COASTER APPROVAL?

how long does it take a ride to go by approval from the state and county boards? also what are some of the things they look for?

This question is difficult to answer since Each state has its own laws and in some cases each county. In addition, much of the time required for approval is a function of the beauacracy rather than the laws. Where Disney is its own government, it can probably happen quite quickly. In the city limits of a major city, it can take forever. It recently took me 6 months and tens of thousands of dollars in engineering time to get a permit for a large industrial water meter.

What they are looking for depends on where you are and what you are building. That new concession stand or game booth won't require more that standard plans and compliance with zoning and codes. A roller coaster may be scrutinized closely because it is different from what the officials usually see, or it may get passed over lightly because they don't understand it. A large theatre structure will get the closest review because of the disaster potential of so many people in one structure. This could also be true for the station and queue on a roller coaster.

The issues looked at are usually structural adequacy, code compliance, fire safety, sanitation, and impact on street traffic.

It seems like this is a big deal for Knott's right now as they rally for a new ride (whatever it may be) as it is in the middle of Buena Park..

The building of roller coasters seems rather specialized to me. How do agencies set thier standards? Do they contract out to the roller coaster companies themselves??

-------------
Decisions determine destiny; Destiny determines decisions.

Agencies rarely go to outside consultants. They aren't set up to be that flexible due to government budgeting procedures. They also aren't in the business of checking every structural calculation that is done even on a conventional building. They take a general look for any red flags then look for safety issues like fire protection, proper exits, proper wiring etc. They also look for impacts that extend beyond the site such as drainage, traffic, etc.

---

janfrederick said:
"The building of roller coasters seems rather specialized to me. How do agencies set thier standards? Do they contract out to the roller coaster companies themselves??"

---

Coaster consturction follows the same basic standards as any other structural construction. Each job site has inspectors. They check everything to make sure thing are being done to set specifications from concrete strength, rebar placement to numerous other items. Some inspectors are easy going and let some minor things slide while others want things exactly the way the blueprints call for it.

As for contracts the park will take bids on construction from the excavation, rebar, concrete suplier, structural steel setting, carpentry,and electrical portions. Each company gets a list of what needs to be done, supplies, and the target completion date. From that each company will make their bid. All the jobs I worked on had many contractors working together each specializing in a different trade or area of a trade.
-------------
We came, We saw, We rode, We went home! :) *** This post was edited by coasterpunk on 3/24/2001. ***