Watertight Gate Mechanism

About

About Traditional locks for inland waterways and tidal docks have used the mitre gate since their first documented use in the 15th Century. The continued use of these gates is testament to their reliability in resisting a head of water and allowing efficient opening and closing. During the intervening years, the basic principles have not changed, however mitre gates do have an inherent weakness in that they cannot resist a reverse head, ie the exterior water level is higher than the retained level. In such conditions, the resulting pressure pushes the gate open leading to flood conditions in the impound area. Glasgow Caledonian University have developed a novel engineering solution to increase the mitre gates ability to resist a reverse head. The solution has been successfully deployed to lock gates along a canal in Ireland. Key Benefits Resistance to surge tides force-opening existing gates to docks and canals  Greater control of incoming water due to tidal variations Reduced risk of flooding inboard of the lock Allows more flexible use of canal/dock for water storage following periods of heavy rainfall Ease of response to abnormal tidal levels Applications Any port or canal with exposure to tidal variation Inland waterways with potential use for flood risk storage IP Status Technology was granted as a European patent which has now lapsed.