Incredible Hulk Coaster Refurb

[AlexanderMBush]

I had 5mins spare in work and thought I'd do this sooner rather than later.

As I look at this more, the more I think its perfect. It makes the look of hulk drastically change from its cartoonish roots to the modern nature of the MCU with the grey/black being very imposing and foreboding. Then the supports, the colors help that out aswell to add more to it.

If that'd be the track color they are going with, i'll be perfectly happy about it.

 

[maxairmike]

So here's a good look at how the supports are secured to the footers.

As you can see from this shot of Valravn construction at CP, the main bolts are already in the support when it is poured. The center of the footer is then cut out (or molded in place already, pictures from pouring the footers don't seem to show the holes being molded, and they look cut to me) for the part of the support that extends down into the footer. After the support has been bolted in place, the footer is filled in and then more concrete is poured up to the baseplate of the support, covering those bottom nuts and washers.

Depending on the thickness/width of the footers, coring the original bolts out makes the most sense, and would be a lot less work than ripping out and pouring completely new footers. You're just setting the new main bolts, pouring them in place, making the cut for the support tie-in, and then filling that in. Another thing to note is that the footers you see at the waterline/above ground are not usually the full footer. In sandy/high water table areas especially there may be a very large slab footing that encompasses multiple footers that you see above ground. Ripping out those above ground footers could require that entire base footing to be re-poured as well (you can see this in Valravn construction as well, here).

 

[Teebin]

The Hulk's footers were never hollow like that, with an extension sticking in from the support. Were they? Not sure what that above technique is all about.

Must go peek at @biorecontruct 's twitter pics.

Phew! Ok, I see where the support was cut from just above the welded plate... but I don't see any sign of a an additional interior steel post also being cut.

 

[Teebin]

On the other hand, I looked further... and it does appear the technique. I don't understand the point of the interior post. It is so short in the following picture seeming to contribute nothing to the stability.

'

Oh well! :saywhat:

 

[Teebin]

The barges have been shuffled around. I wouldn't be surprised if they are intended for the core saw crews working on the outter footers.

 

[darkridelover]

I imaging coaster supports see a lot of vibration which would cause the nuts and bolts to loosen over time. In order to minimize this vibration at the footer connection point, this extra welded piece would act as an anchor into the footer itself. Preventing the loosening of the bolts.

On the other hand, I looked further... and it does appear the technique. I don't understand the point of the interior post. It is so short in the following picture seeming to contribute nothing to the stability.

'

Oh well! :saywhat:

 

[anihilnation]

The engineering of coasters is so amazing!

 

[AdamPJen]

Is there any talk as to when a soft opening might begin next year? Got our trip already booked so really hoping we make it in time

 

[Wolf359]

The extensions at the bottom of the supports are simply keys, they make it easier to lineup the support with the bolts, the key engages with the "lock" in the concrete and facilitates the correct placement.

 

[Teebin]

The extensions at the bottom of the supports are simply keys, they make it easier to lineup the support with the bolts

Thanks... I actually wondered about that, but I still don't get it. Why isn't lining up the bolts with the bolt holes enough?

 

[Scott W.]

Thanks... I actually wondered about that, but I still don't get it. Why isn't lining up the bolts with the bolt holes enough?

If I was to guess, I think it just might give the people installing them something to aim for and give some support while they put the bolts in place. If you have one bolt in place and the support starts to move, the bolt will shear off.

 

[Teebin]

If you have one bolt in place and the support starts to move, the bolt will shear off.

This is a better explanation, however isn't it true of any mega steel piece being bolted anywhere? On the other hand, those are bolts sunk in concrete and therefore irreplaceable without replacing the entire footer. If a bolt sheers off steel on steel, like the track pieces, one merely grabs another bolt and replaces it.

(see how I talk myself through the logic of it all before I am satisfied).

 

[Wolf359]

It just makes it easier to locate the support. If you think of the bolts as being a keyhole and the support being a key. Rather than simply trying to line up the key with the lock ( or in this case 6 or 8 of them at a time lol ) having the protrusion on the bottom of the support makes it easier to locate, it's like using your free hand to guide the key into the lock. The protrusion puts the support into roughly the correct position before the support reaches the tops of the bolts and makes it less likely that it will hit the bolts and damage the footing

 

[fryoj]

So here's a good look at how the supports are secured to the footers.



As you can see from this shot of Valravn construction at CP, the main bolts are already in the support when it is poured. The center of the footer is then cut out (or molded in place already, pictures from pouring the footers don't seem to show the holes being molded, and they look cut to me) for the part of the support that extends down into the footer. After the support has been bolted in place, the footer is filled in and then more concrete is poured up to the baseplate of the support, covering those bottom nuts and washers.

Those holes are formed up and poured in place. I've seen enough construction pics to be confidant in that. Also, if you look at the pic you posted, at the edge of the hole, you can see the where the concrete turned up against the form. Also, cutting out a hole like that would be a complete nightmare. Not event sure if it could be done that way.

