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The water tower is 150 feet tall and resides on top of a hill on the campus of King Fahd University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Access to the level where the clock movements are, required climbing a 100 foot rung ladder in 115 to 120 degree heat. Note the water pipe next to the ladder to supply the tank above. |
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The old movements were installed on all four sides of the tower in 1971. Harsh conditions, including sand storms and extreme heat, caused the old movements to fail. We disassembled them as much as possible using mechanical means. The remaining plate was largely cut away using a torch. The center arbor with hands still attached on the outside were then lowered by rope to the ground below. |
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When clean rectangular openings were made where the old movements were, the new movements were hoisted up. If you look carefully at the center of this photograph, you can see the new movement with a 24 inch diameter aluminum disk and hands already installed starting up. A steel cable from the hoist on the roof was used along with two control ropes. |
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We custom configured a hoist on top of the tower. The system we devised using this hoist eliminated the need for an expensive crane or scaffolding. The key was using a 24 inch diameter plate that was painted to match the tower to cover the opening for the movement on the outside and hoisting everything up preassembled. |
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Here you get a good view of the movement, reddish mounting frame, aluminum disk, and hands pointing straight up, preassembled and ready to pull into the opening. |
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Once the movement was pulled into the opening from the inside, temporary straps were installed to prevent an unexpected fall before permanent mounting was done. A dense foam gasget was used between the back of the aluminum disk and the outside concrete surface of the tower to seal against rain and sand. |
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One of my hosts, Mr. Madan Al-Zati, gave me this head dress to wear during the day when outside. I was there in July, and the sun and heat can get downright dangerous. I tried to schedule most of the work on the roof early in the morning or in the evenings. |
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This Mosque was about a block away form where I stayed. The architecture is very impressive. Prayers five times a day were announced from the tower with loud speakers. The green grass is a rarety there and is the result of almost constant watering. |
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The Saudis are very private people. All the homes that I saw on the University compound had high hedges or walls and gates covered in translucent material. There were some beautiful designs and a nice variety of styles. |
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Here, one of the four movements is mechanically installed with angle iron and the back plate has been removed in preparation for wiring. A very talented electrician from Morraco, Abderahim, assited by running cables through pre-existing conduit. The clock controller for all four movements was installed 100 feet below at the first level. |
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This photo shows the bottom of the tower with the ever present arched designs. The blue mote around the tower normally is filled with water, however, the tower was being prepared to have the tank recoated and there was no water in the tower or the mote.
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From left to right in this photo are, Abderahim, (myself), and Abrahim. I worked closely with these two gentlemen and others and grew to appreciate their skills and sense of humor. I made a number of friends while I was in Saudi Arabia and hope to go back again sometime. |