account arrow-down arrow-left arrow-right closecontact-us emailFacebookheart instagramjoin linkedin phonepinterestplaysearch twitteryoutube
Back

Our next open talk will take place on Monday 14 November. The talk, titled “The Panama Canal: Civil Engineering Meets Geology” is delivered by Tony Waltham, a Nottingham-based geologist, photographer, and traveller.
We will gather 7.15pm at the Castlefield Hotel on Liverpool Rd Manchester (M3 4JR) for 7.30pm start.

A long and varied history of great canal construction extended throughout the 1800s, and included the first attempt at a canal across Panama, which failed in its early stages. It was therefore into the next century that that the Americans built the Panama Canal between 1904 and 1914. Construction of the massive concrete locks and of Gatun Lake both broke world records at the time, and were brilliant in concept and evolution. Complex geology, dominated by the horrendously weak Cucaracha Clay, created huge problems in the deep Culebra Cut, and these were overcome, in less than subtle style, by brute force and massive expenditure of machinery and effort. The Panama Canal continues to be a critical element in world trade, and recent completion of its larger locks assures its future.

Tony Waltham is a retired lecturer in Engineering Geology at Nottingham Trent University. He has travelled widely with his camera and is still doing this with his wife and frequently taking positions lecturing on the cruise ships. He tailors his talks to be appropriate for academic societies or for groups with wider interests.

The talk is free to attend and everyone is welcome.

 

Branch
IWA Manchester Branch
Event Dates

Monday 14th November 2022

Location

Manchester

Heritage

The Panama Canal: Civil Engineering Meets Geology

Our next open talk will take place on Monday 14 November. The talk, titled “The Panama Canal: Civil Engineering Meets Geology” is delivered by Tony Waltham, a Nottingham-based geologist, photographer, and traveller.
We will gather 7.15pm at the Castlefield Hotel on Liverpool Rd Manchester (M3 4JR) for 7.30pm start.

A long and varied history of great canal construction extended throughout the 1800s, and included the first attempt at a canal across Panama, which failed in its early stages. It was therefore into the next century that that the Americans built the Panama Canal between 1904 and 1914. Construction of the massive concrete locks and of Gatun Lake both broke world records at the time, and were brilliant in concept and evolution. Complex geology, dominated by the horrendously weak Cucaracha Clay, created huge problems in the deep Culebra Cut, and these were overcome, in less than subtle style, by brute force and massive expenditure of machinery and effort. The Panama Canal continues to be a critical element in world trade, and recent completion of its larger locks assures its future.

Tony Waltham is a retired lecturer in Engineering Geology at Nottingham Trent University. He has travelled widely with his camera and is still doing this with his wife and frequently taking positions lecturing on the cruise ships. He tailors his talks to be appropriate for academic societies or for groups with wider interests.

The talk is free to attend and everyone is welcome.

 

Details

Time

7.15pm

Please arrive at 19:15 for the 19:30 start.

Contact

Phil Broughton

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us: [email protected]

Venue

Castlefield Hotel

Liverpool Road, Manchester M3 4JR – corner of Liverpool Road and Potato Wharf

The entrance to the hotel is on the side facing towards Deansgate overlooking the Castlefield outdoor arena.

View event location

Location

Manchester

The Castlefield Hotel, Manchester, UK

Find directions to the Event

Waterway underfunding

Hundreds of miles of waterways – along with their unique heritage and habitats – are currently starved of funding and rely on constant lobbying by us to safeguard their future.

Sustainable Boating

We want boating on canals and rivers to be more sustainable and – even though the current overall contribution to UK carbon emissions is very small – we want to help reduce emissions on the waterways.

Waterways Heritage at Risk

Britain’s canals and rivers are a unique, living heritage. But that heritage is at risk – from urban development, lack of protection, loss of skills and knowledge and climate change.

You can help Save Waterways Heritage.

Waterway restoration

Restoring the UK’s blue infrastructure – our inherited network of navigable canals and rivers – is good for people and places.