It just makes it easier to locate the support. If you think of the bolts as being a keyhole and the support being a key. Rather than simply trying to line up the key with the lock ( or in this case 6 or 8 of them at a time lol ) having the protrusion on the bottom of the support makes it easier to locate, it's like using your free hand to guide the key into the lock. The protrusion puts the support into roughly the correct position before the support reaches the tops of the bolts and makes it less likely that it will hit the bolts and damage the footing

While I do not have any direct proof, I disagree at your reasoning for the extra H beam attached to the bottom of the supports. There is a pretty good gap between the beam and the sides of the hole. More than the tolerances of the bolt holes. If it were just there for a guide, it would be a tighter tolerance with the large hole so you couldn't set the base plate on the bolts. I think the purpose of the H Beam is for lateral forces. A lot of these supports are at an angle, and the forces of the coaster will put both horizontal and vertical forces on them. The footer itself will take the vertical forces. The bolts, while they will take some of the horizontal force, would not be heavy enough to take them over the course of time and would eventually shear off. The H-beam protrudes into the footer then gets grouted in. This will tie the beam into the footer and any lateral forces would be transferred to the footer directly.

 

[Wolf359]

Those holes are formed up and poured in place. I've seen enough construction pics to be confidant in that. Also, if you look at the pic you posted, at the edge of the hole, you can see the where the concrete turned up against the form. Also, cutting out a hole like that would be a complete nightmare. Not event sure if it could be done that way.



While I do not have any direct proof, I disagree at your reasoning for the extra H beam attached to the bottom of the supports. There is a pretty good gap between the beam and the sides of the hole. More than the tolerances of the bolt holes. If it were just there for a guide, it would be a tighter tolerance with the large hole so you couldn't set the base plate on the bolts. I think the purpose of the H Beam is for lateral forces. A lot of these supports are at an angle, and the forces of the coaster will put both horizontal and vertical forces on them. The footer itself will take the vertical forces. The bolts, while they will take some of the horizontal force, would not be heavy enough to take them over the course of time and would eventually shear off. The H-beam protrudes into the footer then gets grouted in. This will tie the beam into the footer and any lateral forces would be transferred to the footer directly.

I can only go with what I saw on a documentary once, it was about the construction of the main ride in Ferrari world in Dubai ( I think it was an intamin ) and that's what they said on there, but saying that the "Rossa" coaster is completely different to the hulk in that it's simply a speed merchant lol. It won't have the same stresses as the supports on the hulk. They guy on the documentary ( a German iirc) said that the key helped the crane operator get the beams in the right place for them to put the bolts on before "finalising" (I think that was the term he used) the support structure. So perhaps it has both purposes if it's grouted in before tightening the bolts

 

[maxairmike]

Those holes are formed up and poured in place. I've seen enough construction pics to be confidant in that. Also, if you look at the pic you posted, at the edge of the hole, you can see the where the concrete turned up against the form. Also, cutting out a hole like that would be a complete nightmare. Not event sure if it could be done that way.

They probably are molded, but the relative untidiness of the CP example and the variances I've seen in other coaster construction photos made me think they may cut it. Probably just not nearly as nice and neat a mold as the main form, that and I don't recall seeing anything in the center of molds that would make that void. Darn it, now I'm gonna be sorting through a ton of construction pics for a freshly poured/in progress top part of a footer.

 

[fryoj]

They probably are molded, but the relative untidiness of the CP example and the variances I've seen in other coaster construction photos made me think they may cut it. Probably just not nearly as nice and neat a mold as the main form, that and I don't recall seeing anything in the center of molds that would make that void. Darn it, now I'm gonna be sorting through a ton of construction pics for a freshly poured/in progress top part of a footer.

I think all you will find is pics of large pieces of plywood with the bolts through them. Thats typically how they hold the bolts in place when they pour them. So whatever is under the bolts would not be visible. If I'm guessing, it's probably just a piece of styrofoam or similar material that they stick in there when pouring.

And with a quick search:

That's from Fury at Carowinds. I've never seen one at that state myself, but that sums it up. Much easier to pull that styrofoam out than to chip out the concrete.

 

[maxairmike]

Aha! There's the money shot. Go figure that every construction picture I've seen conveniently skips footers in that state.

 

[ChrisFL]

anyone know if the launch tube is still intact?

 

[anihilnation]

I think all you will find is pics of large pieces of plywood with the bolts through them. Thats typically how they hold the bolts in place when they pour them. So whatever is under the bolts would not be visible. If I'm guessing, it's probably just a piece of styrofoam or similar material that they stick in there when pouring.

When I was in Seaworld last week, that is what things look like where they are constructing Mako, only saw it briefly though while riding Kraken.
Just trying to understand how all of this works, they pour the concrete for the foundation, let it set and then pour the concrete for the footer?