Alex Romankiw 🇺🇦
@HardHatAlex
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Civil Engineer working in Highways & Structures 👷♂️ Involved in local government, the ICE, active travel campaigning, STEM promotion. Tweets are my own.
Leicester, UK
Joined September 2010
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Pinned Tweet
Christmas 🎄
#CivEngExplained
Twitter series 👷♂️- "How Bridges Work"
Part 1 - Introduction to Bridges
Part 2 - Foundations
Part 3 - Deck Construction & Deconstruction
Cont.....
Good afternoon! If you need a distraction from 2020 doing its' best to twist the knife one last time before the year end, grap a cuppa, sit back and enjoy Part 3 of my
#CivEngExplained
series on 'How Bridges Work - Deck Construction and Deconstruction!
#construction
#Engineering
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New cycle stands at our local doctors surgery, installed as part of car park renovation
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Spending the night in your car is grim but complaining that the councils haven't distributed food or water is silly...if the roads were clear enough for them to get to you, you wouldn't be stuck, and they don't have a fleet of snowmobiles on standby
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HS2 Phase 1 work now being wound down in Staffordshire, with highly-skilled engineers either leaving the UK or being redeployed to work less efficiently in remaining sections. Govt has utterly, utterly ruined this project & reputation to deliver infrastructure
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Me trying to work out the filming timeline of Drag Race US, UK & Down Under based on pandemic references & Michelle's hair
#DragRaceDownUnder
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@garymorwood
Plenty of reasons to go via cycling. Blood tests, skin issues, collect prescriptions, vaccinations, or if you work there
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Over the last decade, Leicester City Council has steadily been revamping the city centre streets, the majority of which had not been touched for 20-30 years. Using high-quality materials,building segregated cycle routes, & expanding the huge pedestrianised zone
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Nope, not CGI - this is really what cycle infrastructure in Leicester is looking like. Twin bidirectional segregated cycleways on a main road linking city centre to residential areas
#cycling
#cycleinfra
#activetravel
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Serious question for traffic engineers - why on two-stage crossings can the second stage not be queued up/prompted to stop traffic when the first crossing is used, so pedestrians can cross effectively in one go? What point does making peds wait in the middle serve?
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Derby has made the entire city centre a no-pavement-parking zone since 2015. The council believes it to be successful with less pedestrian complaints, and are considering expanding it to other areas of the city.
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Shopping centres fall over themselves to build areas like this...
❌️ no vehicles
✅️ pedestrians allowed
✅️ trees & greenery
✅️ cafes, bar & restaurant seating spilling out
So why can't we have the same for our streets?
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2.8k likes and I don't get it?? How do these people think megaprojects like HS2 get built? The materials are produced & delivered like anything else, you just plan a bit in advance. What kind of non-gotcha is this???
Can Labour tell me where they’re going to get the materials to build these millions of houses from. I’m sorry to bother them with trivial details like this.
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@JacksonMacmanus
So if a car park in that space how would you get your bike in and out if they're in that narrow strip between open gates?
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@Elainebiob
Noone said anything about not using cars. In fact I said they've redeveloped the car park
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Hi
@LordPeterHendy
as I've now tweeted criticising your behaviour, I assume you want the name & contact details of my employer so you can write them a letter calling for my resignation & make vague suggestions we may lose out on work. DM me hun X
In May this year,
@LordPeterHendy
pressured my now-former employer
@SYSTRA_UKIRL
to sack me by threatening them.
Why did he do this? Because I'd highlighted safety and accessibility issues at Euston station. He is unfit for office and should resign.
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Lots of angry people in Nottingham currently due to delays caused by the
#A52
#CliftonBridge
emergency closure over the River Trent, so a quick thread to help explain why these sorts of things happen (and why we can expect more of them) 1/
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Cycling like this is asking for an injury. Cyclists have a duty, the same as other road users, to anticipate hazards ahead & react accordingly. Lorry indicated their turn well in advance. More road users would benefit from an appreciation of how difficult it can be to drive HGVs
So who should be giving way to who here?
This truck driver said he saw me as he was already halfway turning across
#Cycleway4
.
It's my understanding from the Highway Code rule H3 that just because you're in a truck it doesn't exempt you from stopping and waiting....
