China has ships the size of buildings that sail on mountains. All thanks to the largest elevators in the world

China is the cradle of record mega -structures. They build in all dimensions (they have unnoticing skyscrapers in the world and deeper oil well) and, on many occasions, they are extremely complicated works, such as the Gaoligongshan tunnel or that of Huajiang Great Canyon Bridge. Something that also abounds in China are pharaonic dams, being the Three throats The biggest in the world. And something that these dams need are elevators, but not for people: for ships.

And the elevator systems of both dams are so imposing that they allow ships of up to 3,000 tons to “sail” through the sky.

The classic solution. There are dams and prey. When one of these structures is built, the river navigation flow. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter too much because that river was not a key communication route for trade, but other times it is necessary to devise a solution to have a prey without interfering in the activity of the ships.

The solution is the one used in channels like Panama or Suez: huge and sealed cameras that are filled with water when a ship enters so that it can overcome the unevenness and continue its path. Or vice versa when you want to “go down.” The problem is that it is a system that requires a lot of time and transit is resent.

And the revolution. The solution to this? Elevator systems such as those we use daily, but for ships. A close example is that of the Falkirk wheel in Scotlanda rotating elevator with a combined capacity of 600 tons that allows the barges of the channel to follow its course. Each of the drawers has the capacity for two ships up to 20 meters in length and seeing it in operation is most curious because it is like a fair attraction:

Now, as we say: 20 meters of length is the maximum and 600 tons is not so much weight. They are the dimensions for passenger ships that navigate a channel, but China needed the Commercial ship traffic He did not stop at two of his great dams. And the solution they found is the one we used to see in the country’s constructions: bombastic elevators.

The three throats. The three throats dam is imposing in every way. Located on the Yangtsé River, it has an installed power of 22,500 MW for hydroelectric energyhas a height of about 185 meters and a total length of 2,335 meters. It is the Great Chinese Aquatic Wall. To maintain an annual traffic of almost 30,000 ships, including Cruises and Portenerosomething had to be done, and in 2016 they finished the Huge elevator.

It is a vertical elevator that is how we imagine that it should be an elevator for ships: a huge bathtub of 120 meters long and 18 wide, tens of steel cables and a powerful pulley system that have the ability to displace ships up to 3,000 tons. The total lifting weight, including chamber and water, is 15,500 tons.

It covers 113 meters high and, three hours of total journey, it is passed to about 40 minutes. It is something that is sought to expand to increase the movement capacity of 18 ships daily to a larger amount and here you have it in operation:

That of the Goupitan dam. Now, although imposing due to its dimensions and load capacity, its design is more functional than aesthetic. However, the elevator system of the Goupitan dam It is another song. Located on the WU River, which is a tributary of Yangtsé, has a length of 430 meters and a height of 232 meters. It stands out not so much for its installed energy capacity of 3,000 MW, but for its channel -shaped elevators system.

Unlike the three throats, to save the unevenness caused by the dam, engineers devised a system of three vertical elevators connected by channels. The maximum boat capacity is 500 tons and the camera is much smaller (40 x 12 meters), but the relevant is the total height of those 199 meters that save the ships. And the times? About two hours in total for the entire route, but its design channel design reduces bottlenecks.

Tourist point. The system of channels and elevators of the Goupitan dam ended in 2021 and was a technical headache by connecting several small elevators with each other, as well as a system of channels that, in some case, surrounds one of the mountains. It was a way to demonstrate the technical capacities of the country, but it has also become a tourist point that goes viral in networks due to how attractive it is to see a ship sailing on the mountains.

And, although the elevator of the three throats can be boring, it is also a tourist claim, with cruises that include the elevator on your route.

Australia, heat what you go out. But, if something is teaching us the Battle of the towers between Saudi Arabia and Arab Emirateswe are in a constant search to overcome ourselves when we talk about megaconstructions, and it is already under construction that will be the new largest stocks for ships in the world, at least by weight: the Darwin Ship Lift Facity.

It will be in Australia and it will be an elevator 103 meters long, 26 wide and capacity for vessels of up to 5,500 tons. It is designed to serve fishing vehicles, cruises, border defense, energy and container. Now, the distance to save is just … six meters. Much less impressive than the other great elevators that are worldwide because it will be a maintenance platform, not something to save a height between two sections of a river.

Images | Google Maps, Fredlyfish4, Le Grand PortaGederIVATIVE

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