Physics, engineering and tall structures

Here's a chance for the engineers to show off a little...

You have a 310 foot structure that is perhaps 15 feet wide (I'm guesstimating).

What are the mechanical guidelines for assuring lateral stability?

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Duane Cahill
http://www.nittanylions.com

There wouldn't be much lateral stress on the structure except for wind. Even then there is very little wind resistance because the structure is so open. There really isn't a problem with lateral stresses.

I don't know if this answers your question but I think that becasue the towers are themselves trusees that will help brace some of hte lateral loading, also, The towers are flared at the bottom on the taller ones, , this helps in incresing the foot print of that tower, and provides more triangulation and the base where the moment of the the lateral forces will be the strongest. And because the tracl itself is a truss, it shuld help hold the towers in place, think of the track as a bridge and the supports as well, the supports. The only other lateral force i can think of at the moment would be earthquake.

Now the question is what structural provisions have been taken to prevent it from sinking. or something *** This post was edit by Bob Dole on 12/3/99. ***

Bob Dole says that Bob Dole dont know if these are the answers to those questions! (Sorry couldnt resist that after the Saturday Night Live skits about Bob Dole
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Likes her coasters like her men, fast and furious!

I am new to this site, but tend on being a entity of it. Lateral Stress on the coaster: If we think that its going to be 15feet across: Track, car, and whatnot, we have to think about the Stress's that are appointed on the concrete base enforcements. These must be huge and drilled into a deep hole, we would have to think around 25-35 feet of cement and iron. These are the backbone to liberty of the coaster. The braces look pretty simple, regular reenforced pop bottles. I am not really intuned with the logistics of the law that surrounds the lateral stress. Thats it for now.