Are you two the same person??? :lol:
Maybe they're preparing for the 9th anniversary, in 11 days. Or maybe they're just following recommendations from OSHA/NTSB that we never heard about, suggesting that they better protect the pylons.
:shrug:
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Mysterious Monorail Work
- Thread starter Tom
- Start date
Are you two the same person??? :lol:
Maybe they're preparing for the 9th anniversary, in 11 days. Or maybe they're just following recommendations from OSHA/NTSB that we never heard about, suggesting that they better protect the pylons.
:shrug:
NewfieFan
Well-Known Member
Great work and information!
That's why I love this site some days!
I would agree. As soon as I looked at your maps (great work by the way) the first thing that appeared in my head were crash barriers.
I just WISH that had been what popped in my head, but I never really got a chance to see them all at once until I posted the pics on here :lol:
I guess they're not concerned with trams around the TTC, since there are still exposed pylons in that open space SW of the TTC, between it and the Poly. Perhaps phase 2.
nolatron
Well-Known Member
I'm thinking this is based on either OSHA/NTSB or just internal recommendations to increase the pylon/beam protection to prevent another major catastrophe.
If it was 9/11 related I would have to think this work would've been done years ago.
I'm just surprised these pylons have gone this long without any crash protection.
Phase 2 sounds reasonable. Also I think the trams would be considered rather low risk and protection from them would fall to a lower priority. They are driven at slow speeds on dedicated routes. The only way I could realistically see one hitting a pylon would be if they had to dodge a guest or if the driver passed out at the wheel.
Guest and CM driven cars are another matter entirely. Quite honestly I am surprised that a car has never hit one of these things in the last 39 years.
GymLeaderPhil
Well-Known Member
This could also be related to the reworking of the toll booths and roadways in the Magic Kingdom area.
Well, a few of them may be attributed to that, but since they're being worked on down in Epcot too, it seems most likely that they're just "beefing up" the pylons that are around active guest/CM traffic for the sake of safety.
Foolish Mortal
Well-Known Member
Interseting read and photos. Disney higher up's must read these boards and think "what a bunch of geeks talking about and puttting up pictures of monorail work". :lol:
RunnerEd
Well-Known Member
Putting in the permanent "Jersey Barriers" or "K-rails" not only would protect the monorail beam supports, they are designed to keep the coliding vehicle from hitting whatever is being protected head on by deflecting it. This could not only protect the monorail system but also the occupants of the vehicle.
Mr.EPCOT
Active Member
And if they poured them in a circle (ring) around each pylon, they'd not only look a tiny bit nicer than a standard Jersey Barrier (rather than being just a box), but they'd deflect the cars to the side even more so, AND be able to absorb more impact before failing (since arches/circles/arcs/parabolas are stronger than any other shape)!
Thanks Steve!
Glasgow
Well-Known Member
It might be more economical to put in a circular concrete barrier but I'd think from a strength perspective the individual steel posts are probably just as strong (if not stronger) and much easier to replace (individual posts vs. solid concrete barrier). I could be way off on the strength thing though -- I know concrete walls are mighty sturdy and also help to distribute the load of a collision.
Regardless, nice work EdwardTC!! Interesting read.
Regardless, nice work EdwardTC!! Interesting read.
You're right that the posts (called bollards) are much cheaper to install and replace.
They can look nicer too, since you can slide colored plastic sleeves over them so they don't look like steel pipes filled with concrete (which is what they are). You can see the red PVC sleeves in the Epcot photos above. McDonalds has also been putting yellow PVC sleeves over their bollards at drive-thrus, which makes them look a lot nicer.
The ones they have around the Epcot pylons now are tiny and wouldn't withstand much more than 5 or 10 mph. Maybe they'll re-use those locations and install 6" or 8" diameter steel pipes, sunk about 3' into the ground, completely encased in concrete below grade, and filled with concrete above grade. Then top it off with a PVC sleeve colored to fit the environment.
Agreed. While most of them are in parking lots, and it would be unlikely for them to be struck by a vehicle moving more than 10-15mph (not impossible, unlikely), there are a number of them near "highways" and interchanges, where speeds are high and so is the risk of losing control of a vehicle.
The red bollards seen in the Epcot lot photos are definitely enough to prevent someone from damaging the pylon if they were just casually driving through the lot at a reasonable "parking lot" speed - but they wouldn't do any good if someone was speeding through the lot wrecklessly.
Rather than assess the risk for each pylon, they've probably just decided to protect all pylons that are within so many feet of vehicular traffic. Heck, the one at the Contemporary is outside the parking lot, and near the waterway, but someone could accelerate right into it if they didn't know how to operate their car (like the old ladies who routinely drive into shopping centers around here).