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ALL GO-KARTS TRACK SYSTEMS NEED ON-GOING ATTENTION!
By Peter Olesen, P.E.

They Are Not To Be Built and Forgotten—
Keeping tracks in good condition is important for both indoor and outdoor. They represent one of the prime visual images the facility presents to its guest. It would be nice to say that modern track design results in a facility that needs no ongoing maintenance operations. This is not possible for many reasons. Some are part of the nature of materials, impact of weather and other naturally occurring circumstances. Other reasons include poor design, construction methods and lack of proper maintenance. The items listed below identify some of the circumstances that can be improved by the track operator to reduce long term costs.

Steel/Automobile Tire Track Barrier Systems—
Tires suffer damage with repeated impacts on the barrier system. His can be in the form of sidewall failures, ripped connections to the rail, curb or reinforcing rods or the tire completely ripping in half. The steel plate barrier can be subjected to failed bolts, broker welds or kinks caused by heavy go-kart contact. Debris will collect around and inside the tires and if not removed. Sections of barrier can become permanently compressed due to repeated heavy contact and failure of the tire backings or shearing of reinforcing rods behind the tires.

We have observed tire sidewall split due to repeated flexing. Tires have twisted over and behind steel rod backing systems and have broken loose from bolts anchoring the tires to the steel barrier plate and the steel rod or concrete curb system. We have also seen tires laying loose between the steel barrier plate and the backing system.

In other locations, we have seen barrier systems permanently compressed due to the lack of maintenance to realign compressed tires, a result of repeated heavy impacts. This is more prevalent on tracks that operate karts at higher speeds.

Other problems noted include the shearing of tire anchoring rods. In several locations, we found fracturing of the concrete pavement slab from the anchor rods to the edge of the pavement slabs. At others, we observed the ripping of ‘D’ rubber barrier rail offsets. There have also been a few instances of curb breaking loose from the pavement slabs that have been slip-formed on top of the slab rather than being poured as a full height curb adjacent to the slab.

No barriers systems can function as intended if any or all of the above circumstances are allowed to exist. They will result in impact damage to the go-karts operating on the track or increase the potential for serious injury to guests driving the karts into the barriers.

Spinner tires at pit entrances should be checked daily to be certain they are maintaining air pressure and can spin when a go-kart comes in contact. A special caution: spinner tire pressure should be maintained at 5 pounds to avoid go-kart rebound.

Safety gates at pit entrances should be inspected to assure that they operate correctly. If they are subjected to heavy hits, consider creating a resilient design that absorbs a part of the impact when struck by a go-kart. His can be done by using spring steel elements or a combination steel plate/automobile tire design, both of which will dissipate some of the impact energy.

Poor adherence to construction details by the contractor and/or lack of ongoing maintenance by the operator can result in rough pavement surfaces and fracturing contraction joints. Lack of ongoing maintenance can result in accumulation of dirt and debris around the tires in the barrier system. In some cases, the accumulation of dirt is a result of the landscaping overtopping barrier curbs, allowing runoff to flow onto the track surface. Periodic power washing can remove the dirt and debris accumulation if it is significant. For minor accumulations, a blower can be used to clean out the tire barrier area. Allowed to accumulate, the debris and dirt can become a visible eyesore as well as an operational problem.

Miscellaneous Plastic/Polymer Indoor Track Barrier Systems—
There are a number of ‘plastic’ track barrier systems in use today or indoor tracks. These
Range from the miniaturized ‘Jersey Barrier’ configuration to vertical face units connected together by either a pin type connection or through the use of fiberglass belting. Each had its own method of fastening to maintain integrity. Some are filled with ballast to maintain position.

As all barriers are subject to repeated hits at certain points on the individual track systems, there are obvious places that should be given special attention. These include all ‘hard point’ anchors, the points on either track edge that are subject to repeated hits, and any blunt ends facing traffic. The primary concerns should be fastening integrity, surface tears and/or fractures, compression or other damage that would render the elements unsafe.

Any severely damaged elements should be replaced as soon as possible to avoid possible injury to track guests, staff or equipment. Elements that lift up over karts hitting them should be repositioned, anchored or otherwise modified to avoid injuries caused by karts running beneath them.

