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Carowinds Vortex is settling?


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"Something else with Vortex, it is built on one giant concrete slab. Unfortunately, it is still settling into the ground. The few days it was closed during this past summer was so they could raise and repair a few footers because that part of the ride's base had sunk into the ground a little more. In a few years, it should be almost done settling into the ground. That's something I found to be interesting."

I ran across this post on another forum(will link if need be) and a Google search turned up a post about Vortex sinking. First off, unless Carowinds removed part of Carolina Goldrusher, the odds of Vortex's footings being one giant slab is slim as Goldrusher runs under Vortex's first drop and lift. Also Vortex's first drop is below original ground level because it had to go under a Monorail. Furthermore more Vortex crosses over part of a pond.

I used to work at Carowinds and in my opinion this sounds like some of the sarcasm that a couple of Maintenance guys would tell me when I asked them questions they couldn't or shouldn't answer. Anyone got any inslight?

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Ride foundations are designed by structural engineers.  They design their footings based on information from a soils report, which is generated by taking soil core samples at various locations.  Core samples are where they take a slice of earth, a couple inches in diameter several feet (sometimes 20-50 feet) down, and analyze the composition of the soil.  They then produce a soil bearing capacity for the soil in that area, ie how much weight it can handle per square foot.  The structural engineer then designs the foundations based on that information.  That is not to say that some differential settling can occur, but the odds of that happening are not very high.

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Wow. The logic on that board is overwhelmingly...well...if you can't say anything nice, say nothing at all. I would love to know where all this "insider information" comes from.

 

Now, I am not doubting that a conversion to floorless is possible. But the reasoning sounds like something directly from some Facebook meme LOL.

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Cedar Fair had 4 stand up coasters in the chain during 2014. As of right now they have one, the only one left is Vortex at Carowinds. They sold the TOGO, and converted two of the three B&M's. Even without other information it seems obvious to me a conversion is very likely. Interviews with executives and comments at enthusiast events have also indicated additional conversions are being planned.

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