Lifts on the old Canal du Centre

* This name is listed on the World Heritage List. ª The region is classified by UNESCO.

The four hydraulic boat lifts of the Canal du Centre in Belgium were built in 1882-1917 and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998. They are still largely in its original condition. Since 2002, the cargo shipping drives no longer have the old lifts, but on the new Strépy -Thieu.

• 3.1 Hydraulic operation
• 3.2 Course of Hebe-/Senkvorgangs

History

Planning and construction

In 1802, Napoleon I to have build a canal from Brussels to Charleroi to the local coal mines in the then belonging to France part of today's Kingdom of Belgium. This channel was in 1832, two years after the independence of Belgium, completed. In the second half of the 19th century were planned, this canal Charleroi -Brussels Canal opened in 1817 with the de Mons à Condé connect to allow the inland waterways crossing the watershed between the Meuse and Scheldt. The new channel was later called the Canal du Centre.

In doing so, the problem arose between Thieu and Houdeng- Goegnies at a distance of just under seven kilometers a level difference of 66 meters to overcome. At the same time it was on the high plateau of Charleroi not enough natural watercourses to allow the use of locks. However, in 1875 went to England a building in operation, the technical principle could seem a solution to this problem possible, the Anderton Boat Lift. This lift could carry ships with a height difference of 15 meters compared to a lock extremely low water loss. The responsible for the construction of the elevator Anderton hydraulic engineer, Edwin Clark, presented in 1879 a plan to overcome working with the help of several on the same principle as Anderton boat lift works the height difference on the Thieu - Houdeng section.

1882 the Belgian government agreed to this plan. He saw four lifts of approximately equal dimensions before: the - highest - Lift # 1 in Houdeng- Goegnies with a lift height of 15.397 m, # 2 in Houdeng- of 16.934 m and # 3 in Bracquegnies and No. 4 in Thieu, each with 16.933 m.

Opening of the first elevator

Lift No. 1 was officially opened by the Belgian King Leopold II on June 4, 1888. Subsequently, however, flared up, given the high cost of building the ship lifts fierce debates about the economics of the project. Only in 1894 could therefore be terminated at the other three lift stations the masonry work. The further construction was delayed by up to 1910.

Opening of the canal

A few days after the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the Germans marched into Belgium. The German occupying force considered the channel be of strategic importance, which is why they ordered the continued construction. 1917 could then - this time due to the war without any celebrations - the other three lifts are put into operation, which the canal was navigable at full length.

World Heritage

1998 UNESCO decided to include the four boat lifts of the Canal du Centre in the list of world cultural heritage.

Accident in January 2002

A few months before the opening of the new boat lift Strepy -Thieu, on 17 January 2002 with a lift No. 1 to a spectacular crash: While a barge just left the elevator to the lower stance, suddenly heaved the trough. The vessel was broken into two parts, and the gating mechanism of the elevator has been destroyed. Fortunately there were no casualties, the ship's crew could time jump overboard. But that's the continuous ship traffic was interrupted by the opening of the new channel section.

Current operation

Since the accidental blocking of the elevator No. 1, the remaining plants were operated only for sport and recreational boating. Except for private boats go in the summer months once or twice daily excursion boats from the visitor center Cantine des Italiens by the drawworks No. 2 and No. 3 and back.

In March 2005, the repair and restoration work on the lift No. 1 began Meanwhile recommissioning was originally scheduled for the spring of 2009, but this deadline could not be met. In September 2009, work was completed on the obvious superstructure. Both troughs were in the lowered position in their concrete beds, but were not yet flooded again. In September 2010, one of the troughs was flooded again, the other was still working at the upper target. The ceremonial commissioning after repair finally took place on 8 June 2011.

Details

Technology

Hydraulic operation

The four boat lifts of the Canal du Centre are largely identical. It is ram - ship lifts. They operate on the same principle and were from the same engineer, Edwin Clark, planned as the Anderton Boat Lift in England, but are considerably larger ships designed as this. Unlike in Anderton and as well as in about the same time also designed by Clark Schiffshebewerk Les Fontinettes were here from the start gates also planned on the lower postures, so that lowering the troughs not go underwater, but in a dry concrete bed. The lifts are designed in twin design, so it always move in opposite directions both troughs.

Not only the hoist itself, even the most ancillary components such as gantry cranes for lifting and lowering the gates are hydraulically driven. The end, the necessary hydraulic pressure is generated in two power plants which are located at the lift No. 1 and No. 3 below.

Expiration of a Hebe-/Senkvorgangs

After the ships are driven into the respective troughs, hanging on overhead cranes gates are lowered. Then a staff member of the drawworks solves the seal between tub and masonry, so that the water can drain between channel and trough gates, and depends from the trough gates of the channel gates.

Thereafter, the valve is opened between the two hydraulic cylinders from the control room via a pivot linkage. The upper trough, which is due to the higher water level about 75 tons heavier than the lower trough, now lowers. The water displaces the plunger of the trough to lowering the cylinder flows through the valve into the other cylinder and thus lifts up the other trough. Through the valve, the water flow between the two cylinders, and hence the raising and lowering speed to be controlled.

Originally, the excess water should be sufficient in itself lowering trough to drive the entire Hebe-/Senkvorgang. Today is drained but usually after about half way additionally water from the heaving trough.