Many navigation projects on the Upper Mississippi River and Ohio River systems are proposing lock additions, enlargements and/or repairs to meet the predicted increases in tow traffic. Innovative designs are being considered for project components to save construction, operation, and maintenance costs. A large savifngs in lock-wall construction costs can be realized if the lock filling and emptying culverts are placed inside the lock chamber rather than within the lock wall, as in traditional practice. Culverts placed inside the chamber can also accommodate the innovative lift-in and float-in construction techniques under consideration. This filling and emptying system, with the culverts in the lock chamber, was designated the In-Chamber Longitudinal Culvert System (ILCS). This paper describes the applicability of the ILCS concept to both 1270-ft (387-m) and 870-ft (265-m) long lock chambers, which has been demonstrated by site-specific model studies conducted by the U.S. Army Engineer Waterways experiment station. Synthesis of these experimental results has led to general guidance suitable to design of this innovative lock system, providing a safe and efficient hydraulic configuration that is less costly than conventional systems.
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