Almost anywhere you go you can find a community that has, as a centerpiece,
a golf course. The homes are built all around the golf course. Why not
build a bunch of homes around a *H*U*G*E* parking lot and have an
"autocross" community?????
in HIS grace thru Jesus,
Don
>From: Reijo Silvennoinen <rase@istar.ca>
>Reply-To: Reijo Silvennoinen <rase@istar.ca>
>To: dg50@daimlerchrysler.com
>CC: autox@autox.team.net
>Subject: Re: Any Civil Engineers in the House?
>Date: Tue, 03 Oct 2000 20:52:29 -0600
>
>dg50@daimlerchrysler.com wrote:
>
> > But a back-of-the-napkin calculation says that a 200'X200' pad, at a
>depth
> > of 4", works out to roughly 40 cubic yards of concrete. At roughly 10
>cubic
> > yards of concrete per truckload, and roughly $100 per truckload, then
>that
> > pad costs $4000. Still not chump change, but a 200 sqft pad is a decent
> > sized skidpad....
>
>I just happen to be a civil engineer (although I keep hearing there are no
>such
>critters... ;^) ).
>
>First step, throw out the napkin. Concrete is in excess of $100 per cu. m.
>(as
>of over 5 years ago).....varies with location....I'd guess around $120/cu.
>m.
>CDN actually. A truck has something like 7 cu. m. in it......$900-1,000
>per
>truck CDN. might be closer as an estimate. A truck load of fill might cost
>a
>little over $100 provided it is not trucked very far.
>
> > I'm thinking
> > that's large enough to run a pretty decent sized autocross course on....
> > and it's WAY cheaper than I thought.
>
>Too good to be true, isn't it? ;^)
>
> > And I bet paving with asphalt is even
> > cheaper per square foot.
>
>Not much. Note that asphalt stands up to salt a little better than
>concrete
>(concrete is porous, did you know?).
>
> > All of a sudden, the idea of building a dedicated autocross facility
> > doesn't seem quite so far-fetched. I had always figured an initial price
>in
> > the millions, not the tens of thousands. Can building a facility
>*really*
> > be cheaper than buying a Dynojet?
>
>haha...millions just may be correct! As others have already mentioned, the
>concrete or asphalt is a fraction of the cost. It needs a good base or
>else it
>will fall apart quite quickly.
>
>That means a soils report/investigation by prof. soils engineers, a storm
>drainage study/design and incorporation of storm drainage retention ponds
>or
>some other such thing (again by specialized engineers in storm design),
>transportation/traffic studies (transportation engineers), design of the
>sub-base, base etc. etc. etc.......all by professional engineers, landscape
>architects, etc. etc. etc.
>
>Once the design parameters are on paper (professionally produced and
>stamped
>drawings), you can rest assured that you will require huge equipment (take
>a
>look next time when you pass a road construction zone or subdivision under
>construction as an example) for earth moving, compaction, removal (poor
>soils
>and topsoil) of fill, importation of engineered fill, soils testing,
>asphalt/concrete testing, general engineering inspection.
>
>Oh, and by the way, what about zoning? And ask the neighbours what they
>might
>think (usually a part of the development permit procedure) about an
>autocross
>facility next door? Maybe the extra traffic generated cannot be handled by
>the
>road.... Maybe the local gov't authorities want you to provide some green
>space and perhaps even some additional development outside your property at
>YOUR expense (such as extensions of existing water/sewer lines, upgrading
>of
>roads etc.).
>
>Trust me there is much more.......and I won't even get into the issues
>involved
>if there should be any running water (stream/river/body of water) on the
>property or the land is an agricultural reserve of some sort. And, you
>might
>even go through the entire design process and not get approval to proceed.
>
>Feeling overwhelmed yet? You should be! ;^) Chances are you will not be
>allowed to break the ground.
>
>Our office has just recently designed a new kart track (1.1 km. - 9 meters
>wide
>track) and even with volunteer labour and a good price (paving/earthwork
>co.
>owned by a racer) they are still looking at something in the vicinity of a
>$1/4
>Million not including the land (leased land).....provided it is approved by
>the
>various local authorities affected by the development.
>
>However, I've sometimes thought that the local club (Calgary Sports Car
>Club)
>could sell it's clubhouse (yep, bought and paid for - the city is quickly
>encroaching) and buy some land just as you are proposing and build a huge
>honkin' paved lot! - still think it is a great idea although controversial
>locally due to sentiments/history tied up in the clubhouse. Of course,
>some
>facility like that would have to be far away from any concentrated
>development
>to be "cheap". For instance, an old abandoned WWII airport used for
>training
>might be possible to obtain.....but the cost will be significant. It might
>have a decent base on which to place new asphalt or concrete after removing
>the
>existing runway (one south of Calgary is too broken up to be used by
>us.....10
>years ago.).
>
>That's enough for now and then some I think... ;^)
>
>Later,
>Reijo
>
>--
>Reijo Silvennoinen, CSCC Nat'l Event Rep.
>Calgary, Alberta
>Calgary Sports Car Club (CSCC) web site:
>http://www.cscc.ab.ca
>Canadian National Autoslalom Championship (CNAC) list:
>http://www.onelist.com/links/solocanada
>CNAC Web Site: http://CNAC2000.erc.bc.ca/
>
>
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