TAINTER GATE

OPERATION
AND
MAINTENANCE
by
Dr. B.T.A. Sagar & C. Hutton

USCOLD ANNUAL LECTURE

JULY 11, 2000
THE TAINTER GATE
Developed by Jeremiah
Burnham Tainter in 1886
for Menomonie Dam on
the Red Cedar River in
Wisconsin

Clever design that uses

flowing water to open
and close gate
THE TAINTER GATE

Designed to instantly
release enough water
from the mill pond to
allow the ponderous
"Red River strings" of
lumber to float down to
Dunnville and the larger
Chippewa River
 THE TAINTER GATE
(1886 - 1986)
• 321 Tainter gates on upper Mississippi
River Basin dams and locks from
Minneapolis to St. Louis
• 195 Tainter Gates in the Columbia River
Basin on 26 dams, including Bonneville and
Grand Coulee dams
• 1,000’s more on other dams worldwide

Ref: Where the Wild Rice Grows, Edited by Larry Lynch and John Russell
Published by the Menomonie Sesquicentennial Committee
 FOLSOM FAILURE
EMPHASIZED
• Accounting for trunnion pin friction in
gate design
• Proper and frequent lubrication of the
trunnion pins with dependable greases
• Checking the structural integrity of
existing gates with appropriate trunnion
friction
 FOLSOM FAILURE
EMPHASIZED
• Strengthening the gates if they do not
meet structural code requirements
• Periodic detailed close-up climbing
inspection of all gate components to
check for corrosion and other deficiencies
• Strengthening or replacement of corroded
gate components including rivets or bolts
OPERATION & MAINTENANCE
CONSIDERATIONS
• Wire Rope Failures
• Wire Rope and Chain Maintenance
• Trunnion Lubrication
• Drainage of Gate Members
• Overtopping Design
OPERATION & MAINTENANCE
CONSIDERATIONS

• Painting / Lead Paint Removal

• Standby Power
• Gate Vibrations
• Gate Jamming
• Motor Stall Torque
 WIRE ROPE FAILURE
ISSUES

• Corrosion at water line

• Corrosion at connections
• Galvanic action due to zinc in wire
rope sockets
• Overstressing due to drum design
WIRE ROPE FAILURE
PROBLEMS
Multilayer wire
rope hoist drum

Problem: round
wire rope causes
high stresses and
accelerated wear
WIRE ROPE FAILURE
ISSUES
Corroded wire
rope connection

Problem: stainless
steel leaf with
carbon steel
bracket
 WIRE ROPE FAILURE
SOLUTIONS

• Replacement with stainless steel

• Replacement of wire rope every 5 years
• Research to understand galvanic
corrosion between stainless steel and
zinc
 WIRE ROPE DESIGN
SOLUTIONS
• Wire rope should be 6 × 37, preformed,
lang lay, independent wire rope core,
18-8 chrome-nickel corrosion-resisting
steel
• For multilayer hoist drum-winding, use
6 × 30 Type G, lang lay, independent
wire rope core, flattened strand wire
rope
 WIRE ROPE DESIGN
REFERENCE

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Engineering Manual EM 1110-2-2703
30 June 1994
Engineering and Design
LOCK GATES AND OPERATING
EQUIPMENT
 WIRE ROPE AND CHAIN
MAINTENANCE
ISSUES
• Binding due to corrosion
• Part of chain or wire rope submerged
– Difficult to lubricate
– Difficult to inspect
• Lubrication frequency
• Lubricant environmental issues
WIRE ROPE AND CHAIN
MAINTENANCE
Tension
linkage chain
(roller chain)
with pins,
rollers and
sidebars
WIRE ROPE AND CHAIN
MAINTENANCE
Divers required
to lubricate
submerged
chain
WIRE ROPE AND CHAIN
MAINTENANCE

Broken guard
due to
binding of
chain
WIRE ROPE AND CHAIN
MAINTENANCE
Damaged
hoist frame
due to
operator error
and lack of
limit switch &
torque limiter
WIRE ROPE AND CHAIN
MAINTENANCE
Link type
lifting chain
and hoist
drum
 WIRE ROPE AND CHAIN
MAINTENANCE
SOLUTIONS
• Stainless steel pins with self
lubricating bushings
• Hoist modification for wire rope
• Regular periodic operation
• Bulkhead or stoplogs for access
• Environmentally acceptable lubricants
TRUNNION LUBRICATION
AND FRICTION
ISSUES
• Access
• Frozen grease ports
• Frozen pins
• Frequency of lubrication
• Type of lubricant
 TRUNNION LUBRICATION

