How Different Spillway Gates Work

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  • Опубликовано: 2 янв 2023
  • If you ask me, there’s almost nothing on this blue earth more fascinating than water infrastructure.
    Watch on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/practical-en...
    Almost all dams need a way to release excess water when the reservoir is full. Although many dams use uncontrolled spillways, gated spillways provide more control over the flow, allowing us to build smaller, more cost-effective structures. There are countless arrangements of mechanical devices that have been used across the world and throughout history to manage the flow of water. But, modern engineering has coalesced to variations on only a few different kinds of gates.
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    Practical Engineering is a RUclips channel about infrastructure and the human-made world around us. It is hosted, written, and produced by Grady Hillhouse. We have new videos posted regularly, so please subscribe for updates. If you enjoyed the video, hit that ‘like’ button, give us a comment, or watch another of our videos!
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    This is not engineering advice. Everything here is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Contact an engineer licensed to practice in your area if you need professional advice or services. All non-licensed clips used for fair use commentary, criticism, and educational purposes.
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Комментарии • 1,7 тыс.

  • @PracticalEngineeringChannel
    @PracticalEngineeringChannel  Год назад +398

    🪒 Shave with a precision tool instead of a plastic cartridge with Henson and get 100 blades free: bit.ly/3CWiWJP
    📖 Happy new year! What topics are you wanting to see us cover in 2023?

    • @char1721
      @char1721 Год назад +7

      thats crazy bro

    • @keving2726
      @keving2726 Год назад +29

      Does it come with an intern hook?

    • @nian60
      @nian60 Год назад +11

      Crimean Bridge, please. 🤗 Specifically the best way to disable it. 😁

    • @peanut9125
      @peanut9125 Год назад +2

      How about convection?

    • @adamsdiwhy
      @adamsdiwhy Год назад +8

      I just got your book, and I just want to say that you did a great job, from the cover, to the specific descriptions, and my favorite part is the funny stuff going on in each illustration. Though I can find all of that information on your RUclips channel, it still is very nice to have it while I’m on a road trip, or wondering how a well works, or showing my dad what I learned in your RUclips channel without showing him a 15 minute video. So thank you for making that book, because I can tell that you put work into it, and it deserves an award.

  • @juzzybro2671
    @juzzybro2671 Год назад +1400

    4:09 I love the implication there's one if not more interns with the physical strength to manually operate hydroelectric systems.

    • @theshuman100
      @theshuman100 Год назад +42

      well to be fair its usually a crank and not a metal stick

    • @WarrenGarabrandt
      @WarrenGarabrandt Год назад

      I bet Jonathan could do it, and with a quick nod too.

    • @RyanLynch1
      @RyanLynch1 Год назад +45

      i also found that unintentional play on words humorous

    • @trs4184
      @trs4184 Год назад +95

      @@grapesurgeon We started paying an intern with a daily burrito and now all of the aeration in our wastewater plant is done by Gary the Intern blowing into a giant straw.

    • @brandonfrancey5592
      @brandonfrancey5592 Год назад +12

      This power is a special ability that is possessed by only me, and three other employees of this store.

  • @needamuffin
    @needamuffin Год назад +4207

    I'm not sure if the fact that most of the infrastructure failures mentioned on this channel being in Texas is a bias due to you being located in Texas or Texas being Texas and neglecting it's infrastructure.

    • @Tibyon
      @Tibyon Год назад

      It's Texas privatizing everything. Public loss is private gain.

    • @Fickets
      @Fickets Год назад +596

      Every state neglects their infrastructure, so it may not be the second part.

    • @pheakay
      @pheakay Год назад +549

      Little bit of column A little bit of column B?

    • @mesiagamer5217
      @mesiagamer5217 Год назад +150

      It's likely more so what he knows.

    • @bazookallamaproductions5280
      @bazookallamaproductions5280 Год назад +419

      infrastructure requires taxes to function properly, but nobody seems to understand that. 🙄

  • @CptPatch
    @CptPatch Год назад +1928

    Clearly what we need is to engineer stronger interns to do it at full scale.

