Notebook page with descriptions of sinking the Thames Tunnel shaft, taking up gravel and Custom House pier piles
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Object number2016.00011.07
TitleNotebook page with descriptions of sinking the Thames Tunnel shaft, taking up gravel and Custom House pier piles
Creator Marc Isambard Brunel (author)
DescriptionPage numbered 47 and 48 possibly taken from a notebook with hand-written and hand-drawn notes, calculations and illustrations, authored by Sir Marc Isambard Brunel and dated 27th and 28th April 1825.
On the recto side, dated 27th, Brunel writes about sinking the shaft of the Thames Tunnel, 'The Piles that were drawn from under the curb were found to be on average like this - [referring to diagram on left hand side] Short as they are 24 of them have supported the weight of the shaft - a weight of about 950 tons.' He also wrote about 'Taking up Gravel 43 feet high': 'The men take up to 50 boxes per hour 5 men at the Windlass and 2 to drag and throw out each box contains on an average 2 2/5 cube feet at 129 [?] per cube foot 120 cubic feet per hour for 10 working hours, [?] 1200 and as there are 2 [?] of men we might reckon [?] 2400 cubic feet per day They do not however do so much"
On the verso side, dated 28th, 'Went to the Custom House - The Piers of the cellar were built on piles made of rough unturn'd trees, not more than six to eight inches Dia // This is the sketch of the end of one of them they were all cover'd with bark and evidently not driven but placed in made ground // This is the manner in which they were [referring to digram] They look with beech stumps grown in place and cut down to different heights // between wind and water almost all round the building - the piles in rapid decay and the sleepers still more // but what is collected out of doors , in piles and sleepers is still worse than can be described.
Transcription available
Production date given 1825-04-27 - given 1825-04-28
Object namenotebook sheet
Object categorypersonal record
Materialpaper
Techniquehand-written
Dimensions
- whole height: 234 mm
width: 194 mm