Sheet piles driven 282 times to a depth of 17 meters to block water flow at breach site in Le Myat Nar Township

It has been learned from the Ministry of Construction that work has been carried out to drive 282 sheet piles to a depth of 17 meters to block the area where the levee breached and river water flowed in Le Myat Nar Township, Ayeyarwady Region. At the site where the low levee in Le Myat Nar Township, Ayeyarwady Region, was overtopped by water flow, sheet piles were driven to block the water. The Ministry of Construction's Bridge Department and Road Department, with engineers and staff from both departments, combined their efforts to drive sheet piles. This work involved the use of four push boats, four barges, four steered motorboats, one excavator, two 50-ton cranes, two 25-ton cranes, four sets of Vibro-Hammers with Double Jaw & Accessories, one set of Silent Piler + Power Unit, one set of 3.5 Ton Hummer Control Panel, three generators, and two air compressors. These machines and vehicles were used to carry out the work day and night, it was learned. In the reinforcement work, 282 sheet piles were used and driven to a water depth of 17 meters. To further strengthen the driven sheet piles, four standpipes with a diameter of 1.35 meters and 63 H-beams measuring 400 mm x 400 mm were used for bracing, backing, welding, and tying. These operations were closely supervised by the Director General of the Bridge Department of the Ministry of Construction and engineers from the Road Department. A total of 234 engineers and staff worked in day and night shifts, it was learned. The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Construction visited the site from the start of the sheet pile driving reinforcement work, inspected the progress of the work, and gave instructions regarding safety within the work area. He also attended coordination meetings with the Chief Minister of Ayeyarwady Region and relevant ministries to coordinate efforts. Furthermore, he managed the work to ensure it was carried out systematically and completed promptly, provided necessary support for the work, and offered words of encouragement to the officials, staff, and laborers involved in the reinforcement work. The Deputy Minister and his team from the Ministry of Construction inspected the progress of the sheet pile driving reinforcement work at the site where water was flowing in. They observed that the final sheet piles to be driven in the reinforcement work were sprayed with fragrant substances before being driven. It was learned that the Ministry of Construction has completed the reinforcement work by driving sheet piles at the site where water was flowing in. Although the water flow has been blocked, as the difference between the outside water and the inside water increases, the strength of the reinforced sheet piles may decrease. Therefore, bracing, backing, and other reinforcement work behind the sheet piles are continuing. To completely block the water flow, sandbags are being placed, jumbo bags of sand are being placed at the base of the sheet piles to prevent scour, inclination supports are being implemented, the webs of the H-beams supporting the sheet piles are being continuously monitored day and night, and weakened sections are being reinforced. Concrete sinker blocks are also being placed to obstruct the water channel, it was learned. To close off the water inflow, it is planned to continue dredging sand with a large dredging vessel towed by a boat from the Department of Water Resources and River Development and the Department of Irrigation and Water Utilization Management, and to blow the sand near the water inflow path. Work will also continue to place sand and stones in nets and to place large geo-bags, it was learned.