The Thames Barrier (Thames Barrier)

Member Name: Beanie8844

Product:	Thames Barrier
Date:	22/10/08 (60 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: saves London from flooding

Disadvantages: looks quite ugly

I first saw the Thames Barrier when I was taken on a pleasure boat trip up the River Thames as a young lad by my parents, I remember being intrigued by it and began quizzing my father all about which I'm sure he was delighted with! The Thames Barrier is a flood control measure spanning the width of the river. Apparently it has been used over one hundred times and as recently as March of last year.

When looking at the barrier it is quite impressive even if it is rather ugly! At the point which it has been built the river is over five hundred yards wide. The barrier covers this complete section and breaks the river into four different sections, each approximately two hundred feet in length. When looking at the barrier above sea-level it doesn't appear to be a barrier at all, just four Sydney opera house shaped structures spanning the river. Most of the barrier is actually underwater. These can be raised using hydraulic winches which raise the barrier by rotating it through ninety degrees. Each of the four segments then lock into place to complete a wall like structure which blocks the whole width of the river.

The barrier officially opened in May 1984 and total construction costs reached £534,000,000. It doesn't really get as much recognition as it deserves because it is great at it's job, protecting London from the threat of flooding due to storm surges which travel down the North Sea and into the River Thames. It is also the second largest flood barrier in the world, the largest being in the Netherlands for obvious reasons due to the fact that the majority of the country is at or below sea-level.

I hope you have found this review quite interesting.

Summary: quite an impressive structure