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Honestly no idea why this little pic is attracting attention but thanks to all the reply guys saying only elderly or seriously ill visit their GP, the people overanalysing the install of a few simple stands by a GP practice, & pointing out the BRAND-NEW stands aren't in use 🙄
New cycle stands at our local doctors surgery, installed as part of car park renovation
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Leicester's cycle lane rollout continues apace, with at least 5 schemes currently under construction & more in the pipeline
#activetravel
#cycling
#cycleinfra
#Leicester
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A construction compound that costs £100,000 a week to run will cost the public purse a lot more if that compound is in place for 10 years rather than 5. Not about saving money but spreading the cost. Still short-sighted especially midway through a project
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Utterly insane that this near-death experience for driver & towpath-users barely gets a sniff but if a teen on an e-scooter runs a red light it gets debated in parliament
1/2 Over the weekend one of our canal bridges in
#Wolverhampton
was badly damaged by a driver. Every time these bridges are hit a little bit of our canal history is lost. Although it will be rebuilt using as many original bricks as we can its still upsetting to see this happen
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Bloke who was apparently head of Chartered Institute of Building for years publicly reveals he has no idea how construction works
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Worst take of the day. So many reasons we don't build like this now. It's a design of the time & works great but more inefficient, more labour-intensive, & more costly, than techniques of today. Loads of work gone into architecture & aesthetics of HS2, its rail, not a work of art
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Disqualified. Doing 50mph in a 30mph limit. Inhaling nitrous oxide whilst driving. Lost control & mounted the pavement. Killed two people. The sentence?
8 years.
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Closing streets to celebrate the Queen = 😃
Vs
Closing streets at school times, stopping rat-running, making bus journeys quicker, providing safer cycling routes = 🤬🤬🤬🤬
Why is one acceptable but the others not?
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@joncstone
Honestly insane. Various bingo full-houses including arguments about lycra, blaming Tory govt, & accusations of construction industry corruption. From a simple cycle stand pic. Visually demonstrates today's societal issues (I.e people who can't see past end of own nose)
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Right’s, it’s been a while coming, as this is a controversial topic. However as it recently returned to prominence thanks to new anti-cycling measures, it’s time: I break my silence on the Houlton Way link road!
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@jackrs1979
Really? And the bit where you say they're a waste of money, sarcasm too? It's not very clear
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Regular reminder that these will make an already rough experience even worse for certain types of wheelchair users as well as increase maintenance requirements of footways - this isn't the solution
We hear fairly often that you can’t get an EV if you don’t have off street parking for home charging.
Saw this great example today of what I think is a
@Gul_e_EV
on a terraced street in Durham this morning.
@evmanuk
@MusingsEv
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Tried out Leicester's coronavirus emergency social distancing cycle lanes today, overall a fairly decent effort! Cones, signage, bull barrier on tight bends, ramps on & off kerbs, two sections connecting to existing cycle network, a fairly good effort! Thread/
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#Leicester
's newest cycle lane is open, the final link in a 4-mile route from the suburbs to the city centre, & first impressions is its pretty good 👍 no car lanes were hurt in the making of this scheme!
#cycling
#cycleinfra
#activetravel
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Same culprits all the time. 7 bus stops now not being served due the actions of one inattentive driver. All the houses here have plenty of driveway space
Service 104 is currently unable to serve Lubbesthorpe Road, Braunstone Town, due to parked cars blocking the road
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Look at this. A street filled with light & joy. This is what Leicester is about, not what outsiders say about us to try & sow divisionor further their agenda. Great time down on the Golden Mile tonight. Happy Diwali
#Diwali2023
#Leicester
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@GarethDennis
@SimonWIParker
@theipaper
I walked to my local co-op in lockdown. Maybe instead of HS2, we should build a network of paths linking every Co-op together in the UK. On my journey to the Co-Op, I didn't meet anyone in favour of HS2 (or anyone at all), so let's scrap it & link the corner shops together
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People's out-of-office redirecting to other team members who are also out of office, whose redirects are back to the original staff member who is out-of-office:
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I'd like to propose this as the most common example of designer failure to think about how a building will be used
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@simonharris_mbd
Plenty of bored staff members throwing any number of nuggs in a box means that whilst you might not order it, it's totally possible to receive 43 nuggets.
Source: my lazy ass when I worked at McDonald's
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On time & on budget, introducing MiniKiwi, my wife & I's latest project. I'll be a little quieter over the next few weeks as a result. Mother & baby both doing well.
