How Would You Repair (Rollercoaster!)
- Thread starter MattGarage
- Start date
Rusted Nut
Well-known member
Yup, this could be repaired with simple welding. But what about all the remaining supports that have now suffered from the added stresses from the broken support? Not to mention the inadequate design of the others. Cut it up and haul off to the recycle yard.
mv213
Well-known member
It didn’t. There was a photo on the news from a guest a few days before this came to light, and the crack was starting, but not fully broken off.
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The Tool Tyrant
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Well, ya...'THAT PLAY' failed, so best come up with a better play!
billconner
Well-known member
New column being fabricated to same plan and delivered next week.
www.nbcnews.com
Crack in N.C. roller coaster may have formed 6-10 days before closure, commissioner says
Charlotte-based Carowinds amusement park shut down its Fury 325 ride after a rider's video showed a detached support beam.
www.nbcnews.com
bcschief
Well-known member
In that case the park should revamp its safety protocol and their insurer should demand it and so should the state regulators. If I worked for an employer that would not have closed that ride I would have quit and called the state and the newspapers.
Daveyclimber
Well-known member
I think the break probably occurred from vibratory stress as well as expansion and contraction cycles. Lots of steel that move on different planes.
whateg01
Well-known member
The replacement is, from what I've read, the same design. Is it in for the same fate?
billconner
Well-known member
I'm assuming they determined the design was fine and it was faulty fabrication.
Rusted Nut
Well-known member
An article I saw stated a faulty weld. I see more than a faulty weld in the photo in Post #1 here. Looks like the column sheared.
"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got" - Henry Ford
Manufacturer blames steel supplier, Steel supplier will blame Fabricator and Fabricator will blame Designer.
billconner
Well-known member
My read is it was a turn key deal from designer, the Swiss firm. They may argue in private but seems neither the Swiss company nor the other parties are blaming anyone publicly.
IndyGarage
Well-known member
I watched the video above from the steel fabricator. Looks like that post design is very common in the industry - I saw at least 3-4 very similar posts in the videos.New column being fabricated to same plan and delivered next week.
Crack in N.C. roller coaster may have formed 6-10 days before closure, commissioner says
Charlotte-based Carowinds amusement park shut down its Fury 325 ride after a rider's video showed a detached support beam.
I imagine replacing the broken post will hold it for some time, but I'd be checking on that design to make sure it doesn't fail again.
Lassen Forge
Well-known member
Guaranteed they'll be watching this one to make sure it doesn't come apart again. Or if it does, they'll catch it before their customer does...
WoodsTruck
Well-known member
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Another angle: What are the chances the footing that this support structure sits on is failing? Stress will find the weakest link.
The Tool Tyrant
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I would be very surprised if they used the same design. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to note that the problem WYE joint is in tension, so why wouldn't you reverse it and place it in compression instead...that is unless there is no room at the base to place a new footing.
andyvh1959
Well-known member
Another reason I don't ride roller coasters. That looks like a fatigue stress crack. Makes me wonder how many inspections passed the column until the crack/failure was so obvious to visual at 30 feet. My bet is that column cracked a lot longer ago than what was found recently.
mv213
Well-known member
It seems like this connection needs some kind of shock absorbing design vs. rigid attachment to the pole.
gahrajmahal
Well-known member
This reminds me of years ago my company was shopping for alternative fabricators. I was with the company owner and it was a lunch meeting. The shop representative was talking up their skills and prior jobs. It seems they had landed the job of fabricating the new loop-the-loop roller coaster at Kings Island. Their shop was reviewing the drawings sent to them and their seat-of-the-pants impression was the tubing and supports weren’t big enough compared to the previous roller coasters they had worked on. It turned out the “computer jockey engineers” had not added in the weight of the steel to the computer calculations. He figured they had a good year to work on our project before they had to work on the revised roller coaster drawings and fabrication.
dutchgray
Well-known member
I remember going to an engineering lecture about 15 years ago given by a high up employee of this particular British Engineering company, one of the subjects was the redesign and new fabrication of some parts of a major UK rollercoaster (designed and built in the USA as it happens) before the thing had even opened as it didn't work properly, it had moments which produced higher positive G than is allowed here and a period of negative G which is also not allowed.
danski0224
Well-known member
In line with fabrication, Fireball Tool has a video about getting 3 simple square frames made up by other local fabricators.
