Falkirk Wheel

Falkirk Wheel is the world's first and only boat lift. This engineering feat to Fox River (Forth), Clyde River (Clyde) and the Union Canal (The Union Canals) linking structure is a beautiful balance of both a viable solution , but also an art.

Falkirk Wheel is actually a big wheel, a symmetrical sink that can be closed is in each side.

When the boats need to drive to the low canal, the ship just need to aqueduct into the sink, and the sink will be closed, then the big wheel can turn a half circle to the low water level of the ship canal . Huge rotating bridge crane is equipped with 10 water pressure pumps can in 15 minutes , the four ships ( including water ) to 35 m lifting height  . 

At the same time, the other lifting arm will put down four ships. Because the entrie unit on both side of the tank is symmetrical, so after the boats went in, the weight of tank is nearly same on both sides. So the energy or power that needed is not very large. The Falkirk wheel greatly reduced the time that boats need to use between two canals that have a height difference. So the Falkirk Wheel is called a marvel of the 21st century engineering.

It's so amazing!