Mechelen-Zuid Water Tower
Encyclopedia
The Mechelen-Zuid Water Tower is a 143 metre high concrete water and telecommunications tower constructed in 1978. Since 1979, it has supplied the water to the city of Mechelen
, Belgium, while also hosting television and telecommunications aerials. The concrete spire passes through a wide disc holding water fifty metres above the ground. Higher up, a smaller disc supports telecommunications equipment. Topped by a decorative stainless steel tube, it is claimed to be the highest water tower in the world.
The tower was constructed at an estimated cost of 85 million Belgian franc
s in 1978.
The circular foundation is formed by 127 piles supporting a 19.6 m diameter concrete foundation slab up to 3 m thick at the centre which is 3.2m below ground level. It supports a tall conical hollow shaft of reinforced concrete which rises 120 m above ground level. The base is 9.2 m wide with a constant 0.65 m wall thickness to 44 m above ground at which point the shaft funnels outward to a thickness of 1.84 m over a 7.8m distance,above this is a 1m high and and 10.64m wide ring beam which supports the water tank, a shallow bi-conical structure 40 m in diameter of 2,500m3 capacity. Above this container the towers's wall thickness is 0.50 m thick, diminishing to 0.20 m; it reaches the smallest diameter of 3.40m at 120 m. The top of the tower is capped by a 20 m decorative stainless steel structure which narrows from 170 cm to 65 cm at the top, which supports a red warning beacon
, a 3m pole of 15 cm diameter, and a lightning rod
.
The main body of the supporting shaft was built up by slip forming
. Around it, the water tank was constructed in prestressed concrete at ground level: Stiffness is provided by 0.35 m thick walls, which subdivide it into sixteen sectors
. The 0.30 m thick tank bottom is angled at 17° to the horizontal, the top surface is shallower. The container was raised into its final position by cables: once in position the lifting cables were used to support the tank body from the ring beam on the shaft, being tensioned within concrete columns. Finally the base of the tank was concreted to the tower shaft.
s) were positioned above the water tank.
Mechelen
Mechelen Footnote: Mechelen became known in English as 'Mechlin' from which the adjective 'Mechlinian' is derived...
, Belgium, while also hosting television and telecommunications aerials. The concrete spire passes through a wide disc holding water fifty metres above the ground. Higher up, a smaller disc supports telecommunications equipment. Topped by a decorative stainless steel tube, it is claimed to be the highest water tower in the world.
Planning, design, and construction
This water tower was built to supply an increased demand for water due to the growth of the Mechelen population, and of industry around the city. In March 1977, the City commissioned a design for a water tower with telecom purposes from local engineering firm ITH, who contacted Professor Fernand Mortelmans (University of Leuven), who had been involved with the water tower at Mechelen's northern industrial estate.The tower was constructed at an estimated cost of 85 million Belgian franc
Belgian franc
The franc was the currency of Belgium until 2002 when the euro was introduced into circulation. It was subdivided into centimes , 100 centiem or Centime .-History:...
s in 1978.
The circular foundation is formed by 127 piles supporting a 19.6 m diameter concrete foundation slab up to 3 m thick at the centre which is 3.2m below ground level. It supports a tall conical hollow shaft of reinforced concrete which rises 120 m above ground level. The base is 9.2 m wide with a constant 0.65 m wall thickness to 44 m above ground at which point the shaft funnels outward to a thickness of 1.84 m over a 7.8m distance,above this is a 1m high and and 10.64m wide ring beam which supports the water tank, a shallow bi-conical structure 40 m in diameter of 2,500m3 capacity. Above this container the towers's wall thickness is 0.50 m thick, diminishing to 0.20 m; it reaches the smallest diameter of 3.40m at 120 m. The top of the tower is capped by a 20 m decorative stainless steel structure which narrows from 170 cm to 65 cm at the top, which supports a red warning beacon
Aircraft warning lights
Aircraft warning lights are high-intensity lighting devices that are attached to tall structures and are used as collision avoidance measures. Such devices make structures more visible to passing aircraft and are usually used at night, although they may be used during the day as well...
, a 3m pole of 15 cm diameter, and a lightning rod
Lightning rod
A lightning rod or lightning conductor is a metal rod or conductor mounted on top of a building and electrically connected to the ground through a wire, to protect the building in the event of lightning...
.
The main body of the supporting shaft was built up by slip forming
Slip forming
This article is about pouring concrete in moving forms. See Slipform stonemasonry for another type of slip forming.Slip forming, continuous poured, continuously formed, or slipform construction is a construction method in which concrete is poured into a continuously moving form...
. Around it, the water tank was constructed in prestressed concrete at ground level: Stiffness is provided by 0.35 m thick walls, which subdivide it into sixteen sectors
Circular sector
A circular sector or circle sector, is the portion of a disk enclosed by two radii and an arc, where the smaller area is known as the minor sector and the larger being the major sector. In the diagram, θ is the central angle in radians, r the radius of the circle, and L is the arc length of the...
. The 0.30 m thick tank bottom is angled at 17° to the horizontal, the top surface is shallower. The container was raised into its final position by cables: once in position the lifting cables were used to support the tank body from the ring beam on the shaft, being tensioned within concrete columns. Finally the base of the tank was concreted to the tower shaft.
Other equipment
A 10 m diameter platform at about 100 m supports the television transmission equipment, other telecommunications equipment (Parabolic antennaParabolic antenna
A parabolic antenna is an antenna that uses a parabolic reflector, a curved surface with the cross-sectional shape of a parabola, to direct the radio waves. The most common form is shaped like a dish and is popularly called a dish antenna or parabolic dish...
s) were positioned above the water tank.
Sources
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