PANAMA CANAL
Introduction
Panama Canal is a lock-type canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the narrow Isthmus of Panama. The length of the Panama Canal from the shoreline to the shoreline is about 40 miles (65 km) and from deep water in the Atlantic (more specifically, the Caribbean Sea) to deep water in the Pacific about 50 miles (82 km). The canal, which was completed in August 1914, is one of the two most strategic artificial waterways in the world, the other being the Suez Canal. Ships sailing between the east and west coasts of the United States, which otherwise would be obliged to round Cape Horn in South America, shorten their voyage by about 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km) by using the canal. Savings of up to 3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km) are also made on voyages between one coast of North America and ports on the other side of South America. Ships sailing between Europe and East Asia or Australia can save as much as 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km) by using the canal.
Physical Features
The length of the Panama Canal from the shoreline to the shoreline is about 40 miles (65 km) and from deep water in the Atlantic (more specifically, the Caribbean Sea) to deep water in the Pacific about 50 miles (82 km). It lies at a latitude of 9° N, at a point where the North American Continental Divide dips to one of its lowest points. The canal does not, as is generally supposed, cross the isthmus from east to west. It runs due south from its entrance at Colón on the Atlantic side through the Gatún Locks to a point in the widest portion of Gatún Lake; it then turns sharply toward the east and follows a course generally to the southeast until it reaches the Bay of Panama, on the Pacific side. Its terminus near Balboa is some 25 miles (40 km) east of its terminus near Colón. Parallel to the canal is the Panama Canal Railway and the Boyd-Roosevelt Highway.
In passing from the Atlantic to the Pacific, vessels enter the approach channel in Limón Bay, which extends a distance of about 7 miles (11 km) to the Gatún Locks. At Gatún a series of three locks lift vessels 85 feet (26 metres) to Gatún Lake. The lake, formed by Gatún Dam on the Chagres River and supplemented by waters from Alajuela Lake (Lake Madden; formed by the Madden Dam), covers an area of 166 square miles (430 square km). The channel through the lake varies in depth from 46 to 85 feet (14 to 26 metres) and extends for about 23 miles (37 km) to Gamboa. Gaillard (Culebra) Cut begins at Gamboa and passes through the Continental Divide. The channel through the cut has an average depth of about 43 feet (13 metres) and extends some 8 miles (13 km) to the Pedro Miguel Locks. The locks lower vessels 30 feet (9 metres) to Miraflores Lake, at an elevation of 52 feet (16 metres) above sea level. Vessels then pass through a channel almost 1.2 miles (2 km) long to the two-stepped locks at Miraflores, where they are lowered to sea level. The final segment of the canal is a dredged approach passage 7 miles long through which ships pass into the Pacific. Throughout its length the canal has a minimum bottom width of 500 feet (150 metres); in Gatún Lake the width of the channel varies between 500 and 1,000 feet (150 and 300 metres), and in Miraflores Lake, the width is 740 feet (225 metres).
Structural Aspects
Locks
The canal locks operate by gravity flow of water from Gatún, Alajuela, and Miraflores lakes, which are fed by the Chagres and other rivers. The locks themselves are of uniform length, width, and depth and were built in pairs to permit the simultaneous transit of vessels in either direction. Each lock gate has two leaves, 65 feet (20 metres) wide and 6.5 feet (2 metres) thick, set on hinges. The gates range in height from 46 to 82 feet (14 to 25 metres); their movement is powered by electric motors recessed in the lock walls. They are operated from a control tower, which is located on the wall that separates each pair of locks and from which the flooding or emptying of the lock chambers is also controlled. The lock chambers are 1,000 feet (300 metres) long, 110 feet (33 metres) wide, and 40 feet (12 metres) deep.
Because of the delicate nature of the original lock mechanisms, only small craft are allowed to pass through the locks unassisted. Larger craft is guided by electric towing locomotives, which operate on cog tracks on the lock walls and serve to keep the ships centred in the lock. Before a lock can be entered, a fender chain, stretched between the walls of the approach, must be passed. If all is proceeding properly, that chain will be dropped into its groove at the bottom of the channel. If by any chance the ship is moving too rapidly for safety, the chain will remain stretched and the vessel will run against it. The chain, which is operated by hydraulic machinery in the walls, then will pay out slowly by automatic release until the vessel has been brought to a stop. If the vessel should get away from the towing locomotive and, breaking through the chain, ram the first gate, a second gate, 50 feet (15 metres) away will protect the lock and arrest further advance.
The third lock systems of the Third Set of Locks Project, begun in 2007, were inspired by the Berendrecht lock in Antwerp, Belgium, and water-saving basins used in canals in Germany. Some 190,000 tons of steel, mostly from Mexico, are entrenched in heavily reinforced concrete to build the lock chambers on the Atlantic and Pacific sides, and the new lock gates measure up to 33 feet (10 metres) wide, 98 feet (30 metres) high, and 190 feet (58 metres) long. The new chambers and basins, which will control the water flowing from Gatún Lake, were designed to minimize the turbulence of water flow and the disturbance to transiting vessels. The basins were completed in June 2016 and included 158 valves consisting of 20,000 tons of structural material. Officials say those water-saving basins are the largest in the world and facilitate a 60 per cent reuse of water. Whereas the existing locks use 52 million gallons (197 million litres) with each use, the new locks use 48 million gallons (182 million litres).
Breakwaters
Long breakwaters have been constructed near the approach channels in both oceans. Breakwaters extend from the west and east sides of Limón Bay; the west breakwater protects the harbour against severe gales, and the east one reduces silting in the canal channel. On the Pacific side, a causeway extends from Balboa to three small islands (Naos, Perico, and Flamenco). It diverts crosscurrents that carry soft material from the shallow harbour of Panama City into the canal channel.
Some Facts
1. The idea for a canal across Panama dates back to the 16th century.
2. The men behind the Suez Canal and Eiffel Tower were convicted in connection with failed effort to build a canal.
3. America originally wanted to build a canal in Nicaragua, not Panama.
4. More than 25,000 workers died during the canal’s construction.
5. Between 13,000 and 14,000 ships use the canal every year.
6. The United States transferred control of the canal to Panama in 1999.
The Panama Canal is a must-visit place for every civil engineer. This wonder of engineering, first conceived and built 100 years ago, has changed the shipping and tourism industries. It has brought us all closer and made the world flatter by allowing an easier flow of goods and people.
Hope you had a great read!!
Author: Hussan Aulakh
