This outline design was then reappraised to create a functional
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-saw 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.
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 shape 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 the canal literally ends in mid air creates a thrilling
sense of sailing off the edge in to the spectacular scenery of the
horizon.
Engineering
The various parts of The Falkirk Wheel were actually constructed
and assembled, like one giant Meccano set, at Butterley
Engineering'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 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.