Reading Green Park

[whole diary]

[eightonedee]

To answer Stuving (as a non-architect but who sees lots of plans at work) the drawings are produced so that if they are printing without reduction on a specified standard paper size they will be to scale. The scale (and usually the page size at which they should be printed) normally appears in the title block, conventionally in the bottom left of the drawing.

These days drawings are often produced as part of a system known as BIM^▸ (Building Information Modeling), an integrated IT system for capturing all the information about a project which those who I believe now much more than I do is revolutionising the construction process, at least at the scale of single buildings.

[BBM]

March 25 2020 will mark 11 full years of posts under this heading, competing closely with the Tavistock extension for procrastination.

The equivalent thread on the Hob Nob Reading FC^‡(resolve) fan forum has been going for even longer:

https://hobnob.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=61077

The first post there (dated 05/05/2007) says:

Anybody who travels on the Reading to Basingstoke line seen any signs of work starting.The GP website says it will be ready for 2008.Surely this means that work must have started on site?

I'm fed up of using the station shuttle.

[SandTEngineer]

To answer Stuving (as a non-architect but who sees lots of plans at work) the drawings are produced so that if they are printing without reduction on a specified standard paper size they will be to scale. The scale (and usually the page size at which they should be printed) normally appears in the title block, conventionally in the bottom left of the drawing.

These days drawings are often produced as part of a system known as BIM^▸ (Building Information Modeling), an integrated IT system for capturing all the information about a project which those who I believe now much more than I do is revolutionising the construction process, at least at the scale of single buildings.

I've seen BIM used (although I thought it was BIMS) whilst at ATKINS and it seems to be a very good system, but needs a very good plotter/printer to work properly.

[stuving]

To answer Stuving (as a non-architect but who sees lots of plans at work) the drawings are produced so that if they are printing without reduction on a specified standard paper size they will be to scale. The scale (and usually the page size at which they should be printed) normally appears in the title block, conventionally in the bottom left of the drawing.

These days drawings are often produced as part of a system known as BIM^▸ (Building Information Modeling), an integrated IT system for capturing all the information about a project which those who I believe now much more than I do is revolutionising the construction process, at least at the scale of single buildings.

Exactly. Just the point I was making. The drawing I was looking at had a box at the bottom right corner saying "A1 scale  1:500", so if I had an A1 print from its originating system, correctly formatted for the printer, I could take dimensions off it. If I had it on screen on its originating CAD/CAE system the software could do that for me. But with a print on some other size of paper, which in turn is viewed on a PC screen, I'd need to find the A1 sheet corner marks, measure them and some other dimensions off the screen, and do some sums to get anywhere. And those corner marks are not always printed - note that the drawing scale is in terms of the full sheet size, not the drawing frame.

[ellendune]

Exactly. Just the point I was making. The drawing I was looking at had a box at the bottom right corner saying "A1 scale  1:500", so if I had an A1 print from its originating system, correctly formatted for the printer, I could take dimensions off it. If I had it on screen on its originating CAD/CAE system the software could do that for me. But with a print on some other size of paper, which in turn is viewed on a PC screen, I'd need to find the A1 sheet corner marks, measure them and some other dimensions off the screen, and do some sums to get anywhere. And those corner marks are not always printed - note that the drawing scale is in terms of the full sheet size, not the drawing frame.

Scaling of a drawing!
In my career there has always been a specific instruction not to scale dimensions from the drawing as that leads to error.

[stuving]

Exactly. Just the point I was making. The drawing I was looking at had a box at the bottom right corner saying "A1 scale  1:500", so if I had an A1 print from its originating system, correctly formatted for the printer, I could take dimensions off it. If I had it on screen on its originating CAD/CAE system the software could do that for me. But with a print on some other size of paper, which in turn is viewed on a PC screen, I'd need to find the A1 sheet corner marks, measure them and some other dimensions off the screen, and do some sums to get anywhere. And those corner marks are not always printed - note that the drawing scale is in terms of the full sheet size, not the drawing frame.

Scaling of a drawing!
In my career there has always been a specific instruction not to scale dimensions from the drawing as that leads to error.

In your career, yes. But otherwise? I wasn't thinking of going down to the site and doing a bit of freelance building. I just wanted to read the drawing as a drawing rether than look at it as a sketch and say "I wonder how wide that platform is going to be - if I had a drawing it would tell me, accurately enough".

