Water Towers Deal With Huge Forces

I came across these alarming pictures on the Blog of the British Water Tower Appreciation Society*.   They show a water tower at  Witney, Oxfordshire whose tank burst on 1904 for want of adequate bracings inside.   They fixed it and it apparently burst again in 1905!

You can read the full story at http://bwtas.blogspot.com/2018/08/history-repeating-itself.html

If somebody in centuries to come ever thinks of re-filling our tank with water - beware!!!

We removed the forest of wrought iron bracing rods from inside the tank.   Having taken expert advice.

* The British Water Tower Appreciation Society (BWTAS) actually exists - and a jolly fine bunch of people they are too.   Even so, when I do talks about the water tower and I mention BWTAS the audience always bursts into disbelieving laughter.   It certainly pushes the boundaries of credibility though.   I have a friend, Prof. Paul Salveson, who is a director of The British Tripe Marketing Board.   Now, that one IS a spoof - yet it has a convincing enough website:

https://tripemarketingboard.co.uk/

Stuff like this makes Britain great.