One major challenge in this objective was the fact that the Forth and Clyde Canal lay 35m (115ft) below the level of the Union Canal.

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1 The Falkirk Wheel - HOME SITEMAP LINKS DISCLAIMER FEEDBACK PRINT HISTORY & DESIGN Canals Boats Education Further Reading VISITOR INFORMATION EVENTS & HOSPITALITY NEWS & EVENTS CONTACTS was an ambitious, 84.5m project with the objective of restoring navigability across Scotland on the historic Forth & Clyde Canal and the Union Canal, providing a corridor of regenerative activity through central Scotland. One major challenge in this objective was the fact that the Forth and Clyde Canal lay 35m (115ft) below the level of the Union Canal. Historically, the two canals had been joined at Falkirk by a flight of 11 locks that stepped down across a distance of 1 of 3 10/13/05 7:07 PM

2 The Falkirk Wheel km, but these had been dismantled in 1933, breaking the link. Functionally, then, what was required was a method of connecting the two canals by some means of lifting two boats down the 35m-drop, as quickly and simply as possible. British Waterways, however, were keen to present a more visionary solution taking full advantage of the opportunity to create a truly spectacular and fitting structure that would suitably commemorate the Millennium, and act as a symbol for years to come. The resultant, perfectly balanced structure that is The Falkirk Wheel - the world s first rotating boat lift - was the eventual outcome of British Waterways working together with a design team that combined the international experience of joint-venture contractor Morrison-Bachy-Soletanche with leading specialists from Ove Arup Consultants, Butterley and Scotland-based RMJM architects. Completion of project was officially marked by Her Majesty The Queen on 24 May 2002 at The Falkirk Wheel. and The Falkirk Wheel have been funded by a partnership including The Millennium Commission, The European Regional Development Fund, Scottish Enterprise Network, seven local authorities and The Waterways Trust Scotland. Funders who made this project possible have also provided a major catalyst for the wider regeneration and economic development of the canal corridor. More information on the funding partners is available here. 2 of 3 10/13/05 7:07 PM

3 The Falkirk Wheel - HOME SITEMAP LINKS DISCLAIMER FEEDBACK PRINT HISTORY & DESIGN Canals Boats Education Further Reading VISITOR INFORMATION EVENTS & HOSPITALITY NEWS & EVENTS CONTACTS Linking two canals with water levels 115ft apart, The Falkirk Wheel is the innovative and dynamic solution to an age old problem of transferring boats between levels that traditionally required a flight of 11 locks. British Waterways were keen to present a more visionary solution and the perfectly balanced Falkirk Wheel was the eventual outcome of British Waterways working together with a design team that combined the international experience of joint-venture contractor Morrison-Bachy-Soletanche with leading specialists from Ove Arup Consultants, Butterley and Scotland-based RMJM architects. The revolutionary design of The Falkirk Wheel exploits the simplicity of physics, employing a minimum of energy to turn a phenomenal mass of water and steel with awe-inspiring grace and elegance. Capable of lifting 600 tonnes of water over 35 metres in less than four minutes, The Falkirk Wheel is powered by ten hydraulic motors that turn the two caissons, each of which may accommodate up to four 20 metre long boats at any one time. Despite the scale of this power, each turn of The Wheel uses virtually no water and the same energy as just two boiling kettles. 1 of 2 10/13/05 7:04 PM

4 The Falkirk Wheel - HOME SITEMAP LINKS DISCLAIMER FEEDBACK PRINT HISTORY & DESIGN Canals Boats Education Further Reading VISITOR INFORMATION EVENTS & HOSPITALITY NEWS & EVENTS CONTACTS The original concept of a wheel to act as a boat lift actually dates back to 19th century Europe, but it was first seriously considered by British Waterways as the solution for Falkirk in Dundee Architects, Nicoll Russell Studios presented a Ferris Wheel type design that was used to secure Millennium Commission Funding for the Project. The development of the project was then secured by a consortium led by Morrison-Bachy-Solentache, and that included Scottish architects RMJM. The combined team then reappraised the original designs of the Wheel. The objective uppermost in all their minds was to create a functional boat lift that could raise and lower boats swiftly, whilst celebrating the reconnection of the two historic canals with a structure worthy of a new millennium. Ideas and concepts were numerous, and varied from rolling eggs to tilting tanks, giant see-saws to overhead monorails and included some complex counterbalanced structures. The final outcome was The Falkirk Wheel, which successfully combines both function and design, creating a stunning piece of working sculpture. 1 of 2 10/13/05 7:09 PM

5 The Falkirk Wheel - The unique shape of the structure is claimed to have been inspired by various sources, both manmade and natural, such as a Celtic double headed spear, a vast turning propeller of a Clydebank built ship, the ribcage of a whale or the spine of a fish. The canal network as a backbone connecting Scotland, east to west, seems appropriate and there is a true beauty in the repetitive, sweeping shapes of the aqueduct. The arches over the aqueduct also add to the drama of the structure, forming a complete circle with the reflection in the canal to extend the feeling of the tunnel. The fact that the canal literally ends in mid air creates a thrilling sense of sailing off the edge into the spectacular scenery of the horizon. 2 of 2 10/13/05 7:09 PM