[lordgoata]

I've seen BIM^▸ (Building Information Modeling) used (although I thought it was BIMS) whilst at ATKINS and it seems to be a very good system, but needs a very good plotter/printer to work properly.

BIM = Building Information Modeling. I guess S could = System? :-) I've always known it as BIM.

Best use I saw was combined with A/R = when the device was waved around infront of the wall, you could see all the utilties behind it on the screen, very impressive - I think it was on a documentary about Crossrail stations actually.

I know we get a lot of requests for BIM data at work - anything from cable trays/racking through to valve and actuator data, but I've never really seen how that resulting data is used.

[eightonedee]

Meanwhile, back at Green Park, this was the situation yesterday (Sunday).

[CyclingSid]

More visible progress on the Up side of Reading Green Park yesterday (14/3)

[Reading General]

I passed the site today and plenty of activity on both sides of the line. It's starting to get exciting. I can still see Kirton's Farm Road/Berry Lane becoming unofficial parking for this Station, and wonder whether they will have to consider pavements along those roads.

[CyclingSid]

My daily exercise has taken me down to Green Park. There is now a line piles along the Up side. To my untutored eye it would suggest the line of the rear pf the platform.

[CyclingSid]

Sitrep - 12/05/20

The Smallmead bridge end there are now three rows of piles on the Up side. Two rows in the middle a gap and two rows the far end. In the middle there is an array of piles suggesting a building or similar. On the Down side some cones and a theodolite/total station.

[stuving]

There's been more planning stuff going on since last reported - and it's not finished yet. This is the site history (only since 2018):

Construction of a building comprising ticket hall, public conveniences, staff facilities and ancillary retail provision to serve the proposed Green Park Railway station development including associated signage.
Ref. No: 19/01468/FUL | Status: Approved

Out of district consultation: Construction of a building comprising ticket hall, public conveniences, staff facilities and ancillary retail provision to serve the proposed Green Park Railway station development including associated signage.
Ref. No: 19/01506/OOD | Status: No Comment

Application for approval of details reserved by conditions 3 - Materials, 6 - Remediation Strategy (partial discharge), 7 - SuDS, 9 - Piling, 10 - Floor Levels, 13 - Site clearance outside breeding season, 14 -Compensatory flood plain storage and 15 - Ditch diversion method statement, of planning permission reference 18/01451/COMIND.
Ref. No: 19/02327/COND1 | Status: Part Approved, Part Refused

Application for approval of details reserved by condition (14) Compensatory flood plain storage of approved 18/01451/COMIND - Relocation and extension to the approved railway platforms together with the relocation of approved railway footbridge and relocation of the approved ditch diversion works at land east of Cottage Lane, Reading.
Ref. No: 20/00244/COND2 | Status: Refused

Application for approval of details reserved by Conditions (6) Remediation strategy and (9) Piling of approved 18/01451/COMIND - Relocation and extension to the approved railway platforms together with the relocation of approved railway footbridge and relocation of the approved ditch diversion works at land east of Cottage Lane, Reading.
Ref. No: 20/00879/COND3 | Status: Pending Consideration

Approval of details reserved by Conditions (3) Ecology, (5) Piling, (6) Remediation Strategy, (7) SuDS, ( Drainage Plans and (9) Materials of Approved Application 19/01468/FUL
Ref. No: 20/00896/COND1 | Status: Pending Consideration

There should indeed be several rows of piles, of at least two kinds, for the platform and the (ca. 40 m long) shelter behind it. Behind that, the diverted ditch should have been the first thing built. There is also the footbridge towards the north end of the shelter which will needs its own piles.

Oddly, the plans still show a shelter on the down side too, not the station building which was proposed later.

[Phil]

What's the latest on this, good people? I was due to go to a conference in April this year which Reading Green Park would have been dead handy to get to, but by the time I uncrossed my fingers that the station would be ready in time for me to use it, the conference itself got banjaxed for obvious reasons. The conference is however hopefully going ahead NEXT April - but will the station be open by then? Has work recommenced yet?

[CyclingSid]

I have been by in the last few weeks. Piling appears to be finished, and there appears to be no signs of life on the Network Rail side of the fence. On the Down side the developers (?) appear to have completed the turning circle and drop off, and some car parking (if I interpret the tarmac correctly).

Certainly don't get the impression that anybody is busting a gut to finish it. Does the next stage require a possession?