Difficult access
TRUNNION LUBRICATION

Frozen pins
 TRUNNION LUBRICATION

Remote lubrication lines

 TRUNNION LUBRICATION
AND FRICTION
SOLUTIONS

• Provide access
• Remote / automatic lubrication
• Lubricate before and while operating
• Use bulkhead to avoid wasting water
 TRUNNION LUBRICATION
AND FRICTION
REFERENCE

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Engineering Manual EM 1110-2-1424
28 February 1999
Engineering and Design
LUBRICANTS AND HYDRAULIC FLUIDS
 DRAINAGE OF GATE
MEMBERS
ISSUES
• Often overlooked in design
• Holes too small
• Inadequate removal of debris
• Premature coating deterioration
• Shortened life span of gate
DRAINAGE OF GATE
MEMBERS
Girder and
arm
corrosion
due to poor
maintenance
and clogged
drain holes
 DRAINAGE OF GATE
MEMBERS
SOLUTIONS

• Add drain holes where needed

• Enlarge drain holes
• Minimum size 1”x2” oblong or 2”dia
• Clean gate at least annually to
remove debris
 OVERTOPPING DESIGN
ISSUES
• Inadequate spillway capacity
• Increased runoff in watershed
• Loss of reservoir storage capacity
• Human error or slow response
• Loss of emergency power supply
• Mechanical or electrical failure
 OVERTOPPING DESIGN
REALITY

ARE WE WILLING TO TAKE THE RISK?

IT HAS HAPPENED AT SEVERAL DAMS

 OVERTOPPING DESIGN
SOLUTION
• Ogee crest on top of gate
• Side shields to protect gate arms
• Redundant emergency power supply
• Redundant control systems
• Increased spillway design capacity
• Provides skimming capability
OVERTOPPING DESIGN

Ogee Lip
 OVERTOPPING DESIGN

Tainter Gates with ogee lip and side

shields designed for overtopping
 PAINTING / LEAD PAINT
REMOVAL
ISSUES
• Resources Conservation and
Recovery ACT (RCRA)
• Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA)
 PAINTING / LEAD PAINT
REMOVAL
SOLUTIONS
• Field & laboratory tests to detect
existence and content of lead paint
• Paint over existing coating (adhesion
tests)
• Remove lead paint and apply new
coating
 PAINTING / LEAD PAINT
REMOVAL
COATINGS
• Alkyd enamel and aluminum
• Vinyl
• Coal tar epoxy
• Epoxy polyamide coating
• Thermal coating (metalizing with zinc)
 PAINTING
REFERENCE

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Engineering Manual EM 1110-2-3400
30 April 1995
Engineering and Design
PAINTING: NEW CONSTRUCTION AND
MAINTENANCE
 METALIZING
REFERENCE

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Engineering Manual EM 1110-2-3401
Engineering and Design
THERMAL SPRAYING: NEW
CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE
29 January 1999
 METALIZING
REFERENCE

International Metalizing Corporation

www.intmetl.com
 STANDBY POWER
ISSUES

• Lack of maintenance
• Lack of periodic exercising
• Untrained personnel
 STANDBY POWER
SOLUTIONS
• Regular periodic maintenance
• Periodic exercising under load
• Portable engine generator and
operator
• Backup emergency power supply
 GATE VIBRATIONS
ISSUES

• Improper gate bottom geometry and

bottom seal configuration
• Use of J-seal on bottom of gate
• Impingement of gate members
 GATE VIBRATIONS
SOLUTIONS

• Prevention of jet impingement on

gate members at the bottom during
underflow
• Provision of a thin rectangular seal
at the bottom of the gate
 GATE JAMMING
ISSUES
• Bulging of concrete due to
aggregate-silica-reaction
• Trash or debris between gate and
pier
• Uneven chain or rope pull
• Infrequent lubrication and seizing of
guide rollers
GATE JAMMING

Tainter gate side

shoe with rollers
that can sieze and
cause gate
jamming
 GATE JAMMING
SOLUTIONS
• Trimming of pier concrete or gate
skinplate
• Frequent checks and annual
inspections to ensure even rope pull
• Turnbuckles to adjust rope pull
• Guide rollers with stainless steel
pins and self lubricating bushings
 SUMMARY
• Research needed for:
– environmentally acceptable lubricants
– compatibility and corrosion of metals
– training of operators
– compatible wire rope and drum designs
– guidelines for structural evaluation and
trunnion friction
– guidelines for proper operation and
maintenance of tainter gates and hoists