|
Carowinds has offered an update after the theme park in Charlotte, US, was forced to close down one of its rides after a support pillar completely cracked through.
Tom Anstey | Planet Attractions | 07 Jul 2023
Carowinds has offered an update after the theme park in Charlotte, US, was forced to close down one of its rides after a support pillar completely cracked through.
Fury 325 - a B&M hypercoaster - opened in 2015 and reaches a maximum height of 325 feet and speeds of up to 95 mph.
A visitor to the park noticed the damage, filming footage of a train going round the track and sharing it with park employees. The visitor’s report led to Carowinds shutting down the ride, averting any possible disaster.
In a statement, the operator said that the ride’s manufacturer identified that the fracture came across a weld line and that work is underway to remove and replace the existing column. An extensive set of safety tests are also planned.
The full statement reads:
“Carowinds today shared the following update on Fury 325 and its expected return to service:
Since July 1, the park’s maintenance team and representatives from the ride’s manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers Inc. (B&M), have conducted a thorough inspection of the entire track, support columns and foundation. In addition, and in partnership with B&M, we have performed a battery of tests to identify the cause of the fracture, which appears to have formed along a weld line in the steel column.
Working in close coordination with B&M, we are planning to remove and replace the existing support column. The new support column, which is being fabricated by B&M, is expected to be delivered to the park next week.
Following the installation of the new column, and as part of our normal protocol for rides such as Fury 325, we will conduct an extensive series of tests to ensure the safety and integrity of the coaster. These will include an accelerometer test that uses sensors to measure any variation in the ride experience. After that, we plan to operate the ride for 500 full cycles, performing tests and inspections of the entire ride throughout that period. Once this phase is completed, we will ask B&M and the third-party testing firm to perform a final inspection to ensure the ride exceeds all required specifications.
B&M is regarded as one of the premier ride manufacturers in the world, with an impeccable reputation for quality and engineering. It’s important to understand that rides like Fury 325 are designed with redundancies in place to ensure the safety of guests in the event of an issue such as this.
While we regularly inspect the coaster, we are planning to implement additional inspection procedures to ensure we are making every effort to promptly identify and address future potential issues. These new measures will include the regular use of drones outfitted with cameras to access and inspect hard-to-reach areas.
The safety of our guests and associates will always be Carowinds’ top priority. Once the new support column is in place and all testing and inspections have been completed, we will work with the North Carolina Department of Labor’s Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau to prepare Fury 325 for reopening. We will share an update on the reopening of the ride when a date has been finalised.”
Live
|
|
Storm surge: How Chimelong Spaceship’s award-winning and record-breaking Bermuda Storm was brought to life
|
