Video: There are a lot of logistical problems that pop up when you build a 181m structure like the Three Gorges Dam in China’s Hubei province. For example, how do ships navigate the sudden extreme difference in water heights on either side of the dam? That’s an easy one. You just build the world’s largest elevator capable of lifting 3 million kilograms of boat and water.
The recently opened elevator, which itself weighs some 14,000 tonnes, can lift ships and freighters 113m and is expected to increase the shipping capacity of the dam by 5.4 million tonnes of goods every year. It previously took ships over three hours to navigate and get through the dam. The elevator reduces that to just 40 minutes — although, 40 minutes of elevator music could actually feel like an eternity.
The World’s Largest Elevator Can Lift 3000 Tonnes Of Ship
