Falkirk Wheel – A marvel of Civil Engineering!
The Falkirk Wheel, located in Scotland, is truly an engineering marvel, presented to the world by Civil Engineers. To put it simply – the Falkirk Wheel allows boats to fly. It was built to connect two different canals, providing a way for boats to travel without a natural waterway. The Falkirk Wheel connects two canals with a height difference of 35 meters.
The Falkirk Wheel is built around a central wheel that comprises of two opposing arms revolving around a central axle. Each of these arms is fitted with diametrically opposing caissons. A caisson in geotechnical engineering is a watertight chamber used to carry out construction work underwater. The caissons installed in the Falkirk Wheel works in the opposite manner, the water is retained inside the caisson instead of being excluded. It was for this reason that the Falkirk Wheel’s caissons are also called Gondolas.
The caisson works on the Archimedes principle. The weight of the caissons is always maintained at 600 tons, whether the caisson is carrying just water or a boat. When the boat enters the caisson the weight of the water displaced is equal to the weight of the boat, allowing it to float. The caissons are rotated in the same speed as the wheel but in the opposite direction this ensures that caissons are always at level. The caissons lead the boat to an aqueduct which leads the boat to the next canal. An aqueduct is an artificially constructed watercourse to transport water
Reference: www.falkirk-wheel.com