Bush Gardens Roller Coaster Construction, Williamsburg, VA

During construction of a new roller coaster at Busch Gardens, A.B. CHANCE helical piles - with the added advantages of high-load capacity, power-installed anchoring speed, and convenience - were the engineering choice for the job.

Product

• Compression/Tension Piles
  A.B. CHANCE 278 material (2 7/8-inch round pipe)
  10/12/14 lead section advanced 25-35 ft.
• Tension-Only Piles
  A.B. CHANCE SS5 (1.5-in. square bar)
  10/12/14 lead section advanced 25-35 ft.

Advantage

• Small equipment (used to install the Helical Piles) easily maneuvered in deeply excavated pile caps.
• CHANCE was preferred over grouted anchors which require heavier equipment
• Rapid installation; no spoils.

Contractor

Waterfront Marine, Virginia Beach, VA - Certified installer of A.B. CHANCE products

Architect

Peckham Guyton, Albers & Viets Inc., St. Lewis, MO

Description

A.B. CHANCE Helical Piles were used to support the column lateral load concerns for this project. The design consisted of 23 piles used in the compression/tension applications, which specified 278 material (2 7/8 round pipe) which were filled with grout after installation; and 21 piles used in tension-only applications, which used SS5 material (1.5 in. square bar). All piles were installed at a 30-degree angle. Tension-only piles were tested to 200% of the 18 kip design load and locked off at 100% of the design load.