GOLD!
Posted on 08/10/2012 3:06:36 AM PDT by the scotsman
'The sports sections of the world's media have, for the past two weeks, been preoccupied with one story - London's Olympic Games.
But what do those actually covering the Games for papers and media organisations around the world think of the event? BBC asks a selection for their views.'
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
The venues and infrastructure have been first class.
There’s a lot of hidden engineering in the venues: perhaps most notably the one used for the Equestrian events.
That whole stage has a carefully calibrated level of drainage for the best ‘feel’ for riders. It’s also been microdamped so that when a horse jumps the vibrations have disappeared before it lands. And the whole thing can be removed a week after the Olympics finish.
Amazing stuff.
Also: many venues have been built on land which was once contaminated dockland. I’ve been reading about the ‘Soil Hospital’ the contractors created to process an enormous amount of soil. You could grow crops on those places now.
Fascinating indeed. I have a question, though. What is contaminated dockland?
NBC coverage has been the most negative thing I seen.
I’m surprised no one dug up an old unexploded German bomb buried in the dirt since The Blitz in 1940........
Good question.
Contaminated land is land that has been heavily polluted by mining, industry, chemical/oil spills and waste disposal.
The dockland region of the Thames was (during the heyday of river freight in London) polluted with various heavy metals, oil and poisonous chemicals: spilled cargo, engine run-off, stuff that fell off boats and lead-based paint.
Not to mention dead bodies and unexploded bombs. We’re just lucky there were no Elizabethan plague pits (!)
So what are they going to do with all the facilities after the games are over? Knocked down or reused?
The Triumph of Title IX.
The dockland region of the Thames was (during the heyday of river freight in London) polluted with various heavy metals, oil and poisonous chemicals: spilled cargo, engine run-off, stuff that fell off boats and lead-based paint.
Wow! Where can I read more about the Soil Hospital? I'm thrilled that it is actually possible to clean up such horrific pollution.
Not to mention dead bodies and unexploded bombs. We’re just lucky there were no Elizabethan plague pits (!)
The plague pits would be more problematic than modern hazardous waste?
To answer that question about just one of the venues, the velodrome, which by common consent has been the most architecturally successful of the structures. This is the only indoor velodrome in the south of England, and will become the hub of a permanent centre for the various cycling sport disciplines. It will be surrounded by newly-built circuits for road, cyclo-cross and BMX.
Looks I can’t download the PDF from the contractors internal site right now - I’m not sure why not.
Remind me in a week or so: I’ll see what I can do.
As for the plague pits - yes. Apparently bubonic plaque can remain lethal for centuries, or at least that was the prevailing theory some years ago.
Atkins Global (the main contractors for the Games) want people to know about their amazing work, so please have no qualms about downloading this. Pg 22 is the section on the soil cleaning, Pg 68 onwards has interesting stuff about the venues.
Caution: it's about 36 Mb zipped up. Please let me know via FReeper mail when you've downloaded it, and I'll take it off my FTP site.
The Triumph of Title IX.
...you nailed it...one of these days, we may see a men’s event other than Bolt running a footrace or Phelps in the swimming pool...
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