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British Waterways ‘Millennium Link’ canal project is the largest UK canal
restoration ever. It reconnects the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals
allowing unhindered passage of traffic between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The centrepiece to this project is the Falkirk Wheel - the world’s
first rotating boatlift. The 35m high, 1500 tonne machine transports canal
barges and other boats between the Forth & Clyde and the Union Canal, a vertical
drop of 18 metres. Before the closure of the canals in the mid 20th century this
transfer was achieved by a flight of eleven locks.
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First structure of its kind in the world. |
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Design life of at least 120 years. |
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35 metres high. |
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35 metres wide. |
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30 metres long. |
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Each gondola contains at least 250,000 litres of water. |
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Capable of carrying eight boats at a time. |
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A single trip takes 15 minutes. |
Bachy/Soletanche and Morrison Construction Joint
Venture won the contract to design and construct a new section of canal, a
tunnel beneath the Antonine wall, a section of aqueduct, the wheel and receiving
basin. In turn the Joint Venture appointed Butterley Engineering to design and
construct the wheel. Butterley undertook all construction work for the wheel and
set up its own team to carry out the design work. This team comprised Tony Gee
and Partners, to undertake the structural design responsibilities and M G
Bennett & Associates to design the mechanical and electrical equipment for the
wheel.
The exemplar design was perceived as unsuitable by British
Waterways, therefore a series of design workshops took place under the direction
of the architect RMJM to improve on the aesthetics of the design. The aim of
these workshops was to produce a more dramatic profile for the wheel, a design
for the 21st century.
All parties worked closely together at the concept stage to
produce a futuristic scheme using innovative engineering solutions. A concept
wheel with four gondolas using an interlocking gear system was proposed by
Bennetts together with an ingenious lock gate system. RMJM changed the concept
design from a four single vessel gondola to two two-vessel gondolas, producing
the picture of the Falkirk as we know it today.
The next stage involved Butterley, Bennett Associates and Tony Gee
liaising with two sets of architects to produce drawings of how the wheel would
work. The lock gate and interlinking gear system proposed in the concept design
was adopted by RMJM. This means the gondolas are now linked by gears to the
central axle so that there is a positive drive between axle and gondola, thus
avoiding the possible pendulum action of the gondolas during high wind, which
may have been the case had the original exemplar design been used.
Following this Bennett Associates produced the general arrangement
drawings of the wheel to enable the other parties to proceed with the detailed
design. Bennetts is also responsible for the detailed design of the operating
and rotating mechanism of the complex wheel structure and the mechanical
interfaces.
The assembly provides the final link to the £78 million Millennium
Link Project and an international landmark. Bennett Associates have won numerous
awards for their contribution to the Falkirk Wheel.
For more information, contact us on 01709-373782
M G Bennett and Associates Ltd is now part of the  Group |