Automobile Tire/Polymer or Belting Track Barrier Systems—
Many of the above considerations also apply to these barrier systems. This applies to fastenings, anchorages and related items previously identified. A specific problem we have seen at numerous tracks using these systems is the number of sheet metal screws and other fasteners that were laying on the track surfaces. These small items could be thrown up into the faces and other body parts of the guests driving on the track or to attendants and spectators. Every day ‘track patrols’ should be performed to remove them from the surface. If one is thrown out from its connection points it should be picked up and a new fastener inserted.

Track Pavement Systems—
The track surface can also become a safety issue when not maintained properly. Asphalt surfaces are subject to shoving, rutting and oxidation. All of thses can result in greater wear on go-kart chassis and tire systems. The rutting and shoving of the asphalt surfaces can result in hydroplaning and a loss of controls after raining periods. The oxidation can result in chunks of asphalt becoming flying objects.

Asphalt pavement requires ongoing tender loving care to provide added life to the surface. The exact procedures required will depend on the original pavement cross section, the specific bituminous concrete mix used and the materials used to maintain the surfaces.

Portland cement concrete (PCC) pavement can also have excessive wear problems if the original construction was performed using low strength concrete, or if the concrete finishers added water during the final surface preparation. Failure to saw the contraction joints at the right time on new track construction, depth and spacing can result in irregular slab cracking and surface raveling at the cracks and sawed joints. Properly constructed, the Portland cement pavement should have a service life of twenty to forty years.

Random cracks in PCC pavement slabs should be monitored to avoid chunks of broken concrete becoming flying objects. Sealing of these cracks or patching with epoxy concrete patching may well correct the problems and extend the pavement life. If cracks are not watched and given proper maintanence, they can grow to become hazards and re quire sawing and replacement of sizable sections of pavement. This can take the track out of service if required during the operating season.

Rubber dust as well as wind blown dirt can accumulate on the track surface. This may result in karts losing traction and also losing control and skidding on both indoor and outdoor tracks. Indoor, vacuuming or sweeping can remove the material while outdoor can be cleared the same way or the track can be washed down.

Track and Queuing Area Lighting—
Proper lighting is important for safety reasons. This is obvious, but less obvious is the comfort factor and overall image that good lighting provides. Many people are turned off by dark, dingy surroundings.

Replacing bulbs or lighting elements and cleaning luminaries does not result in a major expense nor become labor intensive. The image is important, don’t let it be tarnished through lack of attention.

Other Elements—
Check out other elements of your facility at the same time. This includes main facility signage, track instructional signage, and other signage located throughout your facility. They should be current, visible and appealing. Any theming elements, counter, fixtures and furniture should also be reviewed for condition and appearance.

Pay Now or Pay Later—
Pay now or pay later is definitely the rule in the above situations. This writer feels strongly that an ongoing maintenance inspection and correction program be instituted. A daily check of the track surface or barrier system should be performed. Done daily, it won’t be very time consuming. The inspection should be performed using a standardized check list to identify and record existing as well as potential problems.

Part of the inspection should include the removal of stones, screws, bolts, loose metal parts and other debris from the surface that could become flying objects during operating periods. It will also identify impending problems before they become severe, permitting less costly repair operations. Tires should be checked for fastenings and casing failure. Welds and bolts should be checked for integrity and any loose tires reconnected. All compressed or stretched tires should be noted for more extensive correction efforts.

By maintaining the integrity of your track surface, barriers and related track elements you not only reduce equipment and system maintenance costs and potential liability claims; you improve the image of your facility, which in turn will benefit your bottom line, The proper maintenance of your track system is every bit as important as the maintenance of your go-karts, kart control system and personnel training.

About the author: Peter Olesen is a Licensed Professional Engineer in eight states and President of Peter F. Olesen and Associates, Inc. 500 West Central Road, Suite 205, Mount Prospect, Illinois 60056 USA. The firm provides consulting services to concession go-kart and Family Entertainment Center clients. Project span 35 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico and Brunei. Services range from preliminary site evaluations, feasibility studies, concept development, master planning, design and construction engineering services for project that include concession go-kart tracks, miniature golf courses, indoor and outdoor family entertainment centers and theme parks. These services apply to new facilities as well as renovation or expansion of existing facilities. Mr. Olesen has written many magazine articles on the industry and has made presentations at numerous industry seminars. For more information, see www.olesen.com or call 847-253-1515.

END

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