Sunday River Lift Falls Over

[Stormchaser]

Why would you spend the $$ to put in a brand new triple instead of a quad? Is it an insurance requirement to replace "like kind"? Is it they are going to re-use the towers and they can't take the load of the added weight?

Engineers recently identified concrete grout failure as the cause of the detachment and determined that damage from the event warranted replacing the entire lift.

Doubtful they are going to re-use towers or foundations if they state they are replacing the "entire" lift, especially if "concrete grout failure" was the cause, then would you trust the old foundations? Or would the old foundations actually be insurable?

Top station foundation was under tension load, and towers are likely all compression loaded. Grouted tower foundations wouldn't be subject to same type of failure unless you had uplift forces on the towers.

[Big Bob]

I have never encountered a stupid long line at that lift, so capacity may not be required. They may also be by passing a permitting delay by replacing "inkind"

[ME2VTSkier]

Top station foundation was under tension load, and towers are likely all compression loaded. Grouted tower foundations wouldn't be subject to same type of failure unless you had uplift forces on the towers.

Wind loads perpendicular to the lift line?

[steamboat1]

$2.1M sounds like a very favorable price for a new install.

[machski]

Why would you spend the $$ to put in a brand new triple instead of a quad? Is it an insurance requirement to replace "like kind"? Is it they are going to re-use the towers and they can't take the load of the added weight?

Engineers recently identified concrete grout failure as the cause of the detachment and determined that damage from the event warranted replacing the entire lift.

Doubtful they are going to re-use towers or foundations if they state they are replacing the "entire" lift, especially if "concrete grout failure" was the cause, then would you trust the old foundations? Or would the old foundations actually be insurable?

Why a triple? Likely for many reasons, one is to not increase capacity too much. The other is Spruce got a brand new carpet loader two years ago so they may be reusing that and it is designed only for a triple.

As to the towers and footings, they may very well be reusing. In the press release they also note they are changing out Locke's top terminal due to simar design and age. So they have equated both lifts together but the only change needed for Locke is a top return station. Put a new cross arm,sheaves and lift frame from Dopp on the old Borvig towers and vast majority of skiers wouldn't notice tower tubes are not new. I expect a few new towers/footings, especially at the hold down tower by the 3 mile trail cross, but my money is many will be reused if Dopp finds them sound.

[Big Bob]

I am sure that CNL/Boyne are considered to be very large customers for lifts in the US market. Dopp is a huge worldwide manufacture and it was good business sense to accommodate them without raping them on price. At this point in the lift construction season, the factories either have completed or are winding down on the component manufacturing and will have time to build the components. Boyne may be using in house labor, possibly pulling people from Loon and Sugarloaf to help with the removal and construction of the new lift.

As far as how fast did the lift fall over, based on the conclusion that it was grout failure I would say it happened rapidly. Cementus materials are ceramic in nature and are not very ductile, they snap. If the steel rebar was the cause of the failure, it would of been slow at first and then, bang!

[Andrew B.]

Glad to see that the REIT arrangement wasn't too much of a hindrance.
now for that new South Ridge chair.......

[rogman]

Took more than a month to get a quote. Still no schedule. I'm supposed to be impressed?

As for the SRT, at least it was removed BEFORE it fell over. That Nyberg was an idiot and didn't replace it is another story. That POWDR continues to drag their feet on it is depressing.

[Mister Moose]

Not gonna happen this season.

And the 1st tower downhill from the failed upper terminal did take a slight impact from the cable backlash....





The Locke upper terminal is completely removed except for the old footing.

[Big Bob]

Full story here. Sounds like it was not Dopps fault.

http://sundayriver.com/news" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Dickc]

Full story here. Sounds like it was not Dopps fault.

http://sundayriver.com/news" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My guess is it will not start happening until they have they insurance check in hand. You know insurance companies!!!!

[machski]

I'm sure the CNL mess made this more difficult, but a timeline for a complete new install this year was overly ambitious to begin with. Sounds like all the existing towers will be removed which means all new towers need to be engineered and fabricated. They don't just have this stuff on the shelf waiting to go. And as SR notes, had they gone with an install, it would have happened through the season likely limiting traffic on Lazy River and 3 Mile for much of it which makes moving around the resort a royal PIA! So, I'll take this option gladly for the year.

[skiadikt]

surprised they're replacing it with another triple.

[rogman]

surprised they're replacing it with another triple.

1. It may finesse some permitting issues.
2. They just spent a lot of money on a carpet loader for that lift.
That said, I agree with you. Best long term solution would be to put in a new HSQ. Turns the whole thing into a "win", as opposed to just treading water. However CNL is trying to sell the place, they probably want to minimize any cap-ex, since they won't get 100% on the dollar at this point.