The biggest challenge to achieve this goal was the gap between the two channels: o Forth & Clyde Canal is 35m (115feet) above Union Central level. In the past, the two channels were connected on Falkirk by a series of 11 locks distributed along 1,5 km, but this connection has been disabled in 1933.
So it was necessary to find a quick and simple method, to connect the two channels by hoisting the boats through the 35 m. uneven. A British Waterways, presented a visionary solution taking the opportunity to create a spectacular structure that would surely be perfect for the celebration of the millennium, and a symbol for the future: o Falkirk Wheel - the world's first rotating boat elevator.
Connecting two channels with more than 115 uneven feet, Falkirk Wheel is an innovative solution that solves the age-old problem of transferring boats between different levels. The complex was the joint work of British Waterways, da Ove Arup Consultants, Butterley Engineering and the architectural firm RMJM.
Falkirk Wheel design explores the simplicity of physics, imposing the minimum energy required to spin a phenomenal mass of water and steel with grace and elegance. The great Wheel is moved by 10 hydraulic motors responsible for turning the two gondolas, that accommodate until 4 ships of 20 meters at a time each, and has the ability to lift 600 tons of water to 35 meters high in less than 15 minutes.
The Millennium Link complex is made up of 4 elements: a Visitor Center, a lower lake, the elevator (Falkirk Whee), and the upper aqueduct.
The Visitor Center located on the lower lake, offers display areas, cafe and office spaces, under a wooden roof with a glass and steel facade that has a 45° inclination allowing a panoramic view of the Roda.
The Milliennium Link was officially opened on the day 24 from May of 2002.
The project
Dundee Architects and Nicoll Russell Studios presented the Ferris Wheel, the first design that was used to attract Millennium Commission Funding participation in the project..
The development of the project was carried out by a consortium led by Morrison-Bachy-Solentache and which included the Scottish architectural firm RMJM Scotland Ltd.. This team remodeled the original Wheel design.
The biggest goal of them all was to create a functional boat lift that could raise and lower boats lightly., celebrating the re-connection of the two historic canals with a structure worthy of the new millennium. The ideas and concepts presented were many: from rolling eggs to inclined tanks, from giant swings to overhead monorails that included complex counter swing structures.
But the final solution chosen was the Falkirk Wheel, that managed to combine function with design, while creating an elegant sculpture.
The unique shape of the structure appears to have drawn inspiration from multiple sources., both artificial and natural, from a double Celtic spear or a mill or boat propeller, even the skeleton of a whale or the spine of a fish. The canal that connects Scotland from east to west like a backbone, seems to have appropriate symbology and there is real beauty in the aqueduct path.
The arches over the aqueduct also add an aesthetic element to the structure., forming with its reflection in the channel a complete circle that increases the sensation of the tunnel. The fact that the channel literally ends up on the air, creates an exciting feeling of being "sailing in the air" facing the spectacular scenery of the horizon.
How it works?
The Falkirk Wheel is located at the end of a reinforced concrete aqueduct that joins, via the Roughcastle Tunnel and a double lock, to Union Central Canal
The boats that enter the gondola through the upper channel descend, along with the water they were floating in, to the lower level. At the same time the other gondola - that has an equal weight - ascends towards the upper level. Everything works according to Archimedes' Displacement Principle. This is, the boat entering the gondola displaces a proportional volume of water, so that the boat combination + water is always the same as the original mass.
Each gondola rests on small wheels that fit into a unique curved rail inside the opening of each arm..
For theory, this should be enough to ensure they always remain horizontal., but any friction or sudden movement could cause the gondola to stall or tilt. To ensure that this never happens and that the water and boats always stay level throughout the cycle, a series of inter-linked sprockets were designed.
Behind the arm closest to the aqueduct, there are two sprockets 8 m of diameters attached at the end of each gondola. a third, of the same size is in the center. And two more small ones are placed in the space between the two larger ones.. The teeth of each wheel perfectly match those of the adjacent wheel, transmitting the movement around the central wheel..
The two Gondolas attached to the other wheels on the curved rail will rotate at the same speed., but in the opposite direction of the Wheel.
Due to the precision of the balance of the gondolas and the simple but intelligent toothed system, a very small amount of energy is needed to move the Wheel. In fact, only a group of 10 hydraulic motors located in the central spine that produce just 1.5kw of electricity is enough to drive the entire set. 
The construction
The various parts of the Falkirk Wheel were built and assembled like a gigantic building game., na Butterley Engineering´s Steelworks em Derbyshire.
The complete pre-assembly of the 1,200 tons of steel, fitting the pieces with a margin of error of just 10mm ensuring the perfect final fit.
in the summer of 2001, the structure was dismantled and transported in 35 trucks to Falkirk, where the final assembly on the floor was carried out, the 5 large sections later hoisted with a crane to be placed in their final position.
the gondola, with a total of 800 tons (adding self weight + Water + barco), imposes immense stresses on the structure as it moves around the central spine. Normal steel welds would be susceptible to fatigue induced by this stress., so to make the structure more robust, the steel sections were given bolted joints. were used more than 15.000 screws.
Datasheet
Client: British Waterways
Architecture: RMJM Scotland Ltd
Structural Engineering: Butterley Engineering
civil Engineering: Ove Arup & Partners
landscaping: Ash Consulting Group
Construction company: Morrison Construction Ltd & Bachy Soletanche
Project Team:
Wheel: Tony Kettle, John Marshall e Tony Fan
Visitors Center: Paul Stallone, Alistair Brand, Patrick Wilson e Paul Jamieson
Links:
RMJM Scotland Ltd: www.rmjm.com
British Waterways: www.britishwaterways.co.uk
Falkirk Coucil: www.falkirk.gov.uk
Publication taken from: http://www.metalica.com.br