Not an engineer, but . . .

[Feta]

OK, I'm an educated dude (and a Disney addict as well). I read all these threads constantly. With all the recent 20K news and rumors, there's one thing I don't understand. People keep talking about how the land over the drained pool needs "time to settle" and that they must drain the pool slowly or it will collapse and flood the costume area. I know I'm not an engineer, but it seems like that pool filled with all that water would be pretty darn heavy. Wouldn't the land and the support for the pool have to be pretty sound already? Why would things weaken with lightening the load? Anyone have a good explanation?

 

[ONUpolarbears]

I'm not a civil engineer but I'm a mechanical who's taken fluids courses. I can't gurantee an answer...but if I had to guess....the walls of the ride could have been held up by the water pressure in the lagoon, so when the water is removed, there is no more water pressure on the inside walls, which would cause them to cave inwards.....just a guess but the best I can come up wtih right now.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Originally posted by PolarJim
I'm not a civil engineer but I'm a mechanical who's taken fluids courses. I can't gurantee an answer...but if I had to guess....the walls of the ride could have been held up by the water pressure in the lagoon, so when the water is removed, there is no more water pressure on the inside walls, which would cause them to cave inwards.....just a guess but the best I can come up wtih right now.

Correct. As it turns out, that hasn't been a major issue (although small chunks of "rock" have noticeably fallen off). However, they will have to wait a good deal of time for the ground to settle afterward, most likely a year, at least (that's the usual wait time, although Mission: SPACE didn't wait that long after Horizons was demolished).

 

[Centrifugeer]

Here's my speculation:

All that water is not only compressing the concrete foundation of the ride, but the layers of soil beneath it as well. As water is drained, the weight decreases and those soil layers decompress which places new stresses on the foundation of the ride and the tunnels beneath. New pathways for water flow form from existing leaks, and the water flow and changing stresses can create new cracks in the foundation/tunnel.

There are already leaks in the tunnel beneath 2K and have been for years. New leaks can form easily and it's better to allow those leaks to form slowly and be addressed as they occur than to have a major incident in the tunnels.

 

[Bill]

Once the lagoon is drained, the danger is gone, end of story. The soil will be removed oddly enough, then filled in. Foundations for a walkway will be added as well. They're not waiting any year on this... though they may wait a year to build the actual attraction there... Just a walkway for now. Maybe a meet & greet.

 

[Woody13]

The 20K myths continue......:lol:

 

[nikechic]

As a geotechnical engineer, I will post my thoughts soon.

*thinks how to put it into laymans term*

 

[Bill]

Originally posted by nikechic
As a geotechnical engineer, I will post my thoughts soon.

*thinks how to put it into laymans term*

So, you're basically gonna say we're all idiots...:lol:

 

[nikechic]

Originally posted by Bill
So, you're basically gonna say we're all idiots...:lol:

sure I will...if that is what you want.

 

[Bill]

Here's 11 bucks. *hands over a wad of Disney Dollars* Go buy a churro and leave me alone!:lol: I'm not an idiot!!!!:hammer:

 

[mkt]

Originally posted by Bill
I'm not an idiot!!!!:hammer:

reaaaaaaallly now Bill?

 

[ToTBellHop]

Oh, sorry, Bill. Forgot Disney is in such a hurry for that $600 million Harry Potter attraction they are just dying to get built in Fantasyland and want to build it on a future sinkhole

 

[WDWFREAK53]

Originally posted by ISTCNavigator57
Oh, sorry, Bill. Forgot Disney is in such a hurry for that $600 million Harry Potter attraction they are just dying to get built in Fantasyland and want to build it on a future sinkhole

seems like a sound investment to me :lol:

Hairy Pooper should NOT be in Fantasyland! (just wanted to start another one of THOSE drifts :lol: )

jk...back to the thread :wave:

 

[Lee]

Originally posted by Woody13
The 20K myths continue......:lol:

My favorite....tunnels UNDER the lagoon.

Uh-uh. Try NEXT TO the lagoon.

 

[Shaman]

Originally posted by Woody13
The 20K myths continue......:lol:

My thoughts exactly...although I'll admit all the engineering tidbits I've learned in this thread are interesting....

:lookaroun

 

[GoofMaul]

Originally posted by ISTCNavigator57
Oh, sorry, Bill. Forgot Disney is in such a hurry for that $600 million Harry Potter attraction they are just dying to get built in Fantasyland and want to build it on a future sinkhole

Eisner: Listen, lad. I've built this Harry Potter ride up from nothing. When I started here, all there was was the 20k leagues swamp. The engineers said I was daft to build a Harry Potter ride in a swamp, but I built it all the same, just to show 'em. It sank into the swamp. So, I built a second one. That sank into the swamp. So I built a third one. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp. But the fourth one stayed up. An' that's what your gonna ride, lad

Sorry couldn't resist the Monty Python reference that "sink hole" made me think of. :lol:

 

[BwanaBob]

Originally posted by WDWFREAK53
(just wanted to start another one of THOSE drifts :lol: )

:wave:

We could always start talking about Hockey !

 

[WDWFREAK53]

Originally posted by GoofMaul
Eisner: Listen, lad. I've built this Harry Potter ride up from nothing. When I started here, all there was was the 20k leagues swamp. The engineers said I was daft to build a Harry Potter ride in a swamp, but I built it all the same, just to show 'em. It sank into the swamp. So, I built a second one. That sank into the swamp. So I built a third one. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp. But the fourth one stayed up. An' that's what your gonna ride, lad

Sorry couldn't resist the Monty Python reference that "sink hole" made me think of. :lol:

Great reference :lol:

But Michael...she's got HUGE........TRACTS OF LAND!

Eisner: But I don't want land...I want...to...sing!

NO NO STOP IT There'll be NO singing here!

Eisner: Ok then father...then I just want to take people's money to line my pockets! :lookaroun

 

[se8472]

ok doing some none expert mapping in my head....I don't think 20k has any part of the tunnel under it.

some other CM can fill me in if I am wrong on this one.

 

[cloudboy]

They're talking about the secret submarine tunnel that leads out into the lagoon in case evil forces launch a water based attack and the Castle's Misile Defense System (CMDS) fails, they can send the nuclear submarines out to defend the Magic Kingdom!