Peterborough Lift Lock

Peterborough Lift Lock is a National Historic Site of Canada in Peterborough, Ontario.

Ontario · 220 Hunter Street East, Peterborough, Ontario · location approximate

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THE PETERBOROUGH LIFT LOCK Opened in 1904, with a lift of 19.8 metres, this is the highest hydraulic lift lock in the world and the first of two built in North America, both on the Trent-Severn Waterway. It operates on a balance principle. A constant water pressure supports each ram through connecting pipes below ground. When extra water is let into the upper chamber, a connecting valve is opened and the heavier chamber automatically descends, forcing up the lower chamber to start a new cycle. Among innovations made on this lift were the use of concrete, air-filled seals, drop gates, and cast-steel presses for the rams.

Français

L'ASCENSEUR À BATEAUX DE PETERBOROUGH Inauguré en 1904, cet ascenseur à bateaux est le plus haut au monde avec une dénivellation de 19.8 mètres. Il est aussi le premièr des deux construites en Amérique du Nord sur la Voie navigable Trent-Severn. Par des conduits souterrains, l'eau, à pression constante, supporte les pistons. Quand le bac supérieur s'emplit d'un excédent d'eau, une vanne en communication s'ouvre pour le laisser descendre et faire monter l'autre, selon le principe du balancier. Citons, entre autres innovations, l'emploi du béton, les joints pneumatiques d'étanchéité, les portes levantes et les cylindres des pistons en acier coulé.

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This plaque text is recorded in the Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, published by Parks Canada for the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. Plaque texts come from the Directory’s open dataset in the languages the Directory publishes them in; the pin on this page is ours, worked out from the Directory’s street address or local area and marked approximate. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
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