The Rock by the numbers

When it comes to the megalith's mega-transport, it was a matter of gallons per mile, not miles per gallon.

You knew the spectacle would be big when the “Levitated Mass” rock set out for LACMA. But how big? Glad you asked:

• Height of boulder: 21 feet, 6 inches
• Weight of the boulder: 340 tons
• Weight of the largest granite slab in the Great Pyramid: 80 tons
• Length of the transport: 299 feet
• Length of a football field: 300 feet
• Width of the transport: 27 feet
• Width of a lane on the 405: 12 feet
• Nights in transit: 11
• Miles traveled: 105
• Top speed: 5 mph
• Total gallons of diesel fuel burned: 2,250
• Gallons of diesel fuel to move one mile: 5
• Distance per gallon: 1,056 feet
• Miles walked beside the boulder by Emmert crewman Joe Schofield: 75
• Blistered toes on Joe Schoefield’s feet: 3
• Counties traversed: 4
• Cities traversed: 22
• Crowd estimate at Jurupa Valley launch point: 300
• Crowd estimate at Long Beach’s “Rock-a-pa-looza” Rock Party: 20,000
• Crowd estimate along Wilshire Boulevard between midnight and 4:30 a.m. for the Rock’s arrival at LACMA: 1,000+
• Cups of coffee sold after midnight at the Patina coffee cart outside LACMA: 175
• Emmert International heavy haul crew: 25
• Cable lines moved just by Time Warner Cable crews: 90+
• Traffic signals moved or removed and replaced on one night between Long Beach and Carson: 41 poles and 12 signal arms
• Port-A-Potties in the convoy: 1. Times cleaned in 11 nights: 5
• Marriage proposals next to the Rock: 1
• Attempts to crawl under the Rock by members of the public: 1
• Free bookmarks handed out at Rock stops by LACMA: 110,000
• Consecutive hours deejays played songs with words “rock” or “stone” in the title: 5
• Tacos sold at Patricia’s Mexican Restaurant across from the Rock on Wednesday: 4,000. Tacos sold at Patricia’s on a normal weekday: 300
• Number of cars towed on Wilshire to make way for the Rock’s arrival at LACMA: 10
• Fine and towing fees for parking in the temporary no parking zone: $354.50
• Towed Hondas: 6
• Towed Mercedeses: 1
• Time The Rock was delayed because of illegally parked cars: 1 hour, 33 minutes
• Complaints to towing firms from car owners who didn’t see temporary “No Parking” signs on Wilshire: 2
• Hits on LACMA’s Google map of the transport route: 1,043,800
• New followers to LACMA’s Twitter account: About 4,000
• Views on LACMA’s YouTube video of the transport: 26,888+
• Axles on the transporter: 44
• Tires on the transporter: 176
• Flat tires during the trip: 0
• Pre-emptive tire changes: 1
• Time spent turning the first corner in Jurupa Valley: 1 hour, 8 minutes
• Steepest grade in Chino Hills: 10%
• Tightest clearance: 6 inches in Long Beach
• Lost palm trees: 2
• Estimated transportation cost, including utility line clearance: $4.5 million
• Estimated total cost of the project: $10 million
• Estimated cost to taxpayers: $0
• Time it took to build and load the Rock’s transport: 2 months
• Estimated time to dismantle it: 5-6 days
• Length of the concrete Slot that is the other half of “Levitated Mass”: 456 feet
• Depth of The Slot foundation: 3 feet
• Cubic yards of concrete in the slot: 2,000
• Height The Rock will hover above viewers when “Levitated Mass” is finished: 15 feet

Sources: LACMA, Caltrans, Emmert International, Office of Long Beach City Councilman James Johnson, Ramon Vasquez III, Time Warner Cable, Los Angeles Signal Construction Co., Patricia’s Mexican Restaurant, Patina Catering, S&J Wilshire Tow, Joe Schofield, Buro Happold, Matt Construction

• Posted 3/13/12