    • @JohnDoeHZ
      @JohnDoeHZ Год назад +63

      1,460,000 lbs divided by 50 lbs per intern (OSHA's limit) is 29,200 interns per Tempe Town Lake gate.

    • @jordanteichman2397
      @jordanteichman2397 Год назад +8

      Get those lackeys on that task to find someone to do something else, stat!

    • @user-bh6ey1ke4n
      @user-bh6ey1ke4n Год назад +18

      It's a ubiquitous problem. E.g. telescopes could be much cheaper if you only could get an intern with 1.5 meter pupil.

    • @justaskin8523
      @justaskin8523 Год назад +19

      @@JohnDoeHZ 29,200 interns per gate? Oh heck, we can do that! Now all we need to do is call the local Taco Bell and order that 2X burritos to be delivered by lunchtime. At an average of $4.70 each (the rough price of a Taco Bell burrito plus 7% sales tax), we'll only need to come up with $274,000 per gate to make these dams fully "Intern-Inside". We might only have to move 2 gates in any given day, so figure on a half-million dollars per day of operation, with added cost during spring and winter when we might have to move more gates.
      $500,000 per day? That's chicken-feed! Or, more accurately, "intern-feed". Let's do this!
      Special programming note for Grady: For next week's episode, we need you to help us calculate the need for toilets and expanded sewage capacity at these dams. Because you know...Taco Bell.💥

    • @CptPatch
      @CptPatch Год назад +11

      @@user-bh6ey1ke4n So what you're saying is that all technology can be replaced by simply genetically engineering interns?

  • @5t4n5
    @5t4n5 Год назад +840

    There's just something about the power and strength of water that just does it for me. Incredible.

    • @edwinsalisbury83
      @edwinsalisbury83 Год назад +21

      Not just liquid water, steam is very powerful and strong too, oh and the thermal expansion of water freezing is powerful.

    • @JuniorJunison
      @JuniorJunison Год назад +7

      @@edwinsalisbury83 yep, ice can move mountains

    • @5t4n5
      @5t4n5 Год назад +2

      @@edwinsalisbury83 Totally agree. It's incredible stuff when we stop to think about it.

    • @edwinsalisbury83
      @edwinsalisbury83 Год назад +5

      @@5t4n5 Richard Trevithick knew that when he started tinkering with high pressure steam and realized how engines could be made more compact if higher pressures were used. Most watt steam engines only ran on 5 psi of pressure, trevithick’s ran on 50+ psi.

    • @bucky13
      @bucky13 Год назад +6

      The fact that it's the height of water that determines pressure, not the volume, still blows my mind some reason. I've yet to have that explained to me in a way that makes sense.

  • @AntiComposite
    @AntiComposite Год назад +74

    The original dam on the Pawtucket Falls in Lowell, MA used wooden flashboards that were set up to break if the water level got too high. This system remained in use until a few years ago when they were replaced with crest gates operated by air bags.

  • @0yah0yah06
    @0yah0yah06 Год назад +256

    “You might notice I’m using an intern with a metal hook to open and close the model crest gate, but most interns aren’t actually strong enough to hold up a crest gate at a real dam” made me laugh a lot more then it should’ve.

    • @jasonreed7522
      @jasonreed7522 Год назад +37

      "most interns" implies that atleast 1 intern is capable of holding open a full sized crest gate at a real dam. Apparently someone is lucky enough to have superman as their intern.

    • @EebstertheGreat
      @EebstertheGreat Год назад +6

      @@jasonreed7522 Superman is the unpaid intern for all of us.

    • @1224chrisng
      @1224chrisng Год назад +11

      @@jasonreed7522 I'd imagine you could have a pulley system where the other end is an intern running a mile a minute to close the dam

    • @jasonreed7522
      @jasonreed7522 Год назад +10

      @@1224chrisng like those crazy 1million to 1 lego gear systems where one end barely moves as the other is spun by a drill, and the contraption could theoretically lift a truck it it wasn't made of plastic and already melting.
      I think a traditional hydraulic (technically fluid pressure) system is more economical than the amount of pulleys and rope needed for sufficient mechanical advantage for the slaves, i mean unpaid interns, to actually lift the gate.

