Canals used to be a vital part of transport systems in Europe, and are now a draw for tourists. However, changing levels used to involve a system of lochs which were time consuming and hard work. In Artzviller, Alsace, France, engineers came up with this interesting ‘boat escalator’. The engineering required to construct a lift like this requires considerable mathematics. But equally of interest is the creative thinking that found this solution. Which raises the interesting question: are there other alternatives for connecting two canals at different heights? View 2 View 3
