RONQUIERES INCLINED PLANEA lock operating on the principle of a ramp, on which caissons filled with water move on rails, carrying barges and other inland waterway vessels.
Construction began in March 1962 and continued until April 1968, when took place official opening. This slipway is located on the Brussels-Charleroi Canal, in the province of Hainaut. It owes its name to the small town nearby where it was built. The lift was designed to carry boats weighing up to 3,150 tons. It was intended to replace fourteen old locks and thus shorten the time needed to traverse this section of the canal. |
Vertical Divider
Ronquieres inclined plane.
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Technical data:
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The inclined section of the Ronquieres lock consists of two concrete channels 1,432 metres long. Each channel is equipped with cassettes and a counterweight, which are connected by eight steel cables, each with a diameter of 55 mm.
Both caissons operate independently and can simultaneously transport one barge weighing up to 1,350 tons or several smaller barges. Each of the two caissons consists of 236 rolls (70 cm diameter each) and a counterweight with 204 rollers. |
Each car's rollers are grouped into two rows with 59 axles. The 5-ton caisson counterweight rides in a trough beneath the rail line. Typically, the caissons move along the inclined lock at a speed of 1.2 m/s. All lock maneuvers are controlled by the lock staff, who operate from a six-story tower at the top of the lock.