    • @blindleader42
      @blindleader42 7 месяцев назад

      @@jasonreed7522 There was one once, but he decided to go into the lumber business, instead. I think his name was Paul something. He became pretty famous for his logging exploits in the Northern Tier states and Canada.

  • @collembolan
    @collembolan Год назад +47

    Adding the glitter to the water was a phenomenal idea! Visualizing flow is always difficult, being able to see it so clearly is a big upgrade to what were already superb demonstrations.

  • @glennpearson9348
    @glennpearson9348 Год назад +87

    Bear Trap Gates are one of those fine examples where engineers sometimes outsmart themselves. They prove that there is often a high correlation between simplicity in design and simplicity in operation and maintenance. Happy New Year, Grady! I hope your channel subscriptions are off the charts this year! Great work, and keep it up!

  • @TheMotlias
    @TheMotlias Год назад +234

    Am I the only person who loves Dams, but is also similtaniously a little scared of them when I'm near them? like the amound of water and pressure there is a bit intimidating

    • @paulhaynes8045
      @paulhaynes8045 Год назад +24

      Certainly not - I feel exactly the same! And even worse now I watched this video!

    • @clytle374
      @clytle374 Год назад +13

      Yes, and low head dams terrify me.

    • @pferris3591
      @pferris3591 Год назад +2

      Yes! Me too! What really scares the wee out of me is a hydro electric dam, I'm fine watching them on screen, but no way do I want to get close to one. 😅

    • @SugoDiGatto
      @SugoDiGatto Год назад +17

      I snuck into a small river dam used for power production, years ago.
      It was enormous inside, and climbing the metal hoops ladder and catwalks hanging inside a spillway really put things into scary perspective.
      I saw a couple dark tunnels towards the mountain into which water rumbled noisily, sucking air along with them; standing on the edge of that dark tunnel was by far the scariest part, beating even climbing up the concrete sidewall on small rusty hoops!
      And to think it was just a tiny valley stream...

    • @eily_b
      @eily_b Год назад +1

      Same! I love to watch yt videos about dams, spillways, hydroelectricity, turbines, rotors, stators...but would not go near one of these structures in real life. 😄 You have probably already seen it but my yt tip to watch would be the video of the "Obere Wasserschlosskammer" and other videos of this "Edgar Müller" channel. The walkthrough of this chamber etc. Terryfiying, yet absolutely interesting.

  • @Fickets
    @Fickets Год назад +171

    I worked at the Oroville Spillway during the emergency in 2017-2018. It was really interesting to watch it be rebuilt over time. Also don’t realize how big the spillway is until you’re standing near the radial gates.

    • @eily_b
      @eily_b Год назад +6

      That's amazing! I watched everything related to that incident back then. The spillway IS enormous. I did realize that when workers first went there to inspect it after the failure.

    • @bwhog
      @bwhog Год назад +10

      I watched that reconstruction closely (from afar) and one of the most impressive things I saw in the whole process was the men standing in the spillway inspecting it. It is only then that you get a real sense for the sheer scale of it! Also, the capacity of that spillway is much greater than the flow of the biggest flood ever to come through town here and *THAT* was an impressive amount of water. Seeing how the water scoured out the foundation gives you a real sense of what flowing water can do. One of the best quotes I ever heard was, "Water Always Wins." It's a truth! Water (the universal solvent) is amazing stuff! The macro scale of everything on a dam is just mind blowing!

    • @boballmendinger3799
      @boballmendinger3799 Год назад +1

      It's fascinating, watching the original films made during the construction.

    • @royreynolds108
      @royreynolds108 Год назад +5

      @@boballmendinger3799 Look up the construction film of Hoover Dam on the Colorado River in the 1930s. It is over 600 feet high. Walking over it and going down into it is awe-inspiring; particularly for a 6-year-old kid. I still remember the experience even though that was in 1953.

