpg
 
Churchill Falls is also another incredible facility.

Originally Posted By: Wikipedia
The machine hall of the power facility at Churchill Falls was hollowed out of solid rock, close to 1,000 ft (300 m) underground. Its final proportions are huge: in height it equals a 15-storey building, its length is three times that of a Canadian football field. When completed, it housed 11 generating units, with a combined capacity of 5,428 MW (7,279,000 hp). Water is contained by a reservoir created not by a single large dam, but by a series of 88 dikes that have a total length of 64 km (40 mi). At the time, the project was the largest civil engineering project ever undertaken in North America. Once all the dikes were in place, it provided a vast storage area which later became known as Smallwood Reservoir. This reservoir covers 2,200 sq mi (5,700 km2) and provides storage area for more than 1,000,000,000,000 cu ft (2.8×1010 m3) of water.


generatorfloor.jpg

powerhouse-600x320.jpg

Churchill-Falls-Generating-Station.jpg
 
I recall being told the rock on Signal Hill was 500 million years old …
 
Last edited:
Possibly the greatest unsung British hero is Sir Joseph Bazalgette.

Who was he and what did he do?.

He designed and built the underground sewage system in London in the 19th century.
He probably did more good for the health of Londoners than anyone before or since. He made such a fine job that much of it is still in use today. He spent a vast amount of public funds, but such was the standard of his work it has lasted getting on 150 years and counting. Worked out a bargain in the long haul.


Claud.
 
Originally Posted By: Claud
Possibly the greatest unsung British hero is Sir Joseph Bazalgette.

Who was he and what did he do?.

He designed and built the underground sewage system in London in the 19th century.
He probably did more good for the health of Londoners than anyone before or since. He made such a fine job that much of it is still in use today. He spent a vast amount of public funds, but such was the standard of his work it has lasted getting on 150 years and counting. Worked out a bargain in the long haul.


Claud.


His sewer ended at a pumping station at Crossness East of London.
 
I didn't know we bought one of your power stations - how are we going to get it over here, lay a cable ? Anyway, Aussies have bought our coal mines, we'll call it an energy exchange.

When I was an apprentice, I would be down in the pit trying to repair an exhaust - the replacement part would only be an aproximation of the original part, and then there would be all the previous repairs. A simple job that could get out of control, and for me usually did. The boss would shout out '' That one has to go out by 4.30pm Silk !'' Yeah, yeah. I'd be in a panic, the job was a mess, and I was making it worse...no way out.

Then John would walk down the steps...''What've we got here?'' Oh, salvation!!!! He'd take a look, make a few changes, then take it up to his work bench and weld it up. No MIG in those days, just oxy acet. John would weld it up, stand back and inspect his work, no hurry, I'd be looking at the clock and jumping up and down. After a complete inspection, he'd reweld it, this time with no filler rod, just going over the weld to make it perfect, and it was, the most beautiful gas welding I've ever seen. After a final inspection he'd run over it with a wire brush. I was impatient, and say it was only an exhaust, under the car, it'd rust up and no one would ever see it. He'd just give me a look, and say ''But I know it's there!''. Gas is still my go to for exhaust repair, I always inspect my welds, often go over them again to clean them up...but am always disapointed I can't be as good as my teacher.
 
Not sure that I side with either statement that it was govt owned utility bloat, nor that it was an off the shelf building.

Per the link to the engineer's Australia submission, it was the biggest dam in Oz, and 4th largest in the world when built...I think that they wanted something showy.

Been trying to find a picture of Units 3 and 4, here's one that's pretty sketchy.
Burrinjuck-Power-Station.jpg


bottom right of the image, 3 and 4 are in a concrete box...that can be made water tight being right at the dam wall.

Little factoid, I did my ACL in Unit 3, and had to climb every single one of those stairs/ladder rungs up that far wall, and walk to the carpark.
 
Originally Posted By: Kage860
I'm in the utility industry and in my neck of the woods we are deregulated now so private companies build the new power plants. Typically stuff is built to last 30 years and they build cheaper steel frame buildings, the bean counters don't really look beyond 30 years.


Millmerin power station in QLD was built this century...the turbines aren't even in a shed, they are out in the open.
 
One of the issues is that most folks do not want to pay for perfection these days. The craftsmen that insist on spending the necessary time to obtain that perfection are being priced out of the equation. Workers who can get the job done good enough and quick enough so that money can be made is what works these days. Outfits with these workers can bid lower and get most of the jobs with the savings that most buyers seem to want.

You see this attitude all over the place these days. Folks search online to buy the commodities at the cheapest price. Home building and construction is no different. People want to save money and don't care much if the company providing the goods or services is making enough to survive or not.
 
SeaJay,
can't tell you how many times over the last 20 years I've been directed to give a job "80% and move on"...it's the way of things these days.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

CourierDriver
  • Locked
The internal combustion engines--history
Replies
9
Views
6K
HerrStig
dave1251
  • Locked
Exxon Mobil
Replies
19
Views
14K
MolaKule
B
  • Locked
Oil article written by John Rowland from Silkolene
Replies
14
Views
9K
saaber1
The Critic
  • Locked
2008 Accord- Official Specs and Pictures
2 3
Replies
49
Views
20K
buster
S
  • Locked
SPAM - The real thing
Replies
11
Views
2K
BEKAIR
Back
Top