The following enquiry was received on05/03/2010
Hi all, when's the next update on the white water centre due, from the web cam pictures you must be getting close to finishing now? P.S. The whole facility looks amazing, you've done a great job.
We respond as follows:
Thanks for the compliments, they will be appreciated by the team who have been working flat out to get ready for the opening at the end of the month. We are hoping to add an update progress report shortly although we have recently added some interesting aerial photographs taken a couple of weeks ago.
The following enquiry was received on 28/02/2010
Any update on when the Pont y Werin Bridge sections will be lifted in place and when it will be open for use? Thanks, Martin
We respond as follows:
The spans will be lifted on over a 2 week window commencing 22nd March. This will involve one of the largest cranes in the country and will be well worth keeping an eye on if you are passing. The bridge should then be open early summer.
The following enquiry was received on 25/02/2010:
Firstly, in response to the query about camping in the area- if your company is investing a lot of time and money in Cardiff get your guys to look this stuff, don't you have the internet? Cardiff is one of the very few cities in the UK to have a campsite actually in the City centre (just behind Sophia Gardens)close to the Millenium Stadium,a few miles from the Slalom centre go to www.cardiff.gov to book and check availability. Seondly congrats for keeping the roads around the site clean and mud free, but all those sharp bits of stone are being swept onto the cycle path!! I have had three punctures this month from this stuff-clean the cycle paths as well dammit!
We respond as follows:
Thanks for your observation on the cycle, we will pass them on to the team on site
.Additional update:
We are pleased to report that following your earlier comment our site team have investigated the issue you raise and we trust you will find things improved when you next use this cycle path.
The following enquiry was received on 25/02/2010:
Hi my son hes recently got into canoeing. This new centre is great news for us as we live in the local area, however while he is canoeing i will have just finished work and will therefore have had nothing to eat. Therefore my query is what are the eating facilitys going to be like and furthermore will there be an option of 'waffle fries' as this is my favorite snack after a long days slog. Regards Jack Cook
We respond as follows:
Although the construction team have no association with the running of the Canoe Slalom once we complete our works, we do feel that in keeping with its sporting theme, perhaps the food options offered should be slightly more healthy than “waffle fries”. We trust whatever the food available you and your family will really enjoy the centre when it opens shortly.
The following enquiry was received on 23/02/2010:
rumour has it, there isnt going to be many parking spaces. im aware that this wont be down to a fault on your part, but do you know of any plans to rectify this?
We respond as follows:
We are not aware that there is any intention to increase the number of parking spaces available. From a practical point of view increasing the number on site is not possible as all the available space on the site is fully utilised
The following enquiry was received on 16/02/2010:
When the slalom is finished could you point the webcam towards the bridge so we can see that develop? Or get a second webcam!?
We respond as follows:
We had considered a second webcam for the bridge but because all the main action takes place over a relatively short period as the steel spans are lifted into position we did not think it justified the additional cost. However during the lifting operation we have arranged for a professional photographer to be on site to produce a high quality time lapse video over the few days of the main lifting activities at the end of March. Although not a live feed, there is a possibility of adding this to our website in the future.
The following enquiry was received on 15/02/2010:
Hello. Are there any employment opportunities remaining within this development?
We respond as follows:
We understand most of the positions are filled but suggest you contact Cardiff Council directly in this regard- good luck with the job hunting
The following enquiry was received on 15/02/2010:
Hello, I am interested in canoe slalom and want to start when the course is opened. I am a complete beginner. How do I start?
We respond as follows:
You will have to contact the course operators directly for an answer on this, or try the link to their website by clicking on the Cardiff International White Water logo on the home page of our website
The following enquiry was received on 04/02/2010:
Hello! Fantastic course you have built! I would like to know if you can tell the costs for the actual slalom course. I guess that in the total cost you have noted earlier, includes a quite impressing work out in the river bed and it also looks that this and work around, has made the whole project more expensive? Could you tell more about this?
We respond as follows:
We are sure you will understand that it would not be appropriate for this forum to discuss costs in any detail, although the works you mention were all included in the original budget for the scheme.
