The roller coaster known as Kingda Ka was erected at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey in 2005. At the time, it was the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world. It also gave a memorable phallic feature to the landscape. But that was 20 years ago, and nothing lasts forever. The demolition of Kingda Ka was last month.
It came down exactly as planned, and not even a tree was injured. But when that tower hit the ground, every beam and strut just fell apart like they were toothpicks! This might give you the impression that the tower wasn't all that sturdy for the 19 years it was in operation. But it's better to assume that the experts who planned and carried out the demolition loosened those components before detonating the final explosion that brought it to earth. (via Boing Boing)
Tuesday, March 04, 2025
The Fall of Kingda Ka
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Gravity is a very powerful force. Are you aware that railroad cars are not solidly attached to their wheels, or that containers on board ship or on those trucks on the road are hle in place merely by a few pins? The weight of the containers or railroad cars is what holds them in place. Same with the turrets on battleships – which is why when the German battleship Bismarck rolled over and sank the four turrets fell away, leaving just gaping holes where they had been.
So, some of those pieces might not have been all that tightly fastened to begin with, since if it were a stiff, inflexible, rigid structure all the vibration of twenty years usage would have raised hell with it.
-"BB"-
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