Cedar Point Announces Valravn - Dive Coaster for 2016 - 10 World Records!

topthrilldragster4lyf said:

^^ No, that's not how any of this works. That's not how construction works.

I unfriend you.

Someone got the reference, but I think in this case, it would be..

"I (some Adena project manager) kick you off the Valravn construction project."

On a related note: think of it this way...

The slowest process for construction is waiting for the foundations to set. We can dig quickly, we can assemble quickly, but we are at the mercy of time waiting for concrete to cure to a point where it is stable enough to support a load. If every aspect of the construction waiting until all the foundations were set before erecting steel, these rides would take nearly twice as long.

That's like saying they can't start setting foundations until all the track has been manufactured.

It still boggles my mind how they can place individual footers and track sections, and have them perfectly line up when the last section is set. I can barely mow a straight line when cutting grass in my backyard.

t2fastspin said:
It still boggles my mind how they can place individual footers and track sections, and have them perfectly line up when the last section is set. I can barely mow a straight line when cutting grass in my backyard.

Don't forget that they also have computers to exactly measure out where everything needs to be precisely.

Go Intamin said:

t2fastspin said:
It still boggles my mind how they can place individual footers and track sections, and have them perfectly line up when the last section is set. I can barely mow a straight line when cutting grass in my backyard.

Don't forget that they also have computers to exactly measure out where everything needs to be precisely.

Computers or not, I too, am fascinated with how precise everything has to be. If even one footer is a couple centimeters off, it won't line up. Amazing!

Go Intamin said:

Don't forget that they also have computers to exactly measure out where everything needs to be precisely.

Like t@fastspin, I'm amazed that all those pieces come together perfectly.

It's worth remembering, though, that many coasters were designed with slide rules, not computers.

Disneyland's Matterhorn, for example, was built without benefit of computers. Which is amazing, considering they built a coaster and a mountain around the coaster using slide rules and a scaled down model of the mountain.

noggin said:

Go Intamin said:

Don't forget that they also have computers to exactly measure out where everything needs to be precisely.

Like t@fastspin, I'm amazed that all those pieces come together perfectly.

It's worth remembering, though, that many coasters were designed with slide rules, not computers.

Disneyland's Matterhorn, for example, was built without benefit of computers. Which is amazing, considering they built a coaster and a mountain around the coaster using slide rules and a scaled down model of the mountain.

That's very true. In fact, I believe every coaster at CP, up until Raptor was designed using coaster slide rules.

noggin said:

22. First dive coaster to not cause demolition of Cedars.

23. 1st Amusement Park in the world where the Lemon Chill Guy knows EVERYthing before EVERYone else.

Kel said:

Go Intamin said:

t2fastspin said:
It still boggles my mind how they can place individual footers and track sections, and have them perfectly line up when the last section is set. I can barely mow a straight line when cutting grass in my backyard.

Don't forget that they also have computers to exactly measure out where everything needs to be precisely.

Computers or not, I too, am fascinated with how precise everything has to be. If even one footer is a couple centimeters off, it won't line up. Amazing!

Factory of safety is a term taught to engineering majors. You need to account for 5%, 10% or 20% error on measurements and calculations, based on the scale of the project. Take a much closer look at footers on these rides, and you will notice that many of them are not dead center on the concrete foundation. So, the footer can be off a couple centimeters without any issue. Another bonus, as anyone who has constructed anything large knows that steel is flexible. This becomes a benefit as a 3" error over 30' of track is only a 0.8% error correction. Certainly this is an error well within the range of safe calculations. And before anyone gets carried away, that same error over the complete length of the track would be more than compensated for by the many supports and joints throughout the course. Include all the laser measurements done before and during construction and this error becomes insignificant.

Yep. Look even closer and you'll notice that they go back in and fill the gap between footer and support at the attachment point with concrete. There's some tolerance there that can be at least a couple centimeters, from my observations.

Exactly what CP Maverick said. IIRC, I remember learning that Millennium Force's final connection piece was off by quite a few feet. Therefore, a lot of the supports had to be adjusted to make up for that.

Go Intamin said:

That's very true. In fact, I believe every coaster at CP, up until Raptor was designed using coaster slide rules.

Now I'm curious. When did computers become prevalent in coaster design?

In minutes of Internet research, I did come across an article by an Imagineer who designed Space Mountain and other "gravity rides", as he called them. At the time Space Mountain was being developed, the Disney company was just starting to use computers for animation control and business applications -- but computers at the time were slow and data was fed to the computer by inserting punch cards.

noggin said:

Go Intamin said:

That's very true. In fact, I believe every coaster at CP, up until Raptor was designed using coaster slide rules.

Now I'm curious. When did computers become prevalent in coaster design?

In minutes of Internet research, I did come across an article by an Imagineer who designed Space Mountain and other "gravity rides", as he called them. At the time Space Mountain was being developed, the Disney company was just starting to use computers for animation control and business applications -- but computers at the time were slow and data was fed to the computer by inserting punch cards.

As you said, I believe Disney was the first company to use computers. Then, I believe that B&M used them when they were with Giovanola to help Intamin, then it just bacame industry standard.

any guess what the date is of opening day?

Either May 7th or May 14th.

Tony confirmed May 7th!

I know the tunnel/splashdown idea is beating a dead horse at this point but I wonder if they'd consider adding a tunnel (a cheap one similar to those on Magnum and Millie or Leviathan) after the second drop. I can understand not wanting to add one after the first drop, it's right next to the midway and a tunnel might take away some of the excitement. The second one is a little farther from the midway, so I don't think people will be paying quite as much attention to it. It would be a great way to set up the second half.

Tony already said no tunnels during his last Periscope.

Ah, my bad. I did not watch it because I do not have nor want the app.