Airport says runway subsidence 'just wear and tear'

SUVARNABHUMI

Airport says runway subsidence 'just wear and tear'

Published: 7 Jul 2012 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

Suvarnabhumi airport general manager Somchai Sawasdeepon is insisting Thursday's subsidence on the western runway was caused by normal wear and tear.

An aircraft touches down at Suvarnabhumi airport yesterday after repairs to an area on the western runway that subsided on Thursday night. During the repairs, hundreds of flights were delayed and 11 diverted. TAWEECHAI TAWATPAKORN

But airline managers yesterday questioned if the airfield had been built with proper civil engineering techniques and high-standard construction materials.

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jck
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Discussion 29 : 07 Jul 2012 at 12.4429
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Airport managers get your heads out of the sand and start thinking clearly. This airport has been open for just six years. Is there any other international airport in the world that has required major runway repairs after only six years use? The response by the airport manager about “normal wear and tear” is nonsense. Lets have a reply from qualified civil engineers about the frequency of repairing runways that have been constructed in accordance with design and material specifications. Anyone who has driven extensively in Thailand will have seen the results of inadequate quality control of road construction and the repairs required within a few months of opening. We can all guess why this happens. But for an international airport we should have expected better. But then just look at the almost daily reports about widespread corruption.
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waters
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Discussion 28 : 07 Jul 2012 at 12.2928
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Many airports have been built on less than ideal geological surfaces but don't crumble, sink or crack up after only 6 years. Changi airport in Singapore was built on what was re-claimed sea, and it seems to be holding up just fine.
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ringmaster
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Discussion 27 : 07 Jul 2012 at 11.5327
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Congratulations jacksprat D#21 - your comment was the first to blame Thaksin. I bet you also believe he caused the recent explosion at the Bangchak refinery, aids, global warming and the JFK assassination.
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meme
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Discussion 26 : 07 Jul 2012 at 11.5126
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Just another failure from another corrupt project of the fugitive. Well, at least he and his cronies made a profit.
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drsmith
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Discussion 25 : 07 Jul 2012 at 11.4925
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Have you ever seen one well constructed road in Thailand that has not completely fallen apart or has massive cracks and potholes? The same is true for the runway. Cheap materials, cheap labor, corruption, etc. you name it. You DO NOT see these problems happening in Singapore do you. Suvarnabhumi Airport was racked with corruption that made millionaires out of many and marred the reputation of Thailand, while compromising safety of millions of passengers.
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hillfarang
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Discussion 24 : 07 Jul 2012 at 11.1624
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My guess is that the problem is due to the location selected for the airport. Back when, many thought that this soft ground (under the repairs) was not the best place for multi-ton take-offs & landings.

I guess that they may have been right!
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gordlimey
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Discussion 23 : 07 Jul 2012 at 10.5723
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D14 MOG71:
"how the hell did they fix it - properly - in 30 minutes" ?!
The Thai way. Chuck down some asphalt in the hole, get a garden roller. zoom over it 2/3 times. then collect your 200 baht from the contractor, proceed to the nearest karaoke bar.
Contractor to collect 2/3 million bahts for work completed from the tax payer (TAT). proceed to phuket with the gig in tow.
Then wait 3/4 months for the BIG one.
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bangna63
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Discussion 22 : 07 Jul 2012 at 10.5622
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This is what happens when you (knowingly) build an airport on a swamp just to facilitate a land deal. Plenty more to come over the years folks!
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jacksprat
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Discussion 21 : 07 Jul 2012 at 10.5021
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Not surprisingly, the red shirt defenders cannot accept that there are problems at Suvarnabhumi even when they are glaringly evident, since their man was the one who rushed its construction. But every delay like this costs the airlines big money. A few more and some airlines may stop providing service to Bangkok.
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dao
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Discussion 20 : 07 Jul 2012 at 10.4420
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You get what you pay .So much money was lost to corruption building this airport that they had to downsize it because there was no more money to complete the first plan which is why after such a short time it is running at full capacity .Inferior materials maybe .That it was built on a swamp surely .Just There were patches on the taxi area when it first opened .
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Airport says runway subsidence 'just wear and tear' | Bangkok Post: business