Wilderness Resort Water Slide

Project Scope: Water slide tower replacement
Location: Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
Designer: Ramaker & Associates, Inc. & J3 Engineering

Initial plans called for the replacement of the wooden tower with a galvanized steel structure. However, due to the lack of access and the weight of the proposed replacement tower, all planning involved the need to remove the roof to allow for the 125-foot, 50-ton crane that would be needed to remove and reinstall the 45-foot tall structure.

Friede & Associates began exploring other material options for the tower and ultimately determined fiberglass structural elements could be used for this application. This material offered the key benefit of being significantly lighter, and ultimately enabled Friede field personnel to handle even the largest 45-foot beams by hand. This change in direction also eliminated the need to open up the roof of the existing park, thus eliminating the concern of overexposing the waterpark to the outdoor elements. In the end, it saved Wilderness Resort hundreds of thousands of dollars…a true “win-win” scenario.

At the same time, Wilderness Resort took the opportunity to upgrade the attraction by adding one of the hottest new, interactive games on the market—Claim Jumper Challenge, a real-life gaming experience within a waterslide. 

This project was recognized by the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Wisconsin as a 2016 Gold Project of Distinction.

Click here to download a printable project sheet.

Watch the video below to view the completed project.