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Following a public vote, my last thread of the year is going to be about TRAMS! It's not my specialist subject, but I've worked on & around some schemes so will give it my best shot. So I hope you enjoy: Trams in the UK 1/
#Construction
#tram
#civilengineering
#infrastructure
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Viaduct deck sections starting to be produced for the Birmingham end of a certain high-speed rail line (pics from an informed source)
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Some recent discussion has prompted me to do a quick thread on some UK road gantries (Disclaimer: Not A Designer). You may have noticed the latest road gantries have different designs and look bigger, & bulkier, than previous designs 1/
#roads
#motorway
#gantry
#construction
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Took my daughter to swimming today via bike. Easy peasy. Leisure centre wants to chop down trees to add 50 spaces, & councils installing more bollards & double-yellows to manage problem parking. But the other solutions are so simple & obvious
#cycling
#activetravel
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We have a car problem & a government that is in denial
Talking about freedom, sat in Margaret Thatcher’s old Rover.
Earlier I spoke to
@Telegraph
about how important cars are for families to live their lives. It’s something anti-motorist Labour just don’t seem to get.
And it’s why I’m reviewing anti-car schemes across the country.
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Leicester's newest cycle lane progressing well, converting the "Key Worker Corridor" Covid-pop-up lsnd to permanent scheme
#Leicester
#cycling
#activetravel
#cycleinfra
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Please to present my latest bridge as part of new junction on a Lincolnshire beach. Top-down construction method with the bridge being in-situ integral deck supported on in-situ granular material. Windmill adds interest & "gateway feature" to the junction
#bridge
#engineering
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Well done Aldi - newly-refurbished store now with cycle parking & electric vehicle charging points. Cycle parking is sheltered & although in car park corner, opposite full-height windows by the tills so in view, & short walk (20m) to store entrance
#cycling
#activetravel
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All perfectly tame, reasoned, sane opinion (no "facts" are even necessary here) which is why the treatment Gareth has received is appalling & should be called out
@railandroad
Then I called out the claustrophobic lack of vision for those deciding what the future of Euston station should be. And that's it. It is extremely tame. I don't call out individuals, I don't call out Network Rail. I point out issues that everyone who uses Euston regularly knows.
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I'll be amazed if this repair lasts 12 months. Road edge is getting pushed into soft verge under weight of vehicles running on the edge. It needs a kerb & brace installing. The multiple failed older-repairs should be the clue that doing more of the same won't work
Today is National Pothole Day! 📅
We've been busy repairing defects with the Pothole Pro. It starts by precision-cutting with a 600mm planer, then crops out the area for lasting fixes, and finishes strong with a 1200mm sweeper for a top-notch clean.
Take a look for yourself!
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I had a few hours to kill yesterday with the baby so I went on a walk around a large new development happening near by. Some thoughts on how we're currently building our new housing developments: 1/
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Right, I'm officially unemployed for the weekend, which means I can share stuff like this:
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I tweet lots about bridges; but there is so much to discuss and talk about! So I’m doing my own take on the Christmas Lectures by doing a series of
#civengexplained
threads each night this week, to better explain how bridges work
#bridge
#construction
#civilengineering
#highways
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It’s the most hidden part of road construction that is also so important. It makes the roads safe, reduces maintenance burden, & is vital to making our road network more sustainable. Grab your wellies, it’s time to talk about DRAINAGE!
#CivilEngineering
#highways
#CivEngExplained
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Despite my handle, my family is Ukranian. I'm working on a project with many Ukranians or those with family & friends in Ukraine. The invasion of Ukraine is a watershed moment. Please keep them in your thoughts & I hope events will pass as peacefully as possible 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦
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😬😬😬 when you see water spouting with such pressure from what I assume is below-ground-level on the other side of the retaining wall, shutting the railway is the right call
📷 Here's Dalmarnock station a short while ago following "just a bit of rain."
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The Gravelly Hill interchange turns 50 years old today! Better known as the "Spaghetti Junction", it is infamous for being one of the UK's most complex interchanges. To celebrate its birthday, I took a wander around 🧵
#construction
#CivilEngineering
#Birmingham
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So Nottingham Haa abandoned oyster green cycleways and gone for red! (The best colour in my opinion!)
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@tommy_ciao
"Mess" 🙄 all I see is part of a hedgerow removed to build the haul road, designed to reduce number of lorries using local road network.
