Rocket Coaster construction, a few questions

Hey everyone

You may or may not know that Alton Towers are currently building an Intamin Rocket Coaster that is due to open next year. As you lucky people over there already have 2 Rocket Coasters and another on the way, I thought you would be the best people to ask a couple of questions have I have about the construction that is currently going on at Alton Towers.

Look at these latest pictures of the Alton Towers construction:

http://porsmond.bravepages.com/Alton/Rita/Rita.html

(The site is nothing to do with me, so I'm not advertising).

Basically, anyone have any idea what the big concrete pipe things are for? They seem to be using them as footers but I have never seen them used on Xcelerator or Dragster which has confused me. Also, the big concrete patch, station or launch equipment housing?

Anyone with any comments about this constcution would be great as we often feel a bit left out here over the big blue sea :(

Thanks!

Well I think that bar stuff you were talking about is for the station, not the ride itself. Seeing that this coaster is being built in the UK, there building standards may be different than those of the United States, and that's why it looks different. Just a thought...

Two possibilities

1) It's for sound attenuation, so the screams of the riders don't bother those poor neighbors.

2) Those pesky neighbors will suddenly disappear without a trace about the same time that concrete is being poured in the park.

The size and type of footers generally has more to do with the ground than anything else. The tower footer for Dragster is huge, extending out into the midways. Presumably that's because CP soil is pretty much all sand. On the other hand, I don't recall seeing any photos of a footer that big at SFGAdv.

And we have three rockets here already.

Jeff is correct that the footers are largely determined by local soil conditions. Of course, the loads are also a factor as are local labot costs and material and equipment availabilities.

The "pipe thingies" appear to be just that at first glance, sections of reinforced concrete pipe typically used for drainage pipe or for manholes. However, the installation photos make it obvious that they are being used as part of the foundations. I'm guessing that they are pouring footers, then setting the pipe sections on top. Next I would guess that they will put rebar and anchor bolts inside the pipe sections, and then fill them with concrete.

This isn't a type of foundation design that I've seen before, but I've never paid much attention to foundations in Great Britain, and Alton tower's requirements are often unique.