The Thames Barrier is a retractable flood barrier system built to protect the floodplain of most of Greater London from exceptionally high tides and storm surges moving up from the North Sea. Operational since 1982, it is closed and raised during high tide and reopened at low tide to restore the flow of the river to the sea, and it sits about two miles east of the Isle of Dogs, with its northern bank in Silvertown and its southern bank in the New Charlton area of Greenwich.
Facts
SignificanceThe Thames Barrier is a retractable barrier system built to protect the floodplain of most of Greater London from exceptionally high tides and storm surges moving up from the North Sea. 1 FAQs
How often does the Thames Barrier close?
It was expected to close two or three times a year but has averaged six or seven in recent decades.
When it was built, the Thames Barrier was expected to be used two or three times a year. By the mid-2000s it was being operated six or seven times a year. In the 2010s the median was about two closures a year, but the average stayed at six or seven because of an extreme 50 closures in the winter of 2013 to 2014, described as the wettest winter in recorded history.
Who designed the rising sector gates of the Thames Barrier?
Charles Draper devised the gate concept, and Rendel, Palmer and Tritton designed the barrier.
The concept of the rising sector gates was devised by Reginald Charles Draper, who built a working model in 1969. His rotating cylinders were based on the design of the taps on his gas cooker. The barrier itself was designed by Rendel, Palmer and Tritton for the Greater London Council.
Sources
1. Thames Barrier (Wikipedia)
Wikipedialead section, first paragraph, operational-since sentence
It has been operational since 1982.
lead section, first paragraph, opening sentence on flood-protection purpose
The Thames Barrier is a retractable barrier system built to protect the floodplain of most of Greater London from exceptionally high tides and storm surges moving up from the North Sea.
status sentence
Operational since 1982, it is closed and raised during high tide and reopened at low tide to restore the flow of the river to the sea, and it sits about two miles east of the Isle of Dogs, with its northern bank in Silvertown and its southern bank in the New Charlton area of Greenwich.
In Group: Flood Defence and Land Reclamation Works, Introduction
The Thames Barrier is a retractable barrier system built to protect the floodplain of most of Greater London from exceptionally high tides and storm surges moving up from the North Sea.
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