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Fury 325 Closed - Support Fracture

I could be wrong here, and I’ll admit that I don’t have any evidence to back up this opinion other than my own inferences, but the fact that they’ve managed to fabricate a new support so quickly would suggest that the issue was not due to the original design of the support, as I’d assume that redesigning the support would have required a considerable lead time compared to manufacturing a clone of the existing support.

In my view, this would lend some credence to the theory of subsidence that was mentioned earlier in the thread. It would be a plausible explanation, as it would not be the first B&M to have supports replaced due to subsidence.
 
Matt N said:
I could be wrong here, and I’ll admit that I don’t have any evidence to back up this opinion other than my own inferences, but the fact that they’ve managed to fabricate a new support so quickly would suggest that the issue was not due to the original design of the support, as I’d assume that redesigning the support would have required a considerable lead time compared to manufacturing a clone of the existing support.

In my view, this would lend some credence to the theory of subsidence that was mentioned earlier in the thread. It would be a plausible explanation, as it would not be the first B&M to have supports replaced due to subsidence.
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While my experience is in an entirely different field (ships) we have had stuff fabricated with extremely quickly even with minor changes. The time to fabricate a pole (in our case a drop corer for sampling the seabed) or a pole 10cm longer with a different angle on the base plate are pretty much identical if you've got the right software/measuring equipment to specify the changes and can tell them exactly what you want.

On another note. Well done to carowinds for getting out ahead of this with a detailed post that explains things pretty well.
 
B&M supports, like almost any other coaster manufacturer designs them, are so stupid strong.

And like any coaster manufacturer they redundantly over design them on purpose. Think Hurricane Katrina, and the Batman ride at SFNO still sitting there like nothing ever happened to it. Even if a couple of the supports cracked on Fury, I wouldn't worry about any safety issues for riders. And that box spine with the track is so solid and flexes like it should. Yes, the GP blows it up for dramatics, we all know it's so overdone. But the ride itself will be fine.

However, not gonna lie, when I saw that first picture of the crack I literally did a "Woah" out load because I've never seen anything like that before. And the last place I'd expect to see it is on a B&M.

They'll fabricate a new piece, maybe put in other footers to reinforce the new one, the thing will run just the same.

Let's not kid ourselves...roller coasters are dangerous...the manufacturers do their best to make them as safe as possible but it's not out of the realm of reality for this kind of thing to happen.
 
I imagine they may just upgrade the specification on the weld, increase the radius by 20% or something, seen as that was the failure point. The rest of the support remains the same and Carowinds will improve their inspection routine to include checking the underside of support connections usually not visible from the track.
 
Nice statement from Carowind. They will improve the way they inspect the ride. Crarks in steel, especially welds are hard to see sometimes, but when they appear they never go away and just get bigger over time. I personally think the design is appropriate and the problem comes from manufacturing. For sure a lot of parks that own B&M hypers are probably inspecting their coasters thoroughly right now. Maintenance staff should spot those cracks before the public.
 
ricklap77 said:
Maintenance staff should spot those cracks before the public.
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There’s still a really high chance this crack formed instantly on a ride cycle, versus evolving/growing over time. Since it was on the support structure itself, versus a weld point or joint, it just took the right amount of “oomph” to force the crack.

Sadly reminiscent of the Ohio State Fair pendulum ride tragedy, where ride passed inspection same day, but had the arm rip off half mid-ride. Later analysis proved visual inspection would indeed pass, but smaller, internal hairline fractures were the cause, the likes of which only acoustic testing would be able to detect.

Bravo Carowinds for the well detailed press release and action plan.
 
Hyde said:
There’s still a really high chance this crack formed instantly on a ride cycle, versus evolving/growing over time. Since it was on the support structure itself, versus a weld point or joint, it just took the right amount of “oomph” to force the crack.

Sadly reminiscent of the Ohio State Fair pendulum ride tragedy, where ride passed inspection same day, but had the arm rip off half mid-ride. Later analysis proved visual inspection would indeed pass, but smaller, internal hairline fractures were the cause, the likes of which only acoustic testing would be able to detect.

Bravo Carowinds for the well detailed press release and action plan.
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I agree the crack we see probably happened immediately during a ride cycle, but there may have been damage internally to the support that was not externally visible prior.

Typically maintenance does a "cycle" of track inspection throughout a week in the morning, as soon as it hits daylight, literally track walking with a harness on, so you'd essentially split the coaster into 7 parts. Each day a section gets inspected, and it's based off the numbered supports. So if a track has 150 supports, you'd inspect a section from support 1 to 22 on Monday, 23 to 45 on Tuesday, etc and log it with the maintenance team. By Sunday the entire ride has been track walked and inspected.

We used to have a chemical that we'd carry with us, and squeeze on the support connection to the the spine, the spine to the crossties, or the crossties to the track. And if we saw something that resembled a crack where the welds were, it would bubble if there was indeed a crack showing air was getting through. Then the welders would come in that morning for repair, or the next day depending on staffing or how busy they were, cycle the ride a few times, check it again, then open it.

But the supports themselves are another story, especially where this one gave, those would typically just be visually inspected. So it is completely possible that section of track was on schedule to be inspected in a couple days, and it would have been caught then. Unfortunately (or fortunately, for safety concerns) the GP saw it first and it's caused this whole uproar for dramatics.
 
