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Super Slide

Learn what it’s like to zip down the world’s longest and tallest slide

November 20, 2017
By Stephanie Warren Drimmer
LONDON LEGACY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What safety factors do engineers need to consider when creating an extremely tall and long slide?

You may think you’re too old for slides, but a new attraction in London, England, might change your mind. The ArcelorMittal Orbit tower slide is the longest and tallest on Earth.

The tower was built in 2012 as a viewing tower and art project, and the slide was added later. After traveling 25 stories by elevator to the top of the tower, riders strap on elbow pads and helmets, climb on top of a soft mat, and shoot down a tube. In about 40 seconds, they zip 178 meters (584 feet) through a series of turns and corkscrews. Along the way, they can spot famous London landmarks through clear panels in the slide’s tube—but only if they’re not squeezing their eyes shut!

You may think you’re too old for slides, but a new attraction might change your mind. It’s the ArcelorMittal Orbit tower slide in London, England. This is the longest and tallest slide on Earth.

The tower was built in 2012 as a viewing tower and art project. The slide was added later. Riders take an elevator 25 stories to the top of the tower. Then they strap on elbow pads and helmets, climb onto a soft mat, and shoot down a tube. In about 40 seconds, they zip 178 meters (584 feet) through a number of turns and corkscrews. Along the way, they pass clear panels in the slide’s tube. They can look through the panels and spot famous London landmarks. But that’s only if they’re not squeezing their eyes shut!

Wild Ride
Watch a video about the world's longest and tallest slide.
ARCELORMITTAL ORBIT

FAST TRIP: Riders reach speeds of up to 29 kilometers (18 miles) per hour.

Creating a slide that was fast enough to be exciting but not dangerous posed an engineering challenge.

“Your speed on a slide has a lot to do with weather,” says Tim Finlay, a structural engineer who helped design the ride. If the air is damp, moisture in the tube will cause a rider’s mat to stick to the slide’s surface. That increases friction, slowing a rider down. But on a dry day, friction will be low, causing the rider to accelerate, or gain speed. That could pose a safety problem on a long, straight slide.

Luckily, the twists and turns of the ArcelorMittal slide slow riders to a safe speed. Once the slide was finished, Finlay tried it himself. How did the design turn out? “Brilliant!” he says.

Engineers had to create a slide that was fast enough to be exciting but not dangerous. That was a challenge.

“Your speed on a slide has a lot to do with weather,” says Tim Finlay. He’s a structural engineer who helped design the ride. If the air is damp, moisture will form in the tube. Then a rider’s mat will stick to the slide’s surface. That increases friction, slowing a rider down. But on a dry day, friction will be low. As a result, the rider will keep gaining speed, or accelerating. That could be a safety problem on a long, straight slide.

That’s where the twists and turns of the ArcelorMittal slide help out. They slow riders to a safe speed. When the slide was finished, Finlay tried it himself. How did the design turn out? “Brilliant!” he says.

CORE QUESTION: Describe a problem that too little friction could cause on a slide. What is a possible solution to that problem?

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