Strépy-Thieu boat lift

By the 1960s, this was no longer adequate for the new European standard of 1350 tonnes for barge traffic, and a replacement was sought.

[2] The structure at Strépy-Thieu consists of two independent counterweighted caissons which travel vertically between the upstream and downstream sections.

Four electric motors power eight winches per caisson via speed-reduction gearboxes and the 73.15-metre (240.0 ft) lift is completed in seven minutes.

The structure is massively reinforced to provide rigidity against torsional forces during operation and has a mass of approximately 200,000 tonnes.

[1] The vertically moving watertight gates are designed to withstand a 5 km/h (3.1 mph) impact from a 2000-tonne vessel.