The replacement of Locks and Dam 26, Upper Mississippi River at Alton, Illinois , has been an extremely controversial project. One of the central points of this controversy is the capacity of these locks to process the traffic transiting this portion of the waterway system; the capacity is measured in tons of commodities moved by the tows passing through these locks . The determination of a capacity value for Locks and Dam 26 and adjacent locks is the subject of this report. Methods of determining the capacity of a lock are discussed in the first part of the report. Consideration of all factors influencing a lock's capacity and the interrelationship of these factors are discussed. Based on this consideration and the interest shown in having an easy-to-apply, straightforward method for calculating lock capacities, a new methodology for computing lock capacities was developed and is presented herein. Results from such a computation are compared with those obtained using a simulation modeling approach. An analysis of the basic data used in determining lock capacity from the most recent data available revealed some notable changes in characteristics of the traffic. This analysis is presented with significant differences noted. Based on the latest data describing the traffic and lock operating characteristics, the capacity of Locks and Dam 26 is computed using the new computation methodology. The capacity was computed based on several different assumptions to test the sensitivity of the capacity values. It was found that the capacity is very sensitive to changes in the traffic characteristics and lockage timings. Capacities of adjacent locks on the Mississippi River were also computed. Data from locks on the Illinois River were not available in a usable form._x000D_ _x000D_ NOTE: This file is large. Allow your browser several minutes to download the file.
Sensitivity of Base Data in the Analysis of Lock Capacity: A Case Study of Locks and Dam 26, Mississippi River
Technical Report ; HL-79-11
1979
15815322
Report
Electronic Resource
English
Single-Valve Prototype Tests, Main Lock, Locks and Dam 26, Mississippi River, Alton, Illinois
HENRY – Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute (BAW) | 1970
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