    • @mlb6d9
      @mlb6d9 Год назад +1

      @@royreynolds108 I checked it out in '96 and it still amazes me how quickly it got done, given the vastness of scale for all the various operations and how they ran pretty much continuously

  • @Uriah625
    @Uriah625 Год назад +22

    As a Hydroelectric Operator/Mechanic/Dam Tender I have to say this is spot on. As far as the leaks go, we tend to stop them by dumping cinders. The draw of the leak pulls the cinders into the seal and creates a clog.

    • @suspectsn0thing
      @suspectsn0thing Год назад +3

      Cinders as in burned up materials from a fire, or does it mean something different in a dam context?

    • @dextermorgan1
      @dextermorgan1 7 месяцев назад +1

      ​@@suspectsn0thingI was thinking cinder blocks maybe? That's what came to mind when I read it anyway.

  • @blauw67
    @blauw67 Год назад +10

    I love water infrastructure, my grandfather was one of the first operators of the Weir and Lock Complex Driel in the Netherlands, and as a kid he took us behind the scenes a few times. The tunnels under the water and the massive movable arches where awe inspiring. Still every time we visit him passing past the system it's incredible. Sadly I was never able to take pictures behind the scenes.

  • @gabbymadsen7260
    @gabbymadsen7260 Год назад +141

    You're right, both undergrad and graduate interns lack the strength, that's why many engineers recommend using post docs to hold up spillway gates.

    • @soaringvulture
      @soaringvulture Год назад +5

      That's ridiculous. Post docs are not useful for anything.

  • @SteveStrummerUK
    @SteveStrummerUK Год назад +458

    Hey Grady - after dropping a few hints, I received your new book as a Christmas present! I have to say it's really well written (and illustrated) and I'm already looking at the constructed world with different eyes 👍 Good luck with sales for the book and a Happy New Year from The UK 😊😊

    • @gus473
      @gus473 Год назад +8

      Looking for the little Grady and the various situations in the illustrations is one of the best parts! 😎✌🏼

    • @jaylenjackson2403
      @jaylenjackson2403 Год назад +5

      @SteveStrummerUK I did exactly the same thing 😂 and the book is amazing!

    • @Andreas-zm9tg
      @Andreas-zm9tg Год назад +1

      I'm planning to buy it. Is it worth it?

    • @SteveStrummerUK
      @SteveStrummerUK Год назад +1

      @@Andreas-zm9tg - absolutely, it's an excellent introduction to all aspects of civil engineering 👍

    • @Andreas-zm9tg
      @Andreas-zm9tg Год назад

      Thanks. I will then

  • @Graham_Rule
    @Graham_Rule Год назад +175

    It would be interesting to hear how the gates used at the Thames Barrier compare with the spillway gates you've described here.

    • @mickys8065
      @mickys8065 Год назад +17

      They use Radial arms. Tom Scott has a few videos on the thames barrier

    • @ItsMrAssholeToYou
      @ItsMrAssholeToYou Год назад +5

      Well, the ones here are American, so that means they're better.
      Ah man, I just couldn't resist.

    • @paulhaynes8045
      @paulhaynes8045 Год назад +3

      As a ex-Londoner, I'd love to know more about the Thames Barrier. It's been there for decades, but you hear almost nothing about it. I don't even know if it's ever been used!
      Also, I've never understood what happens to all the water it stops reaching London - do Kent and Essex get flooded instead?? And what about global warming - presumably this will cause higher high tides and a greater expectation of severe storms? Will the barrier cope with this, or is it already out of date? Plus, how long is its expected life span - will we have to pay for another one soon?!
      And, while I'm on the subject - a video on the Venice barrier would also be very welcome.

    • @mickys8065
      @mickys8065 Год назад +4

      @@paulhaynes8045 ruclips.net/video/eY-XHAoVEeU/видео.html
      This is the Tom Scott video on "The Thames Barrier must never fail."
      Basically, if the Barrier stops working, Westminster would be flooded. I believe it is expected to be working until 2030, where it needs refitting.

