Propeller Factory Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 So every year a new roller coaster gets built, in the plot of land it gets built there's a trend to them building it. First they remove the dirt and trees and stuff, and then they put down the footers, then the track etc... But my question is how do they get the footers in the 100% precise range to lay down a piece of track that was made on a computer in a factory?!? It just blows my mind like how does that process work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heth Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 So every year a new roller coaster gets built, in the plot of land it gets built there's a trend to them building it. First they remove the dirt and trees and stuff, and then they put down the footers, then the track etc... But my question is how do they get the footers in the 100% precise range to lay down a piece of track that was made on a computer in a factory?!? It just blows my mind like how does that process work? I'd imagine it's the same way that most buildings or structures are located on site. The use of various forms of measuring equipment for levels, distance and heights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanks4me05 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 They probably use either use global latitude/longitude coordinates or they make up their own local coordinate system for the build site to use more convenient numbers, survey the area, mark the right places and then carefully dig the holes and put in the reinforced concrete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerstlaueringvar Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 I remember there's some equipment using laser to make sure things are in their place. Maybe they use it in pouring roller coaster footers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sf-Dad Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Do you know any Boy Scouts? Talk to them and see if any are interested in taking the Surveying Merit Badge. You could probably tag along. There are plenty of professionals that are willing to donate their time and expertise to help inspire young minds. Best of all you can get some quality hands on experience for very little or no cost. If that kind of stuff interests you there are tons of other Merit Badges you can peruse and get a great introduction to a wide variety fields from engineering to game design to inventing. Go to meritbadge.org for a complete list and description. In answer to you question, much the same way they start building a tunnel from two sides of a mountain and meet in the middle only an inch off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricGarbo Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 You're right, it is pretty amazing. How you hugged a civil engineer lately? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hydra Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 First a bunch of us nerds get on google maps and take screen shots of the area... we then draw lines all over the image representing where the track will go. Next we use a super high-tech simulation, such as RCT3 or even better NL2, to put these squiggly lines into a 3D world. Its a very demanding job, but the results are phenomenal . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerstlaueringvar Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 ^ Is there a better way if you are not in the industry? These tools are all very useful(except for RCT) even though they are not very accurate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hydra Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Its all very technical...I cant give away our trade secrets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPSFMMCW Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Do you know any Boy Scouts? Talk to them and see if any are interested in taking the Surveying Merit Badge. You could probably tag along. There are plenty of professionals that are willing to donate their time and expertise to help inspire young minds. Best of all you can get some quality hands on experience for very little or no cost. If that kind of stuff interests you there are tons of other Merit Badges you can peruse and get a great introduction to a wide variety fields from engineering to game design to inventing. Go to meritbadge.org for a complete list and description. Eagle Scout here! Woo, Represent!! Unfortunately though, I never took the surveying merit badge, so I wish I could help by saying some of my own thoughts, but sadly I'm not much use in this area... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPDave Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 They just use standard surveying equipment. Theodolites or total stations, prisms, and levels. Very basic in theory but difficult to master! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyRCT3 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 So every year a new roller coaster gets built, in the plot of land it gets built there's a trend to them building it. First they remove the dirt and trees and stuff, and then they put down the footers, then the track etc... But my question is how do they get the footers in the 100% precise range to lay down a piece of track that was made on a computer in a factory?!? It just blows my mind like how does that process work? The same way anything is built. Plotting footers for a roller coaster isn't much different from plotting footers for a highway bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halltd Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Except they're actually called footings and not footers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coastercrazy216 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 ^ In this industry, they are generally referred to as "footers" by both the enthusiast community and the actual industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halltd Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 ^ On the internet, sure. I know people use "footer" all the time, but it's not right. Construction is construction; it doesn't matter if it's for a deck at your house or a roller coaster. It's still a footing. I know people will continue to call it "footer" until the end of time, but just thought I'd let everyone know the proper term is footing. Check any construction book or even Wikipedia. FOOTING Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xChris125x Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 The video may be dated, but the construction process is nearly unchanged. Keep in mind every site/project is different and has its own unique issues and obstacles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyRCT3 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 ^ On the internet, sure. I know people use "footer" all the time, but it's not right. Construction is construction; it doesn't matter if it's for a deck at your house or a roller coaster. It's still a footing. I know people will continue to call it "footer" until the end of time, but just thought I'd let everyone know the proper term is footing. Check any construction book or even Wikipedia. FOOTING Tomato, tamata. This argument is rather pointless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Propeller Factory Posted July 29, 2014 Author Share Posted July 29, 2014 That was a really cool video thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshuadrooney Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 I've wondered recently, how deep do most coaster footers go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyRCT3 Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 It's mostly dependent on what type of earth the site has and the load the footer will bear. This can range anywhere from a few to hundreds of feet. X-Flight @ SFGAM has footers that range from 30-77 feet deep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshuadrooney Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 It's mostly dependent on what type of earth the site has and the load the footer will bear. This can range anywhere from a few to hundreds of feet. X-Flight @ SFGAM has footers that range from 30-77 feet deep. That actually makes sense, thanks for the answer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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