Why So Many Lateral Supports On Nitro??

On recent trips to the park, and viewing of pictures, I realized something on Nitro. Right after the bottom of the first drop, there is a web of supports on which the camelback and second hill are both supported. Look at this pic: http://www.coastergallery.com/1999/GA70.html

At the top, you can see that theres a strange lateral support system. In another pic (dont remember the site), there is a similar but smaller support system on a bunny hop. Why was this built as it is? I thought it might have to do with the excessive speeds that section has to withstand, but thats my guess.

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*My Personal Top 10*
1)-Nitro, 2)-S:ROS(sfne), 3)-Kraken, 4)-Alpengeist, 5)-Incredible Hulk

You mean the horizontal tubes? I'm 99% sure those are there to compensate for weak soil, which would make it difficult to place good footers. Concrete is great in compression but not as good in tension, so if the soil is especially friable then those horizontal tubes make a lot of sense

 

Coma

not just that, the supports seem to be really slanted
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*My Personal Top 5*
1)-Nitro, 2)-S:ROS(sfne), 3)-Kraken, 4)-Alpengeist, 5)-Incredible Hulk

The second hill on Nitro goes over a little stream. There were not allowed to mess with the wetlands so they had to build up, over, and around it.

It also looks like the soild directly under the track is not very stable, so the foundations were spread to straddle it.  I did the Nitro walk through at Coaster Celebration, and I recall a lot of wet unstable soil including a pond on the first part of the run.

By the way, has the park landscaped that area any since then? Not that I don't love that rustic wooded themeing...

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.:| Brandon Rodriguez |:.
http://www.coasters2k.com

I noticed the "wide-spread" supports on Nitro too... I figured it was designed with supports like that due to the extreme height of the ride and the land on which it was built (wider supports = more stability).  As for those horizontal supports, your guess is as good as mine.