6 The Falkirk Wheel - Imperial / Metric Measurements Waterways were built using Imperial Measurements such as feet and miles, and these are still used now, for example, when referring to the length of waterways or of boats. For more contemporary and technical projects such as The Falkirk Wheel, metric is more appropriate, that is, metres and centimetres. Throughout this site you may see both types of measurements used. 2 of 2 10/13/05 7:04 PM

7 The Falkirk Wheel - HOME SITEMAP LINKS DISCLAIMER FEEDBACK PRINT HISTORY & DESIGN...or How Does It Work? Canals Boats Education Further Reading VISITOR INFORMATION EVENTS & HOSPITALITY NEWS & EVENTS CONTACTS The Falkirk Wheel lies at the end of a reinforced concrete aqueduct that connects, via the Roughcastle tunnel and a 1 of 3 10/13/05 7:12 PM

8 The Falkirk Wheel - double staircase lock, to the Union Canal. Boats entering the Wheel s upper gondola are lowered, along with the water that they float in, to the basin below. At the same time, an equal weight rises up, lifted in the other gondola. This works on the Archimedes Principle of displacement. That is, the mass of the boat sailing into the gondola will displace an exactly proportional volume of water so that the final combination of boat plus water balances the original total mass. Each gondola runs on small wheels that fit into a single curved rail fixed on the inner edge of the opening on each arm. In theory, this should be sufficient to ensure that they always remain horizontal, but any friction or sudden movement could cause the gondola to stick or tilt. To ensure that this could never happen and that the water and boats always remain perfectly level throughout the whole cycle, a series of linked cogs acts as a back up. 2 of 3 10/13/05 7:12 PM

9 The Falkirk Wheel - Hidden at each end, behind the arm nearest the aqueduct, are two 8m diameter cogs to which one end of each gondola is attached. A third, exactly equivalent sized cog is in the centre, attached to the main fixed upright. Two smaller cogs are fitted in the spaces between, with each cog having teeth that fit into the adjacent cog and push against each other, turning around the one fixed central one. The two gondolas, being attached to the outer cogs, will therefore turn at precisely the same speed, but in the opposite direction to, the Wheel. Given the precise balancing of the gondolas and this simple but clever system of cogs, a very small amount of energy is actually then required to turn the Wheel. In fact, it is a group of ten hydraulic motors located within the central spine that provide the small amount, just 1.5kw, of electricity to turn it. 3 of 3 10/13/05 7:12 PM

10 The Falkirk Wheel - HOME SITEMAP LINKS DISCLAIMER FEEDBACK PRINT HISTORY & DESIGN Canals Boats Education Further Reading VISITOR INFORMATION EVENTS & HOSPITALITY NEWS & EVENTS CONTACTS The various parts of The Falkirk Wheel were actually constructed and assembled, like one giant Meccano set, at Butterley s Steelworks in Derbyshire. A team there carefully assembled the 1,200 tonnes of steel, painstakingly fitting the pieces together to an accuracy of just 10 mm to ensure a perfect final fit. In the summer of 2001, the structure was then dismantled and transported on 35 lorry loads to Falkirk, before all being bolted back together again on the ground, and finally lifted by crane in five large sections into position. The total 600 tonne weight of the water-and-boat-filled 1 of 2 10/13/05 7:09 PM

11 The Falkirk Wheel - gondolas imposes immense and constantly changing stresses on the structure as it turns around the central spine. Normal welded joints of steel would be susceptible to fatigue induced by these stresses, so to make the structure more robust, the steel sections were bolted together. Over 15,000 bolts were matched with 45,000 bolt holes, and each bolt was hand tightened. Please use the link below to visit the gallery showing images of The Wheel throughout the construction process: Image Gallery 2 of 2 10/13/05 7:09 PM

12 The Falkirk Wheel - References and Further Reading HOME SITEMAP LINKS DISCLAIMER FEEDBACK PRINT References and Further Reading HISTORY & DESIGN Canals Boats Education Further Reading VISITOR INFORMATION EVENTS & HOSPITALITY NEWS & EVENTS CONTACTS "The Falkirk Wheel Guide Book" by David Hayward, published by British Waterways, 2004 ISBN This guide is currently available exclusively from The Falkirk Wheel Gift Shop for 3.95 "Scotland's Canals: An Asset for the Future" British Waterways Scotland Policy and Strategy Document published by The Stationery Office 2002, and downloadable here. "The Falkirk Wheel Art and " by RMJM, 2002 Regeneration of the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals Scotland. Article in Proceedings of Institute of Civil Engineers, Civil Engineers 138 May 2000 pgs paper The Falkirk Wheel Article in New Civil magazine 18th April 2002 issue. 1 of 2 10/13/05 7:13 PM

13 The Falkirk Wheel - References and Further Reading Archive section. The Falkirk Wheel from concept to reality Article in the Structural 18th Feb 2003 Vol 81 No of 2 10/13/05 7:13 PM