The following enquiry was received on 30/01/2010:
will there be any camping facilities available when the canoe slalom event is held in july?
We respond as follows:
There are no camping facilities at the course, and I’m afraid the construction team do not have the knowledge to advise on the nearest camping facilities to this part of Cardiff Bay.
The following enquiry was received on 26/01/2010:
Are you allowed to Bodyboard down in a pair of Speedo's? Will there be lifeguards present?
We respond as follows:
Although the construction team are not involved in the operation of the centre, it is probably safe to say that your suggested clothing would not be acceptable on the grounds of safety (or good taste!)
Training of all members of the team operating the centre, which will be highly focused on the safety of those using the facility, begins in a months time ready for the opening at the end of March.
The following enquiry was received on 16/01/2010:
the course is looking fantastic, i watched as the course was filled with water and the pumps were turned on, i cant wait to see what it can do once the movable lego type bricks are in place, good job guys and gals, im sure people will enjoy the course for many years to come
We respond as follows:
Thanks for your words of encouragement, after some delays caused by the snow we have a very intense period leading up to the opening, and we will make sure that the team is aware that their hard work is appreciated.
The following enquiry was received on 10/12/2009:
Hello! I am keen to know if you are plaaning any cleaning of the recirculating water in the course? Best regards / Rob
The following enquiry was received on 06/12/2009:
Hello! I wonder if you are planning any water cleaning and to which standard, since as far I understand, the water in the pool will be recirculating?
We respond to both enquiries as follows:
As generally the water in the Bay is suitable for water sports there is not a requirement for special water treatment processes within the Canoe Slalom course itself. However the RWP allows the re-circulating body of water to be controlled and kept separate form the Bay water once filled. Filling of the RWP will only take place at times of high water quality and this initially good quality water should then improve further as the water is aerated during its passage around the course and when not in circulation suspended particles will gradually settle out further improving quality.
The following enquiry was received on 30/11/2009:
hi do u have a date set when it will be open to the plubic
We respond as follows:
The construction team have not been party to the proposals for the opening but will be handing the centre over to Cardiff Councils operations team in early Spring 2010. They will then need a period for staff training and safety testing prior to full opening to the public. We understand an announcement on an opening date is imminent and we will announce it on this site when we are told We also suggest you monitor Cardiff Council associated websites, including one now set up specifically for the Cardiff International White Water centre as it will be known (www.ciww.com).
The following enquiry was received on 23/11/2009:
Hi I am doing a project on the construction of whitewater courses, the materials, and the companies involved in the construction and the design. I was wondering if you have any information for me please. Thank you
We respond as follows:
The project construction team have not produced any additional project information at the present time other than the not insignificant information contained throughout this website. You may also find some information by searching through Cardiff Council web pages. Let us know if there is anything specific which may help you further. Good luck with your project.
The following enquiry was received on 21/11/2009:
what type of pumps are going to be used withoin the course and what is the flow rate of each pump
We respond as follows:
The pumps are manufactured by Flygt Pumps and can pump from 0-4 M3/S (cubic metres per second) of water, giving the maximum flow rate down the course with all 4 pumps at maximum of 16 m3/S.
The following enquiry was received on 16/11/2009:
The site webcam is down :(
We respond as follows:
We are working on the problem which has proven more difficult to track down than we originally envisaged, and we apologise for the inconvenience
The following enquiry was received on 10/11/2009:
The live web cam is off-line (since 7th) Also the penultimate question- The following enquiry was received on 01/11/2009: When the course is finished what grade water can we expect to see when running it? I think the question refers to the difficulty of the course Grade 1; slow moving few obstacles to Grade 5; very difficult, if you don't get the line there would be serious consequences, I guess Hydrostadium would be able to answer the question
We respond as follows:
Firstly apologies for the problems with the webcam, the fault has hopefully been identified and we shall be back on line very shortly.
To answer your question on the course grade, we refer you to the last question and add the following. We are currently installing a grid of holes in the floor of the course into which moveable cylinders known as Caillebotis can be fitted. Therefore the combination of the moveable obstacles and the ability to vary the flow rates described previously will be able to produce flow characteristics to meet all grades.
