Wicker Man Roller Coaster, Alton Towers Resort

Cahill Design Consultants was contracted by Alton Towers, Staffordshire, to offer acoustic and fire engineering support to their proposed Wicker Man Roller Coaster, to be located within the Alton Towers Resort.

The roller coaster is a large scale timber coaster with a two barrel rolls, a camelback and the first launch to be constructed on a wooden coaster. The coaster was is located centrally within the Alton Towers Resort.

CDC was contracted to ensure that sound impacts from the propose coaster were understood and mitigation incorporated into the design drawings. A wooden roller coaster has different challenges to a steel coaster in regards to sound, as the sound frequency content is different. In order to understand the potential impacts, a large amount of research was undertaken including extensive communication with the US based coaster manufacturer.

Extensive sound surveys were undertaken in the vicinity of Alton Towers, in order to understand the existing ambient noise levels around the Resort. Good levels of communication with the Local Authority were essential in order to establish an appropriate acoustic criteria and input on the survey locations. Extensive calculations and modelling was undertaken to understand the likely impact of sound from different parts of the coaster track to defined receivers. A number of alterations to the coaster design were proposed in order to minimise the effects of sound. These included a tunnel arrangement on the first drop and barriers strategically located throughout the ride.

Fire engineering support was provided throughout the design and construction period to ensure that the attraction was able to meet the requirements of Building Regulations.