RavenTTD: We know where you live!

Kinney get away with that?

Back on topic ... the HoliBlog will soon have photos of our new Voyage footers on it.

Whew!

Paula

Moosh, I know the kinda places you hang out at. You sure he wasn't a Cross Dresser?

Matthew Sullivan in "Married...With Children: The Musical"

Clint, the Un-Pun.

Woah...stick to teasing Playa, Tek ;)

Paula - cool pics...thanks!

Listen up Keds, if you don't Converse in a polite fashion, whether in the timberlands or on the sandal have to come and sock you one. Now Hush, puppies!

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Raven Maven said:
Back on topic ... the HoliBlog will soon have photos of our new Voyage footers on it.

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Paula, I just couldn't stand to turn down my sole chance to pump your brain with some useful civil engineering info! :)

What the fellows were drilling into in one of the last pics in your post is typically called a 'pile', and it's purpose is to carry the vertical load of whatever is above (building, walkway, roller coaster) directly to the bedrock below. You'll often see them used for wooden coasters and for the supports for the water rides in Splashin' Safari. These are different than spread footings, which are what can be seen in many of the construction photos of Voyage you've shown us so far.

Spread footings also carry the weight of whatever is above, but instead of conveying the vertical force to the bedrock, it 'spreads' the force over the soil beneath. Both types require a thorough understanding of soil types in the area (if the soil is stronger, you can use smaller footings, but you don't want to assume that kind of stuff).

From what I've noticed, either one can be used in roller coaster construction. I tend to see more piles in wooden coaster construction and more spread footings in steel coaster construction though.

So in short, piles are deep circular vertical concrete shafts that take loads to bedrock. Spread footings are (typically) rectangular or square concrete slabs designed to spread force over enough soil to prevent sinking. Got it? :)

I would have emailed this, but I know your inbox is rediculouly full, and maybe other Cbuzzers might like to know the difference.

edited for formatting *** Edited 7/21/2005 5:41:34 AM UTC by CincyDJ***

Thanks, DJ. Good explanation!

The first time I read your post, my eyes started rolling back in my head (no joke!), but I forced myself to read it again and it does make sense.

May I post this on the HoliBlog? I felt so foolish using those photos yesterday and not really knowing what they were all about. It was late enough that everyone who would have known had left for the day.

Thanks, Paula (I'm surrounded by engineering-types: my husband, oldest son, Will ... so my eyes get quite a workout)

Just to get INSTEP, Most wooden FOOTSIES do not reach bedrock. Many of Voyages FOOTERS are rebar spread footers and many are and some are no more than the BOTTOMs of tunnles.

As long as the RISER of the bent is well supported, The ARCH size should not matter.

Chuck, who just realized, I suck at this Pun stuff

Too bad Al Bundy and family never visited Holiday World. ;-)

(now THAT's a scary visual!)

-Tina

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Charles Nungester said:
Just to get INSTEP, Most wooden FOOTSIES do not reach bedrock. Many of Voyages FOOTERS are rebar spread footers and many are and some are no more than the BOTTOMs of tunnles.

As long as the RISER of the bent is well supported, The ARCH size should not matter.

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As long as the structure supported doesn't sink, then the foundation, whatever it is, is working. Coasters are a little more predictable (I imagine) than buildings, and are less dense (coasters weigh less than buildings), so the foundations typically aren't as big or deep. If the piles under a woodie don't go to bedrock, then the lateral earth pressure on the pile is enough to hold it up. Since most woodies aren't that tall or heavy, i.e. there isn't much to hold up, this is entirely possible. Again, it all has to do with soil types. I guarentee that in swampy areas, those piles go to bedrock.

I tend to think of Mean Streak when I think of wooden coaster foundations, because you can see TONS of piles while walking in line under the structure. Since its such a large structure built on lakebed soil, I'm betting those go pretty deep!

Paula, of course you've got my permission to post the explaination, but I'll email you a better one later today that wasn't written late at night when I was trying to hurry up and get to bed!

I thought that building a roller coaster involved just plunking it down on concrete. Guess I'm wrong. BTW, sorry about the blank post in the news story. Don't know what happened.

FYI, sometimes those pile footings are actually connected to a strip/spread footing below grade as well. I know on Villain they are. Also, that round form the worker is drilling ion the photo is called a suana tube. At least that we called them when I did concrete and foundation work. Although I'm not sure if the spelling is correct in this case.

A wooden coaster structure is lighter than a building of comparable size and height. But that structure is subjected to lateral forces from the moving trains and also from the wind. You'd be amazed how much the wind force can be on a "piece" of wood 100 feet high and only a few inches square. All those forces have to be transmitted to the ground as well.

While I'm standing in line for the HP Wildcat, the engineer in me always likes to watch the structure moving as the trains rattle by, particularly on the first curved drop.

You can also see it as Legend swoops by the station while you wait on the staircase ....

I always like to keep a hand on the supports while waiting on Legend's stairway.....nice to feel the wood flex as the train speeds by... :)

You heard it here first, Moosh.... Bill likes to feel wood... ;)

I've travelled with Bill...that's old news, George!

Moosh is nowhere NEAR as flexible as most wooden twisters though.... LOL! :)

Paula ain't gonna like what we did to hear thread! ;)

So...about them footers....

And to think all this started with a thank you note.

Back to shoes and feet again, Moosh? LOL. OK, who remembers the name of Buster Brown's dog?