The following enquiry was received on 10/11/2009:
Hi, I live opposite and have commented before. Its very interesting watching the work continuing and really seeing the course shaping up. Its also very refreshing in this day and age to see a group of workers who very clearly take pride in their work and are so consciencious about doing a great job. The Balfour group must be pleased with your work!
We respond as follows:
Thank you for your kind words, we will make sure that our site team are aware that their hard work and commitment is noticed beyond the boundaries of the site.
The following enquiry was received on 09/11/2009:
when the course is finished what grade rapids are we going to be able to run
We respond as follows:
The construction team do not have the knowledge to comment in any detail on how white water courses are “graded” , but we can say that the course has been designed to fully meet olympic standards. The 4 pumps which pump water from the RWP up to the start of the course can each pump 4 cubic metres per second of water. The speed of the pumps is fully variable so the amount of water can be varied in theory from very low flows and hence easy conditions for beginners up to the full 16 cm/s for elite olympic standard athletes
The following enquiry was received on 05/11/2009:
hi, i see it's all coming along quite fast, good work! any idea when it should be done?
We respond as follows:
The main construction works are on schedule and should be complete early spring 2010. The actual opening of the facility is then down to Cardiff Council but following completion of construction works they will be a lot of testing, commissioning and training of staff to be undertaken before the centre can be opened to the public.
The following enquiry was received on 01/11/2009:
When the course is finished what grade water can we expect to see when running it?
We respond as follows:
The construction team are not qualified to give a definitive “scientific” answer, but in principle water initially pumped from the Bay to fill the RWP will improve in quality from the already acceptable standards of the Bay itself to a high standard as solids settle out in the RWP and the water is aerated through its turbulent flow around the course.
The following enquiry was received on 29/10/2009:
in the actual white water course i see that there are many various different shapes in the concrete, could you tell me why they are there and if anything is going to be placed on top of them
We respond as follows:
As you will see from the earlier reports and photographs the main structural form for the slalom course itself is a very simple 3 sided rectangle reinforced concrete box with a base around 13m wide and side walls around 1.5m high. If the water was to flow down a simple channel such as this it would flow fairly smoothly and not produce any “white water” clearly necessary for this sort of facility. Therefore the re-profiling of the sides of the channel to give the irregular shape you now see breaks up this smooth flow and creates the turbulence and eddies as required. The shape of the sides which may appear random have been designed using computer models by the specialist consultant Hydrostadium, who have designed the last 3 olympic games courses. The flow will be further fine tuned on site by the use of removable plastic cylinders (or caillebottes) which are currently being installed to the floor of the slalom course.
The following enquiry was received on 13/10/2009:
Hello Thanks for your very interesting website. I wonder if you use any kind of water proof rubber membrane for the slalom course or if the concrete itself is water proof. Eric
We respond as follows:
The following enquiry was received on 12/10/2009:
Hi, is there going to be any updates soon. I've enjoyed looking at and reading the updates over the past year and can't wait for the next update. Is there any chance of showing some picture updates of the steps down to the finishing pool and also views from the starting pool, looking down the course.
We respond as follows:
Apologies for the recent lack of updates, we hope to post our latest report before the end of the week.
The following enquiry was received on 01/10/2009:
Hello I would like to know why the channel is constructed like "a channel in a channel". I mean that it seems like the walls are doubled, and therefore using double amount of concrete. Why don't you only make one wall, designed to be the final look of course, and then only filling on the outside? What are the reasons?
We respond as follows:
This is a very sensible question because at some other slalom courses in the world the ground has been excavated to the rough channel profile and the shotcreting process applied directly to the ground to give the final profile. However there are several engineering problems with this design in general, and some site specific issues at the Cardiff site that have, after consideration, lead us to the design currently being constructed.
As it is very rare that ground conditions are uniform throughout a site, shotcreting directly to the excavated ground can leave you with a large risk of future ground movement and subsequent cracking and associated water leakage in or out of the course. Associated with this it is also extremely difficult and inefficient to design a structure to resist ground or other forces when its is of a consistently changing and irregular shape.
