Does a sinkhole get you excited?
07-04-2014, 01:44 AM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Does a sinkhole get you excited?
Fate of damaged Corvettes uncertain as National Corvette Museum decides to preserve sinkhole
Kurt Ernst Jun 26th, 2014 at 8am | 143 comments
Sinkhole Corvettes
The sinkhole Corvettes on display. Photos courtesy National Corvette Musuem.
The sinkhole that opened up beneath the Skydome of the National Corvette Museum on February 12 had one unforeseen consequence: It has driven museum attendance (and revenue) significantly upward. So when the museum’s board of directors met on Wednesday to discuss the fate of the Skydome display, they decided to preserve the sinkhole as a semi-permanent display.
The plan that the board approved involves keeping a roughly 25-foot-by-45-foot and 30-foot-deep portion of the sinkhole open. That would give sufficient space for display of two damaged Corvettes, though it’s unclear which of the eight cars museum staff will choose for this starring role. The display would be lit both from above (to highlight the cars exhibited) and below (to show the falloff to the cave below), and visitors would have the option of viewing the sinkhole from its edge or traversing a transparent-floored walkway (supported by galvanized steel beams) spanning the chasm.
Sinkhole Corvettes
The display would be semi-permanent, as engineering plans call for the construction of a concrete retaining wall behind and below the exhibit. While the face of the sinkhole would be exposed opposite this, the ground beneath that portion of the Skydome would be reinforced with micropiles to add stability. Should the appeal of the sinkhole wane over time, this option would give the museum the ability to return the Skydome to its pre-sinkhole state, albeit at an added expense.
Sinkhole Renovation
The sinkhole remediation plan that’s been tentatively approved.
Other options that the museum directors considered included filling the floor and returning the Skydome to its original state, or keeping the entire sinkhole as is. The first option would eliminate what has proven to be a significant attraction for the museum, while the second option would significantly reduce the museum’s total floor space for display, and board members agreed that neither option was optimal.
According to a press release from the National Corvette Museum, the museum has seen a 59-percent increase in the number of visitors compared to the same time period last year, along with a 72-percent increase in memberships and a 65-percent increase in revenue overall.
The board has requested additional data on climate control issues and costs that would potentially be associated with leaving a portion of the sinkhole uncovered. Assuming that temperature and humidity levels can be controlled (ensuring optimal conditions for the cars on display) at a reasonable utility cost, the museum will proceed with its plan to maintain the sinkhole as part of the Skydome display.
Sinkhole
The sinkhole as seen from the current viewing platform.
Yet to be resolved is the fate of the eight Corvettes damaged in the collapse, which will remain on display in their current condition through the month of August. The museum continues to negotiate with its insurance carrier to resolve the matter, and GM has sent personnel to examine the cars in detail. While GM agreed to oversee the restoration of the Corvettes in the days following the collapse, the automaker stopped short of agreeing to fund the restoration of the Corvettes. That essentially obligates the museum to pick up the tab for anything not covered by insurance, and given the level of damage to the restorable Corvettes, that bill is likely to be a large one.
One thing has become clear in the months since the sinkhole opened up: Not all of the Corvettes will (or can be) restored, but that may turn out to be a good thing for the museum’s attendance for years to come.
For more information, visit CorvetteMuseum.org.
http://assets.blog.hemmings.com/wp-c...XL-700x466.jpg
http://assets.blog.hemmings.com/wp-c...XL-700x466.jpg
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Kurt Ernst Jun 26th, 2014 at 8am | 143 comments
Sinkhole Corvettes
The sinkhole Corvettes on display. Photos courtesy National Corvette Musuem.
The sinkhole that opened up beneath the Skydome of the National Corvette Museum on February 12 had one unforeseen consequence: It has driven museum attendance (and revenue) significantly upward. So when the museum’s board of directors met on Wednesday to discuss the fate of the Skydome display, they decided to preserve the sinkhole as a semi-permanent display.
The plan that the board approved involves keeping a roughly 25-foot-by-45-foot and 30-foot-deep portion of the sinkhole open. That would give sufficient space for display of two damaged Corvettes, though it’s unclear which of the eight cars museum staff will choose for this starring role. The display would be lit both from above (to highlight the cars exhibited) and below (to show the falloff to the cave below), and visitors would have the option of viewing the sinkhole from its edge or traversing a transparent-floored walkway (supported by galvanized steel beams) spanning the chasm.
Sinkhole Corvettes
The display would be semi-permanent, as engineering plans call for the construction of a concrete retaining wall behind and below the exhibit. While the face of the sinkhole would be exposed opposite this, the ground beneath that portion of the Skydome would be reinforced with micropiles to add stability. Should the appeal of the sinkhole wane over time, this option would give the museum the ability to return the Skydome to its pre-sinkhole state, albeit at an added expense.
Sinkhole Renovation
The sinkhole remediation plan that’s been tentatively approved.
Other options that the museum directors considered included filling the floor and returning the Skydome to its original state, or keeping the entire sinkhole as is. The first option would eliminate what has proven to be a significant attraction for the museum, while the second option would significantly reduce the museum’s total floor space for display, and board members agreed that neither option was optimal.
According to a press release from the National Corvette Museum, the museum has seen a 59-percent increase in the number of visitors compared to the same time period last year, along with a 72-percent increase in memberships and a 65-percent increase in revenue overall.
The board has requested additional data on climate control issues and costs that would potentially be associated with leaving a portion of the sinkhole uncovered. Assuming that temperature and humidity levels can be controlled (ensuring optimal conditions for the cars on display) at a reasonable utility cost, the museum will proceed with its plan to maintain the sinkhole as part of the Skydome display.
Sinkhole
The sinkhole as seen from the current viewing platform.
Yet to be resolved is the fate of the eight Corvettes damaged in the collapse, which will remain on display in their current condition through the month of August. The museum continues to negotiate with its insurance carrier to resolve the matter, and GM has sent personnel to examine the cars in detail. While GM agreed to oversee the restoration of the Corvettes in the days following the collapse, the automaker stopped short of agreeing to fund the restoration of the Corvettes. That essentially obligates the museum to pick up the tab for anything not covered by insurance, and given the level of damage to the restorable Corvettes, that bill is likely to be a large one.
One thing has become clear in the months since the sinkhole opened up: Not all of the Corvettes will (or can be) restored, but that may turn out to be a good thing for the museum’s attendance for years to come.
For more information, visit CorvetteMuseum.org.
http://assets.blog.hemmings.com/wp-c...XL-700x466.jpg
http://assets.blog.hemmings.com/wp-c...XL-700x466.jpg
http://assets.blog.hemmings.com/wp-c...n1-700x466.jpg
http://assets.blog.hemmings.com/wp-c...XL-700x466.jpg
Last edited by o2bnkc; 07-04-2014 at 01:49 AM.
07-04-2014, 02:53 PM
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Can't say I blame the board of directors for doing what has turned out to be a plus for their revenue stream. While I would have liked to have seen the cars be restored, some of them were just in pathetic shape and almost impossible to really restore except for starting over.
07-04-2014, 06:27 PM
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07-04-2014, 06:48 PM
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07-05-2014, 08:09 AM
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Fill it in with mustangs. Then cover the hole with 2" acrylic like they make the big commercial aquariums out of. I'd pay to see it