Falkirk Wheel – British boat lift
Nowadays we can’t imagine the world without elevators, but what’s even that special in those devices? They go up and down, they help us to move between floors. However, it exists a clever and quirky one near Great Britain’s and Scotland’s borders. Let me introduce you to Falkirk Wheel – first and, as it for now, only boat lift.
The name of this construction belongs also to the Scottish village by which flows two waterways – The Forth and Clyde and the Union canal. The need for using this kind of technology as a result of the 24-meter difference in heights of these canals. What is more, these waterways are important for Great Britain, due to being a valuable trade route. Since building this shortcut in 2002, every year it transports hundreds of boats and loose canal traffic facilitating navigation.
How does it work?
The main part of the lift is the propeller that defines which arm is floating in the water and which is up to the sky to load up the boats. Thanks to three enormous gears of 35m diameter, it can accommodate up to 4 boats on 25m long gondola. A gondola filled with water and boats rotates around weighing around 300 tons. But what’s the most impressive isn’t in the numbers in this case.
Seeing this thing in the picture you may say that such colossus is a nightmare to ecologists. That’s not true. The key to success is in mechanics. It’s an implementation of Archimedes' principle idea - floating objects displace their own weight in water. In the resulting water in both gondolas weights exactly the same. You need only Energy to start this thing up. Whole process takes circa about 7 mintes. To power up this boat lifter you need only around 30 horsepower engine, which is mind-boggling considering its size and weight!
It is rumored that the shape of it is inspired by a Celtic axe or fish spine. However, it’s not the truth. The main idea was practicality. Tony Kettle, who has been the architect of the lifter, said only needed the shape to be ready to evenly distribute the weight and ensure flowing moment. At the same time, he wanted to prevent the machine from stopping horizontally. As a result, the designers created a mechanical miracle and modern pearl of Scotland at the same time, being Scottish’s one of the biggest attractions.
Here's short video which shows timelapse movie of the Falkirk wheel in Scotland:
1. Have you ever heard about this invention? What do you think about it, do you find it necessary?
2. Can you find a place where this solution, idea can be implemented and help people not only in Scotland?
3. What is the most impressive architecture creation you have ever seen?
[1] https://www.fairfields.co.uk/fcs/assets/sites/2/2015/11/Falkirk-Millennium-Wheel-Boat-Lift.jpg
Comments
2) Can't think about anything particular but i believe that it could be useful in mountain terrain near swimmable rivers.
3) If you mean "seen" as in seeing in a person, then it would be pyramids. You have to think about amount of work, coordination of workers, how far blokcs were delivered from to be able to fully appreciate it. Top of that - pyramids used to be covered in polished white stones and golden top, but sadly it was broken and taken.
If you mean "seen" as in knowing about, then i'd like to put some focus on Kowloon City. It might not be most impressive in regular sense, but if you think how it was created, it becomes impressive.
2. I am not that familiar with waterways, so I don’t know. Maybe such solution could replace the inclined planes on the Elbląg Canal, but it is a tourist attraction as well, so it will probably remain intact.
3. Generally, I am a fan of big cities and skyscrapers. I can’t point one particular object, but I am impressed by London underground system (especially the oldest, well preserver station such as Baker Street) or even Warsaw skyscrapers like “Rondo 1” which has lift shafts outside the main structure. The Cosmopolitan on Twarda street is also quite interesting, as the part of it is hanging attached to another. I can’t wait to see the Varso tower finished and other great buildings which will make Warsaw even greater.
hmm maybe it would be helpful in some terrains that are flooded quite often? I don't know anything about how water is moving so I don't think I can answer this question properly.
I didn't really see any particular object that I saw in the past. I would love to see a pyramid with my own eyes but I'm not planning to do it soon. I'm fascinated with catacombs or underground tunnels that we hear about in many movies but I didn't visit any in person too.
No i've never heard about it before and as Scotts thought it is important for them than it's not my job to judge them and i believe they built it for a reason.
2. Can you find a place where this solution, idea can be implemented and help people not only in Scotland?
No, unfortunately i'm not as much into water sports so i have no idea.
3. What is the most impressive architecture creation you have ever seen?
Eiffel tower, Tower bridge and this Falkirk Wheel looks awesome.
2. Currently, I do not find practical application of this invention, but it seems to me that you can definitely fit it in amusement parks: P
3. Maybe it's not very modern, but in my opinion the Egyptian pyramids are impressive, I think so because they were created in times when there were no cranes available yet.
2. I think that the ideal place to use such elevators would be Masuria or the Elbląg Canal. Currently, water gates are used there.
3. I think the thing that has done to me and is still impressive is construction in China. Thousands of kilometers of highways, bridges over the mountains and even sea crossings are created there at a record pace. Just take a look: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2183290-worlds-longest-sea-bridge-opens-between-hong-kong-and-mainland-china/
Thank you for interesting mention and direct link to this construction, it's definitely worth to take a look! It's really impressive when we think what people are capable of nowadays. Not many things can obstacle us.
2. I was thinking about some places in Mazury, but I'm not sure if height differences are big enough to use this solution.
3. I'm really impressed by creations which were built long time ago - without any modern facilities people were able to build amazing and enormous buildings. The ones which I like the most are Angkor Wat in Cambodia (its design is amazing), Machu Picchu in Peru (I still can't believe that without sophisticated technologies people were able to build city in such distant place) and Alhambra in Spain. I have never been to Cambodia or Peru, the only one I have seen with my own eyes is the Alhambra. It's an old castle built by last Muslims in Spain. Both its' setting (it towers above Grenada) and intricate ornaments impressed me.
2. I think that every mountainous country could use such a solution.
3. It was definitely Manhattan with a windowless skyscraper. Monumental government buildings are also nearby. They are built of brick only with a steel core. This is really impressive. You can see the Verrazano Bridge from them, which is also an impressive construction.
S20108
Ancient Egypt pyramids. They were the most impressive architecture creation that I've seen.
I have never heard about this invention before, but after I read this post and watched the short video, I could say that it looks really spectacular and it is definitely useful. I was surprised that this construction requires so tiny amount of power to start working.
2.
Unfortunately, I can’t give any example at the moment but I am sure that there is plenty of places where this construction would be found useful.
3.
I am fascinated by mountain funiculars. I always wondered how these constructions are mounted in higher mountain ranges like in Alpes or Kaukaz.
Yes, I've heard about it and seen how it works. Once on the Discovery Channel showed a story about the various lifting and lowering mechanisms for ships and that lift was there too. And as I learned from the story this kind of buildings are quite important in shipping as they save a lot of time and reduce the amount of fuel burned for such transportation, and accordingly the thing is very useful, although some of these structures can harm the inhabitants of such navigable rivers.
2. Can you find a place where this solution, idea can be implemented and help people not only in Scotland?
Probably that it would be suitable on rivers that have waterfalls, or, as it is in Scotland, where navigable rivers are close to each other. Frankly, I don't know of any problematic shipping routes to give a specific example.
3. What is the most impressive architecture you have ever seen?
It's hard to call the most impressive right away, because all the buildings are beautiful in their own right, but let it be The Basílica de la Sagrada Família. In my opinion, pretty good and heavy in building temple, made in the neo-Gothic style I like