| Zipline Design and Construction |
A Briteway Corporation (ABC) designed and built the Captain Zipline Tour. We also own and operate it. ABC is looking for a "few good zipline or canopy tours" to design and construct. With us you will have over 30 years of construction experience, creative problem solving skills, and knowledge of the tourism industry. We can design, build, and deliver a first class zip-line attraction for a select few clients.
Contact us to set up a zip line consulting arrangement. But please, DO NOT contact us for free zip line consultation services. Our livelihood has been in the construction industry; we have spent many, many years developing, tweaking, and attempting to perfect our construction techniques. Expertise like this ain’t free!
Zipline construction in the USA dictates a higher standard than the jungle canopy tours located in sites outside of the U.S. Engineered industrial strength steel poles and multiple galvanized steel anchor rods and guy wires rated at over 15,000 lbs. breaking strength comprise the heart of a zipline cable support system. Pole placement with handcrafted installation assures minimal environmental disruption after an excavator has prepared the landing and launch pads for zero elevation ground zipline systems like the Captain Zipline Tour. We also have working relationships with canopy tour and tree platform builders.
 Excavation, with careful supervision, can make short work on difficult terrain. Attachments for pouring concrete in remote locations make this equipment invaluable. |
 Eco tours, by definition, dictate minimal site disturbance. Well-executed digging and backfilling efforts will be rewarded with minimal fine-grading work. |
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 Wes, aka, “Mr. Track Hoe,” has been taming Mother Earth for 20 years. And his company will travel for zip line projects in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Region. |
 Steel pipe is used for industrial strength applications like zipline construction. A one-time expense that will last more than 25 years--with proper concrete foundation systems--steel poles are heavy and require specialized certified welding detailing. |
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 A pair of pipe suppliers helped find some steel zipline pipe made in the USA. Don’t settle for any foreign pipe, clamps or other critical items. |
 Another worker bee in the chain from raw material to completed zip line tour. Building this Colorado zip line involved many, many construction man-hours. |
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 Planting the zip line poles in inaccessible locations and minimizing eco-site disruption requires hand digging, forming and pouring concrete. All materials need to be delivered to the pole locations by people or donkeys! |
 Over 400 pounds of redi-mix concrete goes into each hole. The poles need bracing and the concrete should cure for 3 weeks before any cable tension is applied. |
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 Rock bolts and rock anchors are drilled at least 24 inches into solid rock and tested for pullout resistance with a dynamometer. Adjacent trees and flora should be preserved and protected from damage. |
 Certified welders don’t come cheaply! Welding zip line poles in remote locations necessitates long welding leads and 4WD capabilities. |
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 Zip line Tour infrastructure includes storage for gear and a “guide shack” for weather protection and staging areas. Camouflage these structures to maximize aesthetics along the zip line tour. |
 All systems "go" as Captain Zipline prepares to test the first cable ride. Who says you need to use a test dummy? We have a “live dummy." |
Zipline Cables and Anchors
Construction specs, cable details, and design criteria are provided for a fee during the feasibility study phase of any commercial zipline project. Captain Zipline subcontracts each specialty phase of a zipline tour project to experienced engineers and excavators, and we build the zipline system “in house.” Qualified tradesmen in most areas of the USA can be assembled for work on the customer’s jobsite locations.
Here are some pics worth a thousand words…
 The ½” galvanized cable is heavier than a ton of bricks in multi-thousand foot lengths. Get these fellas a forklift and be careful not to kink, nick or mutilate that zipline cable. Breaking strength 23,000 lbs. |
 Every cable job needs a “cable guy” and we have him! Cable is only readily accessible on a cable trailer. Plan for some rough trailer use, and don’t forget that 4WD ATV with a winch! |
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 Rope, and lots of it will go into a zip line construction project. Five-eighths in. thick, at least, and 600+ feet long. |
 Anchoring zip line poles takes time, men and machines, and money. The anchor rods and bolts must be secured, buried in earth or rock. And don’t forget lightning rod systems. |
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 Anchors must be 7-8 feet in compacted, undisturbed terra firma. It’s a dusty, difficult job with a pneumatic tamper man. |
 Using a dynamometer to measure anchor stability at 6,000 lbs. or more pullout resistance is necessary. |
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 Rock anchors and post bases require engineering, reinforcing, and concrete forming. |
 Zip Line Cable tensioning to required cable tension requires fine tuning on a grand scale. This happens with a “zipline cable crew” of several workers and equipment. Annual inspections of cable tension and guy wire condition are conducted using a “tensiometer.” |
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 More cable “tuning” with specialized tools and experienced subcontractors. |
 Looking down Gunbarrel zip line run. Cable clamps were upgraded and high strength guy “wire rope” cable was added to upgrade the anchor system to 15,000 lbs. breaking strength per anchor guy. |