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Have you ever wondered what those green & yellow signs at the side of the road reading "PCD" mean? Here's a quick thread to explain:
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Catching on June's
@ncedigital
, a letter complaining about plans to convert HS2 haul routes to cycleways "can you imagine the joy of walking/cycling with trains hurtling past at 220mph?" Yes, yes I can 😅 we already have this at Attenborough next to Midland Mainline & it's fine!
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This is probably the worst flood event in the East Midlands in my adult memory. Still hundreds of roads shut, properties flooded in Leicester & Loughborough, with Trent areas in Nottingham & Newark now getting hit. We must act on climate change
Helicopter footage has revealed the scale of flooding along the River Trent near Newark and surrounding villages.
Read more:
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A taxi driver overshot stopping on the zebras crossing I was crossing on. He then pulled up to argue, claiming I'd "presumed" he'd stop instead of "waiting to for him to stop". He'd approached from 30m away on a town centre high street. Yes I presumed you'd stop, it's the law.
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@RhonddaBryant
Hi Chris, we do this all the time in the UK. Happy to discuss construction techniques any time if you like. A few examples of similar preassmbled bridges being installed:
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As a qualified civil engineer, the most maths I do on an average day is adding & subtracting 3-digit values. Maths is great, but forcing people with no interest in it to study it til they're 18 is a waste of both theirs & their teacher's time.
Adults who cannot understand basic maths ought to be embarrassed, Rishi Sunak will say in a tough message designed to change public attitudes towards innumeracy
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My teeny bridge has suddenly grown! Excavating between the abutment walls shows the top-down construction in all its glory, revealing the piles supporting the wingwalls and abutments which double as pilecaps. Only half excavated so far. Engineer for scale.
#civilengineering
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More drivel. Are the Netherlands or Denmark poor countries? Another embarrassing take.
It's not a 'problem', it's a good thing.
In poorer countries people depend on public transport & bikes. When they get richer they want cars because they bring freedom.
Public transport will *never* be good enough for a free people to move around on.
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It's Mam Tor all over again! B4069 near Lynham in Wiltshire has an emergency closure after major subsidence. Very wet ground to blame. Pics from Royal Wootton Bassett police Facebook page
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A rare opportunity for me to get out & about today so I caught up with some cycling developments in Leicester, starting with the now-completed Parker Drive cycleway
#Leicester
#cycling
#activetravel
#cycleinfrastructure
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New concept images released showing proposed plans for more accessible, welcoming entrance to Leicester Station - lighter & airy, greener, facing main route to city centre, relocated taxi rank & showcases the Victorian architecture in a sensitive way
Take a look at how Leicester’s railway station could be transformed by a major proposed scheme to restore the historic building back to its Victorian glory and make it more passenger-friendly.
Read more below:
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Christmas cycle trip out to try & reduce the impact of recent gluttony - who am I kidding - but there's been a lot of developments since my last long ride, so here we go
#cycling
#cycleinfra
#activetravel
#Leicester
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Pleased to announce that due to the widespread materials shortage in the construction industry, we're relaxing standards to Build Back Better. Therefore instead of steel & concrete beams, all new bridge decks will be made of REALLY LONG spaghetti strands.
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Bus stop? What bus stop? Looks like I'm on the radio talking about this tomorrow morning 🌄
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A new starter today quit 6hrs into the shift because they didn't want to pay for the Clean Air Zone. Guess its doing its job then! Preventing polluting vehicles using the city centre. Looking forward to the further traffic reduction measures being rolled out soon.
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My new procrastination technique is to go on landlord pages on Facebook & call out the cheapskates
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Leicester continues to be at the forefront of urban cycling - this time by planning the city's first Cyclops-style junction
We’re bidding for cash to transform Leicester’s St Margaret’s junction, to improve bus journey times and encourage more walking and cycling.
If successful, we plan to fill in the underpass and put in new crossings for pedestrians and cyclists.
More here:
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Ever wondered what the FTMS on the A1(M) northbound at J49 shows? Strategic diversion when A168/A19 is closed (suspect there's other panels for an A1 closure as well). Blinking Amber lights feels very European instead of normal bouncing balls. Bonus 20mph advisory too!
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I resigned from a project today which on the face of it, should've been perfect. A real chance to make a difference. But I will not volunteer my professional expertise nor donate my time, to be belittled, patronised, or blatantly disrespected. Sometimes it's better to walk away.
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