Columns: Twists And Turns For Wild Rivers

Creative engineering solutions help bring this destination to lifeBy Colby NennigSpanning 20 acres, featuring 20 thrilling attractions, and serving as the largest waterpark project in the western U.S. in the past decade, Wild Rivers in Irvine, Calif., is a years-in-the-making community destination. The previous Wild Rivers location closed in 2011, and the new facility has been reimagined with state-of-the-art features, including a water coaster with virtual-reality capabilities. It is the first waterpark in the U.S. outside of Orlando, Fla., to offer four six-person, family raft rides. Before guests could enjoy the rush of Pelican Plunge or relax in the Castaway River, a variety of challenges required creative engineering solutions to bring the $60-million project from concept to completion. Here’s a look at some of the main challenges and how the project team—David Bergman from BergmanKPRS (client) and raSmith (lead civil design consultant)—successfully overcame them.