Orlando News: 400-ft Giant wheel to be built on I-Drive

[ChrisFL]

Part of the article is here:

http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2007/07/02/story3.html

It's the same company that built the slightly bigger "London Eye", it will hold over 900 guests in separate, air conditioned pods (16 guests fit into each one) and should be done by 2009.

The article stated it would be built just south of the Convention Center so Im thinking near Sea World.

This will be quite interesting when it opens, Im sure the views will be awesome of the fireworks at the parks too!

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Hmmmm. London doesn't have daily afternoon thunderstorms in summer nor do they have hurricanes. This should be interesting!! Thanks for sharing.

BobK/Orlando

 

[adabob]

sounds cool

 

[ChrisFL]

Hmmmm. London doesn't have daily afternoon thunderstorms in summer nor do they have hurricanes. This should be interesting!! Thanks for sharing.

BobK/Orlando

Yes, it will...Hurricanes I dont know about the pods but the structure itself would probably be ok, since it's practically open in the entire structure, wind could blow through without much problem (HOWEVER, it would be interesting to see what the wind does once it goes past, how would the airflow be affected)

 

[G8RFAN]

Hmmmm. London doesn't have daily afternoon thunderstorms in summer nor do they have hurricanes. This should be interesting!! Thanks for sharing.

BobK/Orlando

I may not be a structural engineer, but I think if it were built to the same degree at the London Eye, it would be just fine. We rode the eye, and except for the British Airways colored paint peeling away from the original base color, DW and I were amazed at the design. The open design as ChrisFL mentioned, plus the fact that the hoop is really is a unitized steel structure that is all welded and not bolted together, should be enough to handle any hurricane wind load. If you think about how much load bicycle wheel actually handles, only a massive pothole or giant stick is going to bring it down.

 

[ConcKahuna]

One of the issues I can see is Florida's ground. It's very soft, and that makes building large structures very difficult. The main problem: things settle.

And if it's south of I-Drive, maybe it's going into FunSpot?

 

[Jason71]

And if it's south of I-Drive, maybe it's going into FunSpot?

South of the Convention Center, but still on I-Drive--puts it far away from Fun Spot, relatively speaking. Screamscape suggested it might go somewhere on or near Westwood Blvd., which would put it a block up from Sea World. I live and work on Westwood, tho, and not sure where it might fit.

Only in Orlando...a 400-foot ferris wheel may be built just blocks from where I live, and I just treat it matter-of-factly, like a new Walgreens or something.

 

[EUROPACL]

One of the issues I can see is Florida's ground. It's very soft, and that makes building large structures very difficult. The main problem: things settle.

I wonder how much the Contemporary Resort weighs? How about IOA?

What about this thing??? Got to be pretty big and heavy....

 

[2Xited4Disney]

I wonder how much the Contemporary Resort weighs? How about IOA?

What about this thing??? Got to be pretty big and heavy....
]

And the Contemporary Resort has settled... so whats your point?

 

[EUROPACL]

And the Contemporary Resort has settled...

...and what happened? I live in SC and my house has settled. What is the problem? The Contemporary didn't fall down...Magic Kingdom is not in a giant sinkhole (excluding Disney Management). They pay engineers big bucks so these issues get taken care of. "Soft Ground" aside plenty of very large and heavy objects are still standing in Flordia.

 

[doconeill]

Well, some things at Disney do just sink into the ground...look up why there is no Venetian Resort...

 

[schmitty]

...and what happened? I live in SC and my house has settled. What is the problem? The Contemporary didn't fall down...Magic Kingdom is not in a giant sinkhole (excluding Disney Management). They pay engineers big bucks so these issues get taken care of. "Soft Ground" aside plenty of very large and heavy objects are still standing in Flordia.

A bridge in ST Petersburg collapsed 2 times while it was being built.

 

[ChrisFL]

A bridge in ST Petersburg collapsed 2 times while it was being built.

Do you mean near Clearwater Beach? That was due to really bad construction by the company more than the foundation issue IIRC

 

[schmitty]

Do you mean near Clearwater Beach? That was due to really bad construction by the company more than the foundation issue IIRC

Yeah I meant there. I thought it was because it sank in the ground so much.

 

[ChrisFL]

Yeah I meant there. I thought it was because it sank in the ground so much.

No, they also had an overpass in Tampa that collapsed during construction because they weren't following code, doing half of the support work necessary to keep the bridge up, so parts of it fell...scary stuff.

 

[EUROPACL]

Yeah I meant there. I thought it was because it sank in the ground so much.

Even if the bridge fell due to "soft ground"...I don't see this company calling up those same engineers to build their wheel....you know with those poor design skills and all.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

No, they also had an overpass in Tampa that collapsed during construction because they weren't following code, doing half of the support work necessary to keep the bridge up, so parts of it fell...scary stuff.

Chris is referring to the elevated express lanes that were being built on TOLL 618 (Selmon Crosstown Expressway) a couple years ago. But it was completed and running quite nicely; drove on it last week.

BobK/Orlando