    • @thoatran2718
      @thoatran2718 Год назад

      ok

  • @user-sx1fg7lc3c
    @user-sx1fg7lc3c Год назад +4

    I lived in Minneapolis for 7 years. I love that section of the river with all the spillways and bridges! There's a walking bridge with a bunch of arches that's really beautiful to walk across. Especially at night.

  • @Lillireify
    @Lillireify Год назад +84

    As an ex civil engineer I love, love, love your videos! It's so cool to see on small scale things I learned about in university. One minute in, you already have my like, I can't wait to watch the rest of the video!

  • @ProfessorLX
    @ProfessorLX Год назад +43

    Hey Grady, I absolutely love all your water infrastructure videos and am a huge fan of dams in general. They are such amazing structures! Any chance you could do a video on the Wanapum Dam in Washington State on the Columbia River that had a major crack found in it in 2014? The crack was 2" wide and 65' long and the story of the repair was extremely interesting! I would love to hear your take on it!

    • @PracticalEngineeringChannel
      @PracticalEngineeringChannel  Год назад +47

      That would make an interesting case study. If I remember right, it was a rudimentary math error in the dam's stability calculations. I think they used post-tensioned anchors to fix the issue. I'll add it to my list. Thanks for the suggestion.

    • @ProfessorLX
      @ProfessorLX Год назад +2

      @@PracticalEngineeringChannel That's the one! Thanks for the reply and thanks for making such awesome videos!

    • @bwhog
      @bwhog Год назад +4

      Similar story to repairing/upgrading the penstocks at one of the local dams here in Phoenix. Horse Mesa dam. They actually used saturation divers to do the job. I thought the article I read on that was absolutely fascinating.

  • @ToIsleOfView
    @ToIsleOfView Год назад +45

    As always this is a superb explanation of a very complex and dangerous (if it fails) part of everyday modern living. I learned a lot and was entertained as well. Keep it up!

  • @bl8388
    @bl8388 Год назад +5

    Great video. Anyone else notice the horrific disaster that occurred at 6:08 ? I don't know how many souls were lost at sea that day. R.I.P. crew and passengers of H.M.S. Tiny.

  • @jackielinde7568
    @jackielinde7568 Год назад +53

    The funny thing about Tempe Town Lake is that the gates currently in use weren't the original gates. Originally, the lake was constructed with rubber bladders to hold the water back, which only lasted ten years (July 21st, 2010) before blowing out on the western end of the Salt River. I used to live near the area and watched construction crews turning that dry riverbed (the river being dammed further upstream for decades) into the lake, but moved out of the area before it was filled. It's a considerable piece of engineering, all things considered.

    • @gus473
      @gus473 Год назад +2

      Used to live in the East Valley and hung out in Tempe! Friends back there tell me the "lake" often gets pretty stinky!

    • @jackielinde7568
      @jackielinde7568 Год назад +2

      @@gus473 I don't remember the stink the times I've visited it. Not saying the potential is there, but maybe the stink is seasonal?
      Although, when the dam did burst, it got really stinky really fast. Partly because of
      suddenly dead fish, partly because submerged stuff was now not submerged.

    • @garcjr
      @garcjr Год назад +2

      @@gus473 I went there a couple of years ago and yeah it had an odor.

    • @rgsparber1
      @rgsparber1 Год назад +3

      I kayak there most weeks. I don’t notice any smell but my wife does when I get home. I do rinse the boat off after each use.

  • @TheLeadhound
    @TheLeadhound Год назад +27

    "Let's do some quick recreational math." Sorry, I did not stretch today. You do it, I will watch.

  • @PlaneReality
    @PlaneReality Год назад +4

    Great show as always thank you! Just in case anyone missed it... bird striking a pose @ 3:53... enjoy and Blessing all!

  • @LaCorvette
    @LaCorvette Год назад +5

    The most awesome thing is not the engineering being explained so well, it’s the effort you put into creating custom models for almost every video. Thanks for that.