I don't know if it's just me but steel roller coasters are getting bigger and bigger and I find it scary to think what shape they are going to be like in some 40years!? They are getting higher so it is probably harder to inspect thoroughly. Maybe we have pushed close to the limits in terms of durability and safety. Even RMC coasters seem to be pushed to some extremes. There is so much swaying in the structure (yes I know it has to sway), but I mean often a lot of swaying means parts loosening so extra care from the maintenance department is required. For sure all gigas will be inspected diffferently now as this problem can occur again. Thankfully no one was injurred and although rides are overbuilt extra stress was applied to the coaster track where the support was cracked so that section will need attention.
 
ricklap77 said:
I don't know if it's just me but steel roller coasters are getting bigger and bigger and I find it scary to think what shape they are going to be like in some 40years!? They are getting higher so it is probably harder to inspect thoroughly. Maybe we have pushed close to the limits in terms of durability and safety. Even RMC coasters seem to be pushed to some extremes. There is so much swaying in the structure (yes I know it has to sway), but I mean often a lot of swaying means parts loosening so extra care from the maintenance department is required. For sure all gigas will be inspected diffferently now as this problem can occur again. Thankfully no one was injurred and although rides are overbuilt extra stress was applied to the coaster track where the support was cracked so that section will need attention.
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  1. Swaying is actually critical to smart infrastructure buildout; having give allows the structure to better grapple, spreadout, and grapple with forces, rather than have the forces focused on any one, specific failure point. You see this in all dynamic structures, such as bridges, skyscrapers, etc.
  2. For what we do as steel structures age: we either tear them down or retrack them. It is, after all, the first decade of RMC's entire business strategy. For B&M, see:
    1. Nemesis - https://coasterforce.com/forums/thr...s-b-m-retrack-2024.45333/page-27#post-1156921
    2. Incredible Hulk - https://coasterforce.com/forums/threads/universal-ioa-incredible-hulk-b-m-retrack.39257/
 
As an engineer (in a different industry) I would look at this as an isolated incident. Cracks are a relatively common occurance in this industry but we are talking hair line minor cracking on older pieces of hardware that is usually discovered with NDT methods before its even visible to the naked eye. For a complete crack on a 2015 ride it is down to two possibilities, incomplete or poor welding on the original support or the support installed under stress due to incorrectly placed footers. There is a tolerance but I wouldn't imagine it's much. Or the same issue of footer deviation but from ground related movement. If you look at some earlier pictures you can see a crack starting where the diagonal section is welded to the main part. Which makes me suspect possibly incomplete or poor welding. The cut out for the diagonal piece is significantly reduced in strength until the adjoining piece has been welded in.
 
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Update ; https://www.carowinds.com/blog/media-center/official-statement-fury-325

July 12, 2023

Carowinds is currently in the process of removing the existing support column and replacing it with a new steel column fabricated by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), the ride manufacturer. This replacement requires meticulous preparation and detailed execution.

This afternoon, on July 12, cranes will be assembled to securely hold and position the track element of the coaster while removing the components of the existing column. Hydraulic jacks will assist in lifting the column out of its foundation. Once successfully removed, the column will be carefully transported to a secured backstage area of the park. Grout pockets will undergo thorough cleaning to prepare for the installation of the new column.

On Thursday, July 13, the new support column, along with hardware from B&M, will be delivered. Our skilled associates will diligently install the column, ensuring precise alignment and securely fastening the track/column connection. Following the completion of the column installation, an as-built survey will be conducted to accurately determine the elevations of the base plate.

Every step of the process, from material delivery to installation, will be carefully monitored and adjusted as necessary to uphold the integrity of the structure. Carowinds is fully committed to ensuring a seamless transition and maintaining the highest standards of safety and precision throughout the project.

Once the installation is complete, as part of our standard safety protocol, a comprehensive series of tests will be conducted to ensure the coaster's safety and integrity. 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.

Subsequently, we will collaborate with the North Carolina Department of Labor's Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau to prepare Fury 325 for reopening. We will provide an update regarding the reopening date of the ride once it has been finalized.”
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Apparently they've completed the 500 test runs, so I guess now it's just a matter of how long it takes for B&M and the local government to sign off on it before it opens.

Crazy that we've gone from being sure we weren't going to get on it by August 10th, to it looking like it could open on July!
 
Fury began testing for a bit, but doesn’t look like we’re out of the woods yet.

The media was tipped off about a possible second crack, and state officials have come out to confirm that a “weld indentation” had been discovered (quote-on-quote, “either a break or crack”);
www.wsoctv.com

Channel 9 confirms second break in Carowinds’ Fury 325

Is there another crack on Fury 325?
www.wsoctv.com www.wsoctv.com

As for Carowinds, they’ve refused to directly confirm or deny that a second crack has been discovered, but have released the following statement;
C9A11DA1-1E98-492A-AF4F-CD7AC9A8BC04.jpeg
Source
 
TPoseOnTantrum said:
state officials have come out to confirm that a “weld indentation” had been discovered (quote-on-quote, “either a break or crack”);
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It says "weld indication" which means something has been picked up during some non-destructive testing of a weld, most likely a surface crack which would be invisible to the naked eye but could grow in the future to become an issue. I would expect it can be ground-out and re-welded.
 
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