Flood transfer 'Andělská hora'

We call a transporter (T.B.) a transportation system that uses a gondola (carriage), suspended on pulleys, running on a specially modified truss to transport across an obstacle. It is a certain modification of a cable car.
Transporters have been used for several centuries. Their most common location is at the mouths of ports. There, it is necessary to maintain a large clear height for large vessels. However, the gondola (T.B.) moves at the level of the waterfront, which is the most comfortable for passengers.
Prof. ing. arch. Mirko Baum from T.H. Aachen realized T.B. in the Ruhr area on the Niers River in 2003. This brought this classic system back into the awareness of contemporaries. Its intimate scale created a beautiful model useful for people. We were inspired by this realization and proposed a similar device to replace the pedestrian bridge in Chrastava - Andělská hora, which was destroyed by floods.
In contrast to the T.B. in the Ruhr area, which is entirely metallic, we constructed the T.B. in Andělská hora from debarked tree trunks. This results in a structure closer to nature, but with similar static properties. The economics of the wooden variant is significantly more favorable compared to metal. There can be no doubt about the ecological aspects in favor of wood.
The fixed horizontal part of the T.B. is sufficiently high above the water level with a reserve of 3.2 m above the level of a 500-year flood. The vertical supports are hidden behind stable obstacles, and the carriage (gondola) can be tilted by 90° so that it is above the flood level of the river. Thus, the T.B. becomes a means with significantly higher flood resistance.


Design and Operational Principles
When designing the T.B., we adhered to several important principles. Let’s try to summarize them in points:
- The structure (except for the foundations) forms a kit that can be dismantled and rebuilt at another location.
- The basic load-bearing elements are made of wood – we use debarked trunks.
- Steel only forms the connecting and supporting parts.
- The entire system is very simple and economical.
- It is completely safe.
- The transport capacity is 6 people or 3 people + a stroller or 4 people and 2 bicycles.
- The movement of the carriage is by manual pulling of the drive cable.
- During periods of high water, the system is taken out of service and the carriage is tilted to a horizontal position.
- At the user's request, the T.B. can be illuminated.
- Transportation is governed by a transport schedule posted on both banks.