In Cardiff loss of water would be an issue because we do not want to be continually replenishing the level of the RWP from the Bay, and because of the past use of the site there could be a risk of contaminated ground water entering the course. At Cardiff we have therefore settled on a 3 sided structural reinforced concrete channel of uniform sides to efficiently resist ground forces and resist movement and potential cracking. Within this structural box we have then formed the final profile of the course to the specific requirements of Hydrostadium’s design, using a non structural and cost effective composite construction of concrete blocks backfilled with recycled tyres and stone. This is then covered in sprayed concrete or shotcrete which is just lightly reinforced to prevent cracking.
I hope this gives you some idea of the thought behind the design and thank you for your perceptive query.
The following enquiry was received on 31/08/2009:
I am a past slalom paddler myself and very interested to see the development today during a family visit to the swimming pool. What seems strange to is refernces to "Olympic Standard" and in particular the statement on CIWW.com that "It would be great for Wales if this facility could be used for the finals of the London 2012 Olympics". I'm assuming there is no chance in this happening given that London 2012 are promoting Broxbourne as the Olympic slalom site. Also can you give some idea of how often the facility will be available to keen experienced paddlers for training and recreational canoeing and at what cost? Final Question - are there any plans for a "conveyor belt" from the end of the course to the start as featured in several other similar sites. Thanks Bob
We respond as follows:
Finally, yes there will be a conveyor to lift canoes and rafts about 4m vertically from the RWP to the top of the starting pool. This is being supplied by Hydrostadium who have also designed the hydraulic flow for the course itself and supplied similar equipment for the Sydney and Athens Olympics. Keep a close eye on the webcam as the conveyor should be delivered to site in the next couple of months.
The following enquiry was received on 24/08/2009:
I live next to the site and have been fascinated by the progress being made. I was wondering will the bridge link to the river walkway currently behind Victoria Wharf and how will it then connect to the Bay Walk that is currently cut off at the Ice Rink? Also will the the public be able to see the Canoe Slalom from the walkway and the road outside or will the entire site be fenced off? Thanks again for giving us the opportunity to ask questions.
We respond as follows:
With regards to the Canoe Slalom, it will be visible from the Bay Edge Walkway and footpath along Watkiss Way
The following enquiry was received on 12/08/2009:
The "recent" webcam images have not updated since 30/7/09.
We respond as follows:
Thank you for your email, an earlier response should explain why the web cam is currently of air.
The following enquiry was received on 11/08/2009:
Hello. I am very interested in what you are doing and enjoy watching the progress. I have noticed that Dean & Dyball Civil Engineering are also working on the construction of the Pont y Werin bridge over the River Ely. I was wondering whether the same individuals are working on both projects or whether there is a seperate team for the bridge? Does the work of either project impact upon the other? Will either project complete sooner or later because of the other?
We respond as follows:
Thank you for your interest in the Pont y Werin Bridge contract which Dean & Dyball Civil Engineering are also undertaking for the same client as the Canoe Slalom, Cardiff Council. The Project Manager responsible for the Canoe Slalom also has full responsibility for Pont y Werin, although the team below him has been augmented with additional personnel, some solely assigned to the bridge project but others having a role to play on both projects. This is potentially a more efficient way of operating as some costs, e.g. office administration can be shared over 2 projects rather than being doubled up, and sometimes we can get better productivity from plant which may not be fully utilised on one job.
Each project is working towards a completion date agreed with Cardiff Council, with the completion date for the bridge about 3 months later than the early spring completion for the Canoe Slalom. As you will see from the project reports works are currently progressing well on both jobs(despite the weather!), and we are confident on both jobs being completed on time
The following enquiry was received on 07/08/2009:
Appears that the live webcam is not working? and the 'recent images' are stuck at 30/7 - 7 days late. I guess if live cam is down then there wouldn't be any recent images - shame I enjoy watching the on going work. Looking forward to 7 days worth of changes!
We respond as follows:
As part of the works associated with the construction of the new Pont y Werin cycle bridge also being carried out by Dean & Dyball adjacent to the Canoe Slalom, the current project team offices are being relocated to the other side of the road. This has unfortunately resulted in also having to reconnect the power and communications connections to the web cam. We hope to be back on line very shortly.
