HIGHLANDS MOTORSPORT PARK

[Goat Boy]

Originally Posted by Southern Man

http://www.cromwell.org.nz/about-cromwell/climate.aspx

Hi GB / NZSTfan, this may help with you deliberations re the circuit seal, finding your posts on the subject quite interesting.

Cheers for that! Probably not much wet to worry about methinks

[NZSTfan]

Thanks SM, very informative
Dry as an arab sandshoe it is then

Agree on the closed matrix (densely graded) A/C if its used on a B/2 spec M/4 basecourse compacted to 98% of MDD (as long as the MDD targets are achievable - but i do know the main testing lab in Alex who will do all proctor curves etc and he knows the local material very well)

Structural A/C, like you said serves it purpose well, if it used for the right situation (e.g. motorways, airport runways etc). So i agree with the truck comment. But in saying that the lateral loads that those trucks subject a track too would demolish most surfacings bar concrete.

[Goat Boy]

All the more reason to not have truck racing...

[sizzle]

You two should get a room

[I16]

Originally Posted by sizzle

You two should get a room

http://www.check-in.co.nz/area.asp?i...FcgipQodGDkA6A

cheers

[Goat Boy]

That's not a lot of accommodation near the track, is it? Guess most people will have to stay in Q'town

[I16]

There are more beds in that area than most places. You have Wanaka up the road that has the most amazing airshow every couple of years 50K plus attend.
Alexandra to the south with lots of beds and Queenstown that should make you very happy [but no one goes to bed there to sleep]
Great area to have a motorsport venue!

[NZSTfan]

Oookaay, thats an odd post I16

[sizzle]

I reckon they should go for Cardrona Bliss.

[Alpina107]

Originally Posted by Goat Boy

Just had a look, it is on a flat and very close to the river, elevation about 22m so not that high up really.

Elevation 22m? Above the river, perhaps, but more like 220 metres above sea level, so it gets fairly chilly at times. Small details.

[I16]

Originally Posted by NZSTfan

Oookaay, thats an odd post I16

Please expand your reason to call my reply odd.
There are many hundereds of beds available within a reasonable drive time.
Sorry I did not include Cardrona sizzle
Cheers

[Goat Boy]

Originally Posted by Alpina107

Elevation 22m? Above the river, perhaps, but more like 220 metres above sea level, so it gets fairly chilly at times. Small details.

Sorry, meant to fix that and add the zero

[NZSTfan]

Originally Posted by Alpina107

Elevation 22m? Above the river, perhaps, but more like 220 metres above sea level, so it gets fairly chilly at times. Small details.

Fair comment, but sea level in an area that is so far from the sea does not mean much. What is of interest however, is groundwater levels and seasonal fluctuations of that level. Trust me, having worked in that area extensively i can confirm that subgrade conditions change between the seasons due to moisture content, to such an extent where the CBR (California Bearing Ratio), which is often one of the main subgrade design parameters, can change significantly. In saying that though, and as i have mentioned on here, is that if their bases go down in summer, or dry months then they shouldn't have many issues with it.

Your comment about it getting chilly at times is very valid, hence why i suggested a certain form of material stabilization that works very well in such areas.

[I16]

Originally Posted by NZSTfan

Your comment about it getting chilly at times is very valid, hence why i suggested a certain form of material stabilization that works very well in such areas.

Would be grateful to have your reasons why Teretonga has been ok since 1957

[NZSTfan]

Teretonga is a completely different environment to Highlands. For a start, Highlands is Alpine(ish) and Teretonga isn't. Very different micro-climates that can affect how pavements and subgrades behave.

So has Teretonga been untouched since 1957 I16? or is it the original pavement that has lasted for 55 years?

[NZSTfan]

If i may add as well, the location of Teretonga raceway shows that it is on sandy soils (possibly alluvial or marine deposits) that are close to sea level. In that area a high water table in winter and wet times can have a huge affect.

This is very different to Highlands which appears to be a partially eroded till (glacial) outwash fan in a typically dry environment. Interesting when you take into account how close they are to each other relative to other circuits in the South Island.

Ruapuna and levels share similar subgrade geology, i.e. both are built on many many metres (is some areas km's) of alluvial gravels that can contain problematic silt/sand lenses, which when under the water table and under over burden pressure (the weight of the material above these lenses) can become liquefiable in an earthquake situation. But on the plus side most of these problem soils are towards the eastern side of each area, hence why Ruapuna seemed to hold up ok after the Chch earthquakes. In fact, Ruapuna is built on the same gravel 'tongue' as the airport. This narrow tongue is of course the remnant of old braided rivers that have formed the entire canterbury plains, but becuase of the high stone content tend to be more stable in earthquakes, which is why most of the aggregates for the area are sourced from this same tongue, and also the Airport has performed very well, even with the onslaught of shallow, rapid ground acceleration earthquakes.

[I16]

Interesting on the position of Ruapuna and Christchurch airport and that they both stood up well during the E/Qs.
Remember someone once told me that you could chip off the lupins at Teretonga dig out the sand & gravel mix, add 1 part cement to 4 of the sand & gravel, voila concrete! Not sure but must have been sealed 4 or 5 times.

[NZSTfan]

Originally Posted by I16

Interesting on the position of Ruapuna and Christchurch airport and that they both stood up well during the E/Qs.
Remember someone once told me that you could chip off the lupins at Teretonga dig out the sand & gravel mix, add 1 part cement to 4 of the sand & gravel, voila concrete! Not sure but must have been sealed 4 or 5 times.

Yep, that recipe does sound about right for concrete. Many of the flat-low lying areas of NZ have been formed this way (alluvial) so depending on where you dig, you can often have the right quantities of gravel, sand and silt to make concrete and other products.

[Chris - Melb]

Found this latest video of the track: http://www.3news.co.nz/Cromwell-look...2/Default.aspx

[Goat Boy]

Originally Posted by Chris - Melb

Found this latest video of the track: http://www.3news.co.nz/Cromwell-look...2/Default.aspx

Nice!

[Southern Man]

Understand that Tony Quinn will be taking the GTR around for a quick lap at 2.00pm

[Goat Boy]

Originally Posted by Southern Man

Understand that Tony Quinn will be taking the GTR around for a quick lap at 2.00pm

Hope it goes up on Youtube soon after!

[NZSTfan]

Man thats complex looks good. What a hero Quinn will be for NZ motorsport (what with the museum as well), and also the local economy.

Can't wait to head down in Novemeber for the ST's

Thanks for posting the link Chris - Melb

[smokin'joe]

Originally Posted by NZSTfan

What a hero Quinn will be for NZ motorsport (what with the museum as well), and also the local economy.

please explain why he will be classified as a hero for his efforts??

[NZSTfan]

Originally Posted by smokin'joe

please explain why he will be classified as a hero for his efforts??

Uummm putting 20 mil into a motorsport complex in NZ?

Isn't that enough?