  • @paulhaynes8045
    @paulhaynes8045 Год назад +89

    Those stop log things are used on the canals over here in the UK. Except they are planks, not logs, as there's very little flow, and therefore only low water pressure in our canals (which are also very shallow).
    They are used to isolate sections of the canal so that lock gates can be replaced, etc. And also, if there's a breach on a section where the canal is high up - otherwise the entire contents of that section (which can be miles long) would drain away!

    • @misanthropyunhinged
      @misanthropyunhinged Год назад +3

      🇷🇺

    • @jefflarson1652
      @jefflarson1652 Год назад +5

      They aren't typically logs here in the US either. They are made of metal and will have rubber seals that are replaced every time the "logs" are repainted.

    • @engineeringvision9507
      @engineeringvision9507 Год назад

      The EU flag makes me want to vomit

    • @MapleMan1984
      @MapleMan1984 Год назад +1

      Worst profile pic known to man...

    • @marklandgraf7667
      @marklandgraf7667 Год назад

      Your canal system is truly awesome. I watch cruisingthecut all the time. Cheers

  • @Tuberuser187
    @Tuberuser187 Год назад +6

    I love how he always goes the extra step to make the models and demonstrations, they add so much to the presentation.

  • @ford4x4x4
    @ford4x4x4 Год назад +15

    I am a park ranger and dam operator for the Army Corps of Engineers currently stationed in Massachusetts on the Blackstone River. My background is actually art history and business administration. I just wanted to let you know I really appreciate how engaging your videos are. It can be a challenge working with stereotypical engineers. Your voice, pacing, and creativity really makes mechanical and civil engineering so much more interesting.
    I’ve worked at five different locations across the US, from the mega dams in the North Cascades National Park and on the Columbia River and then baby dams in northern Minnesota and here in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. I can say from personal experience that we take our jobs very seriously as well as the security and safety of the public. I can’t speak for my agency (obviously) but from our active duty commanders to the mix of civilian engineers and park rangers and natural resource managers really care about our various missions serving the public. Thanks again for this dynamic and informative video! It’s a great refresher and reminder.

    • @jefflarson1652
      @jefflarson1652 Год назад +2

      I've worked on several locks/dams as a contractor to USACE, and though I would agree that the caretakers of those facilities are serious about their jobs, the neighbors would not always agree.

  • @devonmyhre766
    @devonmyhre766 Год назад +6

    Can’t believe I just watched 15 minutes of information about different types of gates 😂😂

    • @comblox7119
      @comblox7119 14 дней назад +1

      Hey! You might’ve learned a thing or two. You wanna be a hydro engineer? Because you’ve got the knowledge now.

  • @pufthemajicdragon
    @pufthemajicdragon Год назад +16

    I work in IT and one of our customers is a local water district that operates a hydroelectric dam. I got to go on-site to the dam last week and while there I got a short guided tour from one of the dam technicians. WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! I even got photos of the synchroscope you mentioned in your black start video! While I was there to fix networking problems, as a nerd getting to see an operating hydroelectric power plant up close was a real treat

  • @Music-lx1tf
    @Music-lx1tf Год назад +18

    AS usual, great show. Entertaining and informative.

  • @itznoraa
    @itznoraa Год назад +2

    Awesome video! I use to work at a gate manufacturer. Seeing the giant radial gates in person on these large dams were amazing.

  • @sergej23kv
    @sergej23kv Год назад

    I worked in a hydropower plant back in Europe that had really specific design, kinda old school. it was a crest gate type but gate itself was like a section of a cylinder, that was seal tight and child float if needed. Under it was a chamber that if filled with water would raise that gate, and if emptied it would drop the gate. All energy needed to operate those gates was to open and close valves for the water in the chamber under the gate. It is amazing to watch the whole video and know almost everything from personal experience. Great job sir, I love your videos!