The following enquiry was received on 19/06/2009:
I have noticed that the stored "recent" webcam images have not been updating every hour as they previously have. Are you aware of this problem?
We respond as follows:
Thanks for this we will investigate
The following enquiry was received on 12/06/2009:
As a resident overlooking the site I am amazed at the progress that has been made! I have been following with keen interest. Roughly when will the course be open? Also, will the area adjacent to the site (where silt deposited) be used for anything?
We respond as follows:
Overall progress on site has been going well although perhaps the high visual impact of the daily changing main civil engineering work has emphasised the impression of how quickly the work is progressing. Over the next few months things may appear to slow down a touch as we move on with the less visual activities such as the construction of the administration building and the complex mechanical and engineering work associated with the pumps installation and control services. We currently expect our construction activities to be complete during Q1 of 2010, although the actual opening of the centre has not yet been discussed with the construction team.
Plans for the remaining undeveloped areas of the International Sports Village site should be available in the public domain through Cardiff Council websites, and will no doubt eventually include areas currently being used in conjunction with the construction of the Canoe Slalom.
The following enquiry was received on 25/05/2009:
We have an engineering Firm in Iran, and we have been requested to come up with proposal for Plan of a project similar to Cardiff. I would like to know if there is a site that provides specifics of the plans to include Slope, over all length, and any further details that would satisfy the Olympics standards.
We respond as follows:
The overall length and vertical fall of the course, in order to meet Olympic standards, are approximately 250m and 4.0m respectively.
If you require more detailed information, we suggest you contact Hyder Consulting or S&P Architects via the links on our home page. They are both not only involved in the Cardiff facility but also working on the London Canoe Slalom course for the 2012 Games.
The following enquiry was received on 08/05/2009:
As a supplier of engineering equipment already involved with projects relating to the Olympics who should I make an approach to within the project team for this project.
We respond as follows:
Thank you for your interest in the Canoe Slalom Project. Please reply giving brief details of the products or services you provide and if applicable to our requirements these details will be passed on to the relevant members of the project team, who would then contact you directly
The following enquiry was received on 20/04/2009:
As Vice chair of Dragon Paddlers Canoe club, I would like to enquire as to who we need to contact to explore the possibility of being "testers" for the completed site. I can put together a team of experienced boaters from top coaching staff to experienced freestyle coaches. Cheers, Phil.
We respond as follows:
Unfortunately this is not something we can respond to directly as the team producing this website are only involved with the design, construction and project management of the construction phase of the project. Your query should really be addressed at the operators of the facility and we suggest you contact Cardiff Council Leisure Department in this respect. Good luck, and I’m sure if you are successful in becoming the first “testers” of the slalom course you will have an enthusiastic audience from our construction team
The following enquiry was received on 07/04/2009:
As a local resident, it has been facinating following the progress on this web-site. Can I ask if construction is ahead of schedule and if you complete early, will the facility open early?
We respond as follows:
We are very pleased with progress at present which is certainly on schedule. Our planned completion date is early 2010, but as for information on the actual opening of the centre itself this is not something the construction team have yet been party to, although we are as keen as anyone to try out the finished facility at the first opportunity!
The following enquiry was received on 23/03/2009:
Living opposite the site, apart fromt he occasional noise. its fascinating watching the structure evolve.
We respond as follows:
We are glad to hear of your interest in the progress of our project. We appreciate that some activities can be a little noisy, particularly the piling when we have to use the large impact hammer to drive the piles into the harder mudstone, and thanks for your patience in this respect.
Although we can’t promise silent operations from now on, you will no doubt have noticed that piling to the RWP wall has just about been completed, so hopefully this will reduce significantly the maximum level of noise we produce.
Thanks again for your interest in our website and our progress on site.
When does the recruitment for staff to work at the Cardiff canoe slalom begin and who do you contact to get an application form
The team associated with the website are only involved with the construction phase of the project. When operational during 2010 the centre will be run by Cardiff Council’s Leisure Department, who we suggest you contact directly to enquire in respect to longer term employment opportunities.- Good Luck!
