Wachira Hospital Collapse: Force Majeure Explained

He explained that During a few hours, the road collapsed into a width of 30×30 meters and nearly 20 meters deep, found that the soil and the water that disappeared into the structure of the subway station. And some of the soil also flows into the upper train tunnel

Mr. Kenja emphasized that the soil and water that remains inside the station and the subway tunnel. Causing the officers to not be able to inspect the internal thoroughly. However, he assumed that the cause of the soil subsided was caused by the change of soil and water conditions, which is the “special” because of the basic inspection, both “construction methods And the use of equipment All machines According to standards and according to academic principles “

“From the events that I sequence the event a moment ago And the situation that has happened Enough to assume that Should be caused by the condition of the soil in this area together with the water underground Causing the condition of the soil to change behavior Is the stability of the soil changes to a special characteristics, “said the MRTA Governor.

“The soil and water that causes the condition to change to a special character [ดิน] Collapsed, resulting in a plumbing pipe that is deep down to three meters. And the water supply, including the waste water pipe, mixed with the soil there Causing the behavior of the soil to be stable Even more stable, “he stated.

The Governor of the MRTA also said that when the soil in this area “Stabilizer” and part of it flows down to the bottom along the various channels, as far as there is until the gap between the station and the electric train tunnel from the “soil and water that change the behavior into liquid”, causing these gaps to expand before the soil surface collapses.

“Would like to learn that in the construction of the subway project of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand We have been operating as 10 years ago with academic standards. We have a designer Construction contractor Including professional concessionors There are always standards for operations. The first incident was a special event, “he stated.

While Mr. Kittikorn Tanpee, Deputy Governor of the MRTA, repeatedly confirmed during the answer to the question that the situation was “force majeure”

“As the governor had studied This situation is really force majeure that it happened in a few hours. And when it’s time to accidentally have a large water pipe enough to break, the pressure is a lot of 1.20 meters from the pipe, so it is accelerated. Causing the soil stability quickly. “He emphasized

“I think it’s not force majeure.” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Watcharin Kasuk, President of the Engineering of Thailand Under the royal patronage (W.), told BBC Thai “The land subsided Show that below has a gap Does it have to have a cavity correctly? It can collapse. “

“Ask why other places don’t break. I have to ask back if the soil and water are a lot of force. That shows that the tunnels are designed to receive water? If so, how can it be a tunnel? Since the tunnel will have to encounter water all the time. “He asked.” Lod the Chao Phraya River, he still did it. I didn’t know. I didn’t listen to him.

The expert in the design and control of this underground work. See that the important point that is the root causes the soil to collapse Should be at the connecting point between the station and the electric train tunnel Which is the same as Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thirawat Boonyathee, Lecturer at the Department of Civil Engineering Faculty of Engineering Chulalongkorn University Analyze in the previous article of BBC Thai that The location of the soil is the position where the train tunnel runs into the station. In which he thinks that the weakness is at the seam between the tunnel and the station The loopholes cause the soil around the station to flow in this gap into a large hallway.

President of the Royal Thai Army explained that In the construction of the subway Usually start to build from the station first Which will be a very strong structure Because it is a reinforced concrete and placed on a pile of tens of meters deep Then create a tunnel which is a curved concrete connected Which, when creating a tunnel until connecting to the station The construction must penetrate the station in order to connect the tunnel. Before seizing both parts together with materials that look like rubber To support the case of the tunnel movement while the electric train runs

“The hole that he drills [บริเวณผนังของตัวสถานี] Once wearing it, it has a seam. It will have a gap … Like we pierced the wall and put the pencil in It must have a little space, which is a weakness. He therefore has a design to close the hole here. “He stated.” It is assumed that this is the weakness that he may not be done. Or haven’t done yet Or whatever I don’t know That is a gap between the tunnel and the station. “

Mr. Kittikorn Tanpee, Deputy Governor of the MRTA confirmed in the press conference today that In the MRT of the MRT, there is a “buried system that is buried for soil movement” called “Inclinometer”. To check if there will be additional movement or not

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Watcharin Explain more to BBC Thai that This device that was talked about Working similar to GPS, which, when buried in the soil Will be able to check which way it moves Which the movement of the device reflects the moving of the soil

However, the old clinical in the clinical is not an automatic system that can send a signal itself when the soil moves. But will be a system that humans have to use tools from time to time When wanting to know which way it moves Which the press conference of the MRTA is not clear that in the station that the soil collapsed, what type of in -clinical

“Actually, when it starts to be a cavity below The soil below will move … Which the Inclinical can tell Because it is a pipe buried from the top of the soil down to 20 – 30 meters deep, but we will determine the necessity. Therefore, if it starts to move, we will know. This time, if he confirms that he is true He must bring the information to see, “said Prime Minister.

However, he pointed out that even if there was a clinical or not. But in the said construction area, there should be people watching and observing all the time. So that if the sandy soil flows into the station, you can know that there are holes and find a way to prevent and fix in time

The MRTA Governor revealed that from discussions with the contractor and project designer Have divided the situation to 2 phases which are

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Watcharin See that the MRTA period is determined to return the traffic surface within two weeks It is true, but he shows concern about the method of using sandbags to fill the leak. Which he is not sure whether to really stop the soil flow or not

“I think I have to assess a little first, how to not cause the flow of soil. Because otherwise, if it continues to flow like this, now I see the sack and then where it goes. It flows along the tunnel. Because the sandbag is small. “The expert in the design and control of the underground work.

He thinks that the correct method should be studied first how to fill the gap that allows the soil to flow into the sky station. Not just filling the sandbag without a clear plan

He also suggested that while the officers tried to fill the leak May fix the tunnel at the same time without having to wait for the second phase. Because if waiting to return the traffic surface first and then do Will have a much higher cost Due to having to assemble the new drilling head And in addition to having to drill through the soil, they also have to drill through the sandbags.

“Is to build first and then fill Or finished filling This one will have all the engineers to sit and meet. And then debated about the advantages and disadvantages And plan, “he concluded.

“I’m not sure if the MRTA has said the issue that And all the costs that occur in this repair Who pays “is a question that Prime Minister of Thailand hints with BBC Thai

He saw that when the MRTA announced that “Force majeure” means to be responsible for this cost. Which the contractor does not have any responsibility or not

“The risk of the MRTA is that you are the full host. Bend the chest to accept that it was force majeure. The contractor is not wrong. Is force majeure Therefore, I will make money to do it myself. Suppose someone objections have sued the NACC to sue the OECD that this is not a force majeure and the MRTA can take his own money to pay. There will be a lot of cases. I’m still worried about this, “said this engineering expert.

He thinks that what is still missing now is to clearly disclose the construction information and open for the central agencies to investigate the root cause. By allowing the authority to see the documents and check freely

“In the standard construction It will have a record. There is a daily journal. Today, at this site, what do we do? How many queues do we pour the soil? How many meters can you put the tunnel? Today we penetrate the walls It must be recorded. And then have to sign both the contractor Both the company that came to control the job And there must be a person of the MRTA to sign to acknowledge, “Assoc. Prof. Dr. Watcharin revealed.

“The best is If for good governance and for transparency Must reveal this information After finished, there are people who are not involved. Not a person of the MRTA and not the company’s person Take the middleman to check It will get the true information, but now it has the feeling that everything is closed. No one knows, “he concluded.