Jersey Devil Coaster - Now Open!

[Thunderbolt]

New ride reports and speculation are always fun!

[EasternThrills]

 

[XENITH]

On 4/5/2021 at 1:54 AM, XENITH said:

When preparing a concrete slab like this, it is important to first remove the material in the way to achieve the correct grade needed for the site. These slabs are usually completed as one of the last tasks on a construction site so that construction vehicles can still have access to various sectors of the site and so that the concrete is in good shape by the end of the project. Dirt has to be broken up and softened and then moved into place by tractors with rippers or Gannon boxes attached on their back ends. This properly levels the dirt and sifts through the material to eliminate any discrepancies. Gravel then goes in on top of this grade, which acts as an aggregate base. When mixed with water, this aggregate base, or AB for short, becomes really compact and essentially provides a buffer between the poured concrete and the subgrade if any discrepancies are present as material conditions fluctuate. This aggregate base also increases the distance over which the load is dispersed so that the point loads on the concrete are spread out over a larger area of the subgrade; this way, more of the subgrade can support these point loads. It is important that this aggregate base is installed accurately. If too much base is poured, the concrete will be too thin; if too little is poured, the concrete will be too thick. The concrete can finally be poured when the subgrade is in place, forms have been set, and rebar/wire mesh has been set. When the concrete is being poured, it is important that the paste of the concrete is brought to the top and that the rocks are pushed toward the bottom. However, it is important to retain the rocks in the concrete mixture as they are critical to the strength and abrasion resistance of the slab; think of it as extra reinforcement to the slab. Once the mud is in place, it can be screeded to its final elevation so that finishers can come along and make the slab look more presentable. Once the concrete is screeded and finished, soft cuts can be made into the slab for crack control. Concrete inevitably is going to crack with age and the continuous stress of live loads, so soft cuts that are about 20-25% of the thickness of the slab are made to control these cracks; the goal is that these cracks will form inside of the cuts rather than anywhere else on the slab, preventing cosmetic damage. After this, the concrete can settle and the slab is complete.

For the full details on concrete slab preparation, refer to the quote above.

 

Click here to view photos; I am not sure how to embed them.

Per these photos from @Matt Kaiser, crews look to be setting the aggregate base for the queue line. As we've previously discussed, the aggregate base more easily disperses point loads on the concrete and ensures that the thickness of the concrete is correct. This is a very promising sign, as this indicates that concrete for the queue will likely be poured over the weekend or early next week depending on when crews work. I'd like to cover some additional information regarding concrete pouring and what to expect in the coming days.

 

Before the pour can happen, crews must do what is referred to as "buttoning up." This is essentially a double-check around the pour site to ensure that the forms are stable, the rebar is in place, and the area is ready to endure a concrete pour. When pouring concrete, having a lot of workers present and helping is never a bad thing, as concrete pouring can sometimes be very stressful. When the concrete truck arrives on site and begins sending out concrete down the trough, we may see the use of pumps to reduce the need for unnecessary physical labor. Pumps reduce crew size, waste, and the number of times that you may need to send back a partial load if the pour inspector doesn't approve the set time (the time it takes for the concrete to mostly settle; that being said, concrete does not reach its full strength until about 25-28 days after the pour. With pumps, smaller aggregate (the rock/pebble material that retains the strength of the mixture) is needed so the mix can flow easily through the pump. Another tool known as a vibrator may also be used to reduce labor, as it consolidates the mix and allows for a cleaner finish at the face of the form. Jitterbugs may also be used to help bring the paste of the concrete up to the surface and submerge the aggregate lower into the pour.

 

The final concrete delivery of the day, known as the clean up load, may deliver concrete that is more stiff or dry (this is referred to as "low slump" concrete). Slump refers to the viscosity of the batch of the batch of concrete, which can be increased by adding water to the mix. Because the clean up load may consist of lower slump concrete, this concrete would ultimately dry sooner, as it has a lower cement to water ratio, which in turn strengthens the concrete. If you increase the amount of water in the mix in relation to the concrete, you will have concrete that is weaker in comparison to a lower ratio. Either way, water is needed in concrete so that it can easily flow out of the chute and onto the pour site. Sometimes, the client may specify a desired slump for their concrete (in inches) to ensure the mix is not too weak. Once the concrete is poured and begins to settle, finishing can begin in stages, which includes the soft cuts made for track control.

Edited April 9, 2021 by XENITH

[EasternThrills]

We will have a new JDC Behind The Adventure update from the park coming out tomorrow at 4pm!!  

[EasternThrills]

 

 

[EasternThrills]

[EasternThrills]

 

[RobertDavid]

On 4/9/2021 at 4:04 PM, EasternThrills said:

 

 

Really?! Another gray metal warehouse? The Jersey Devil lives in a gray metal warehouse?

[NKMM10893]

Maybe they’re adding thematic elements to the queue house.

[Medusa42]

Silverwood announced that Stunt Pilot opens on May 29th.

[EasternThrills]

New JDC Update featuring the ride’s blueprints!!

[EasternThrills]

Happy Thursday! Here is a photo of JDC I captured from the Skyway! 

[29yrswithaGApass]

That is a great picture!   Thanks for sharing .

[EasternThrills]

 

 

[jdc12192]

Love that the 2nd queue house runs right along side the bottom of the drop. Hoping it provides some amazing views! 

[EasternThrills]

20 minutes ago, jdc12192 said:

Love that the 2nd queue house runs right along side the bottom of the drop. Hoping it provides some amazing views! 

Same! Hopefully it’ll provide great views of the first drop and raven dive loop!

[Mr.Six]

Planned Signage, Queue Line and theming for Jersey Devil was released in the new “Behind the Adventure” construction update.

 

https://youtu.be/IY8LAFtbYA8

[joeyc98]

I know Six Flags usually trends on the minimalistic side of theming (usually no theming at all), so it makes me happy to see them put some effort into this. Also, love that they are reusing the El Diablo statue, but I think we all saw that coming.

[nbadude44]

I knew they would re-utilize the El Diablo statue! No way they would send something that cool to Quebec with the rest of the ride.

[Louisatsweetlou]

I really hope that they light the statue at night. Same with the sign: From the rendering, the sign will have one light but I hope that the logo is also lit well

[Nitr0o]

I know it's not much, but seeing some sort of theming is actually really nice, especially that Pine Barrens sign! Really cool

[ZachMan]

Damn the theming caught me by surprise, that's great. Classic Six Flags reusing the El Diablo statue lol

[EasternThrills]

I am very excited to see all of the theming and landscaping for Jersey Devil Coaster come together in the coming weeks! I am personally most excited for that Entry Portal!

[EasternThrills]

 

[EasternThrills]

Happy Tuesday Everyone!