01154364

Component

A passenger ropeway was planned and designed for the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona campus. The project fulfilled the requirements of a capstone senior design course in civil engineering for ten, supervised undergraduate students. The lift would take persons from a central campus location to an upper terminal adjacent Kellogg House, used for special events, and parking facility. The ropeway length and elevation change would be 500 m and 50 m, respectively. The ropeway would be an alternative to a circuitous and potentially hazardous walk either up or down the hill, although walkway improvements would supplement the project. A daily passenger demand of 5,820 persons was expected, with 10% riding during the peak hour. A low-cost system was preferred, so the team elected to use fixed-grip, two-person cabriolet (“open-air” gondola) carriers. A survey indicated equal preference for chairs and gondolas, but Kellogg House management preferred enclosed carriers. A total of 56 carriers would be needed, operating at a speed of 1.5 m/sec. A total of 49 similar, small-carrier ropeways exist worldwide, although only three are not purely recreational. Three intermediate towers would be needed to minimize cable sag. The alignment traverses bedrock overlain with conglomerate, so the footings could be facilitated with a high load-bearing pressure. The proximity of the San Andreas and numerous smaller faults places the proposed ropeway in seismic risk zone 4, the highest in the U.S. The ropeway would therefore need to be designed to withstand a high seismic shear force. The ropeway cost would be about $5.6 million, with an annual operating cost of $547,500. Funding might be obtained from transportation enhancement programs, student fees, and parking charges.

01147878

10-4058

English

14p

2010

Transportation Research Board 89th Annual Meeting

DVD

Maps; Photos; References (26) ; Tables (2)

Campus transportation; Civil engineering; Elevated guideways; Public transit; Rope, wire and cable; Special events; Specialized facilities; Walkways

California Polytechnic State University, Pomona

Lifts

Design; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; I20: Design and Planning of Transport Infrastructure

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2010 Paper #10-4058

TRIS, TRB

Jan 25 2010 12:05PM