None of them met specifications as provided on the drawing provided.
The only frame that met specifications was welded up by one of his own non-fabricator employees, using Fireball's table and jigs.
Yeah, in some ways it's a long commercial.
But it also shows that 3 of 3 shops solicited for what seems to be a simple fab project... failed to deliver.
Not quite the same as rollercoaster support column fabrication, but I frequently see a failure to follow directions or procedures on the job.
None of them met specifications as provided on the drawing provided.
The only frame that met specifications was welded up by one of his own non-fabricator employees, using Fireball's table and jigs.
Yeah, in some ways it's a long commercial.
But it also shows that 3 of 3 shops solicited for what seems to be a simple fab project... failed to deliver.
Not quite the same as rollercoaster support column fabrication, but I frequently see a failure to follow directions or procedures on the job.
The Bean
Well-known member
Cut out a wide section and weld in a fitting with spring or rubber bushing to absorb the vibrations and allow movement.
IndyGarage
Well-known member
column was replaced yesterday. The replacement looks identical to the original. Ride is not open yet.
whateg01
Well-known member
Dang! I should have gone and checked it out while I was in Charlotte last week!
jack stand
Well-known member
I'm glad to hear this!
I was certain that the lawyers, their promotional team and higher up management might think that there would be no getting over the bad "pr" of this rather embarrassing event.
Nothing some new steel couldn't fix, but a bad public relations or impression with the public is sometimes undefeatable.
I was certain that the lawyers, their promotional team and higher up management might think that there would be no getting over the bad "pr" of this rather embarrassing event.
Nothing some new steel couldn't fix, but a bad public relations or impression with the public is sometimes undefeatable.
IndyGarage
Well-known member
certainly means the designers are confident in the engineering and there was probably some kind of weld defect involved.
andyvh1959
Well-known member
Watching that video got a "holy chit" out of me. The park management claimed there are redundancies designed into the structural aspects of the ride. I say to that, BS! NO redundancy is designed for a major structural failure which is clearly shown on the video. All the deflection when the car comes around that bend is now a "lever" acting on the track and adjoining towers. Damn lucky the car didn't twist off the track and injure people. How about seeing the video of the tower crack in operation, in a court, for a personal injury lawsuit. Big settlement for sure with that video.
billconner
Well-known member
Seemed to me the design was single point failure proof. A major structural failure and it kept working for a week. I'm sure there were those who wanted to save the cost of every other column, since it would have work, but luckily they weren't listened to.
Rusted Nut
Well-known member
Ooops. Second crack found.
www.yahoo.com
Second crack or break found on Carowinds’ damaged roller coaster, state confirms
The amusement park’s largest ride, Fury 325’ has been closed since June 30 after a visitor spotted a broken support beam as a cart full of riders flew by.
Junkdrawer Dog
Well-known member
I know the topic is "how to repair" but I will throw this out there... I worked for a guy whose wife was killed and grandchild paralyzed in an amusement park ride accident. Given the shattered lives, the **** storm of lawsuits and ensuing bankruptcies, they'd be better off tearing the whole thing down and building a new one. They will never be able to bury the past history of failure of this structure should an accident occur.
whateg01
Well-known member
This is a key question for a lot of people I think.
The Tool Tyrant
ALLIANCE MEMBER
More on 2nd crack... https://www.ien.com/safety/news/228...term=IMCD230725003&oly_enc_id=1683D3252256I7F