The Falkirk Wheel has transformed the world

Along with the Forth Bridge, The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has announced that the Falkirk Wheel is amongst the top 200 influential people and projects, past and present, which illustrate how civil engineering has shaped the world and transformed people’s lives for the better.

The Falkirk Wheel, built in 2002 as part of the Millennium link project to reunite the Forth and Clyde and Union Canals in Scotland, is the only fully rotating boat lift in the world.

To mark the ICE’s 200th anniversary, and to support the UK Government’s Year of Engineering and the Scottish Government’s Year of Young People, the Institution is highlighting 200 inspirational and world-changing projects from around the world throughout 2018.

Nominated by the ICE’s members and selected by an expert panel, the chosen projects illustrate serve as an opportunity to remind the general public that civil engineers transform their lives for the better and safeguard the future for their families.

Sara Thiam, Director ICE Scotland, said: “With 200 people and projects we hope, as part of our ICE 200 bicentennial celebrations, to be able to shine a light on how civil engineers transform people’s lives in our communities.

“These projects showcase how civil engineering paves the way to modern life and how it continues to tackle the problems of today, safeguarding the future for generations to come.”

This platform has been designed to help promote the career of civil engineering after it was revealed that only 45% of adults know what the career entails and only 35% of young people could tell you what a civil engineer does.

The Falkirk Wheel and the Forth Bridge will also join the 200 projects which will be published throughout the year on the What Is Civil Engineering? pages of the ICE website.