Work is well underway at the National Corvette Museum as constructor workers began removing the exterior panels on the Sky Dome to allow greater access to the sinkhole and the Fallen Eight Corvettes inside. The Corvette Museum’s Executive Director Wendell Strode released another update Monday on the extraction plan for several of the Corvettes as well some additional information regarding the excavation process.
Here is the update from the NCM:
2/17/2014 Update – activity picked up as workers began doing various tasks back in the Sky Dome, including removing some of the yellow panels. See my previous update from the local TV station. In the meantime, there was a meeting in our conference room with all the major players…….5 from the construction management firm, 4 from the Geo Tech engineering firm, 2 from the civil engineering firm, 2 from WKU Center for Cave and Karst Studies, 1 from environmental engineering firm, 1 from Chubb Insurance, 3 consultants retained by Chubb and 3 from the NCM.
Lots of discussion concerning future plans. While there will always be some decisions made onsite and when executing the agreed on plan, this is what I understood to be the agreed on plan.
- Secure and Stabilize the red spire. Hayward Bacon Inc. the Geo Tech engineering firm will be handling this.
- Extract the 3 cars that are on top and appear to be easily accessible.
- Secure and stabilize the sinkhole area (various options discussed)
- Extract the remaining cars. Please note previous photo from the National Corvette Museum that showed six of the cars.
- Begin work on mitigating the entire sinkhole area. This will include exploring the caverns that can be seen in some of the previous video/photos. At this time, the plan is to remove all the dirt from the sinkhole to allow the WKU Cave/Karst professionals and others to see the floor and the caverns (some people get excited about going down and into these areas). One observation that was repeated today and I do not believe I have shared with everyone – for the sinkhole to be 25 – 30 feet deep, then it had to fall that far……..so ‘bottom’ will be another 25 – 30 feet deep……or approximately 60 feet actual depth.
- Finalize plan and implement plan to mitigate the entire sinkhole area.
- Finalize plan and then execute plan for repairs to Sky Dome floor.
Keep in mind that this is a layman’s understanding and summary of all the discussion and agreements reached from about 7 – 8 hours of talks. Tomorrow I plan to visit with the Construction Manager and confirm this. If different I will share with you in the next day or two.
Hayward Bacon will have equipment and employees here within two days and will begin (1) above. This will not be an easy task, but one they are very comfortable doing and I guess this is why they are the # 1 geo tech engineering firm in the world.
In the meantime, several other tasks were agreed on. Cost estimates are being prepared for each of these. While every professional associated with this project feels confident that this sinkhole is an isolated case, a series of drillings, borings and tests will be completed.
The Sky Dome and the area out back (old PDI and the parking area out back) will become a full fledge construction zone. Temporary fence will be installed and the Construction Manager will be bringing in a trailer (office). We will have night time security and there will be times it will be 24 hours. The companies involved with this plan to work 5 10-hour days and 8 hours on Saturday.
We will be renting a warehouse to take the excess cars to as we are crammed tight right now.
Probably no update tomorrow as mostly it is doing what we outlined above. Scripture tells us that God’s compassion never fails…..that they are renewed every morning and great is His faithfulness. His love has been awesome this far on our journey and knowing He will be with us and His compassion for us will be renewed tomorrow and all other tomorrows gives all of us strength for the journey.
In the meantime, the public hearing for the Detailed Development Plan for the NCM Motorsports Park is scheduled for 2/20/2014. This will be with the Planning and Zoning Commission. Our new General Manager has stepped right in and has been quite involved in every aspect of that. Working with our Construction Manager, Warren County Public Works, and civil engineering company, DDS Engineering, we believe this should be approved. This DDP will then allow us to apply for building permits for the control tower, garages and move forward with all our plans that are outlined on www.motorsportspark.org
Source:
National Corvette Museum
Related:
Couple Visits Corvette Museum to See the Sinkhole that Swallowed their Donated 2001 Corvette Z06
[VIDEO] CNN Interviews Corvette Museum Director Wendell Strode about the Sinkhole
BREAKING NEWS: A Sinkhole Under the National Corvette Museum Opens and Swallows 8 Corvettes
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