Buffalo is full of awesome engineering projects! The city is constantly growing and improving with new things to see and do. A recent example of new things coming to the city is the Buffal-O Ferris wheel at Riverworks!
An engineering consideration made early in the project was where the wheel would be placed. Earl Ketry, the owner of Buffalo Riverworks, originally asked engineers to place the wheel at “The Wharf” along the Buffalo River. However, the engineers came back and said just making a staging area for the wheel would cost $500,000!
So instead of doing that, Ketry got creative! He asked the engineers if he could place the wheel on top of Stonehenge at Riverworks, which is the base of an old grain silo. The engineers took a look and said that the structure would be great for a base and is strong enough to hold the wheel. The project got the green light!
You may not think of it, but there are LOTS of engineering considerations outside of the attraction itself when doing a project like this. You need to think about placement, weather, safety, how people get on/off the Ferris wheel, and so much more.
The Ferris wheel is now around 100 feet high so get ready to go see some beautiful sunsets while riding the amazing attraction! Below is a video by local drone operator Peter Cimino showing off the amazing wheel from many different angles!
Tresca Can Help
Here at Tresca, we haven’t made Ferris wheels before, but we’re ready to help you with your next invention & engineering project. If you want to learn more about how our team can help you during the engineering process, please contact us today to discuss how we can work together.