  • @MikeHarris1984
    @MikeHarris1984 Год назад +40

    I like you showed tempe's town lake gates, but you didn't show the first one that was an air bladder that blew up after about 8 years in use. Rubber and Arizona Sun of 120+ summer days do not mix....

    • @RandomTask678
      @RandomTask678 Год назад

      @@MidwestFarmToys Phoenix should not exist. It is a monument to man's arrogance.

    • @shane727
      @shane727 Год назад +2

      I wanted to hear more about this too. It's almost surprising they lasted as long as they did

  • @itsacryingshame7847
    @itsacryingshame7847 Год назад +3

    Happy new year Grady!
    Thank you for all the great and informational content, keep at it mate!

  • @StormBurnX
    @StormBurnX Год назад

    As someone who used to hang out under the Tempe Town Lake dam before it was built (back when it was just a giant bladder dam) it was an absolute shock to see it mentioned in a video of yours! I've grown so accustomed to seeing San Antonio (and just Texas in general) that seeing my hometown of 9 years made me practically shout with delight!

  • @tomkelly8827
    @tomkelly8827 Год назад +57

    Wow, that was interesting, the systems seem so simple but the scale of dams is immense! Those are some serious hinge pins!
    I wonder if in the future you could do a similar video comparing fish spawning ladders and what kind of improvements are possible with our current dams?

    • @loficampingguy9664
      @loficampingguy9664 Год назад +6

      I second the fish ladder idea, it'd be suuuper cool to see.

  • @EvocativeKitsune
    @EvocativeKitsune Год назад +15

    Your passion for these topics is infectious. Always love your videos Grady!

  • @Forlong21
    @Forlong21 Год назад +3

    As always thanks for another great video. The practical models you build are a great help in demonstrating how things work in a simple and easy to see way.

  • @BenVonHandorf
    @BenVonHandorf Год назад +1

    06:25: "...swooping aerial shot of a majestically flowing spillway..."
    That kind of commentary is why every Practical Engineering video gets watched as soon as I can give it my undivided attention. Never change!
    I would probably listen to a all of a good interpretive reading of HYD-323.

  • @tommybahama4418
    @tommybahama4418 Год назад

    What a great video, powerful stuff in it too, water is no joke. Beautiful editing and seeing the tiny scaled down versions helps a whole lot in understanding the concepts and structures.

  • @martinlebl631
    @martinlebl631 Год назад +12

    Wish you had mentioned that the Tempe Town Lake gates used to be rubber bladders that failed before their warranty period due to UV damage from the desert sun, and the gates you did mention were the replacement gates.

  • @sandergoossens7678
    @sandergoossens7678 Год назад +20

    Heyy!
    I have received your book 'Engineering in plain sight' for Christmas, and I am loving it!
    I am currently studying medicine, but (civil) engineering is for sure my second biggest interest. I want to thank you for keeping that interest alive and letting me understand (and enjoy) the every-day engineering in our society! :D
    - Sander

  • @imajeenyus42
    @imajeenyus42 Год назад +2

    2:36 Lagan dam, Scotland. Yayy! Been past a few times when it’s flowing, really incredible sight.

  • @jonathanlanglois2742
    @jonathanlanglois2742 8 месяцев назад +1

    Several of the dams in my city are fitted with simple slide doors that are winched up or down as needed. The opening is narrower than the door, so the water pressure on its own seals the door against the concrete of the dam. The current doors are steel, but they used to be simple wood beams with a rod down the center so that they could be lifted. They were fairly similar to the stop logs mentioned at 15:10.

  • @YeOldeTraveller
    @YeOldeTraveller Год назад +3

    A long time ago, I wrote a program that was used to monitor a river control structure. I had to handle the condition when the gate was in the water and when the gate was out of the water (the structure and the riverbed determined the flow). Using the inputs from gauges above and below the structure together with the gate position, I would calculate the flow through the gate. We then totaled the flow for all the gates to get a value for the whole thing. We even accounted for the flow through a hydro plant on one end of the structure.
    I remember most the intense desire to avoid overtopping the structure.

  • @Tracomaster
    @Tracomaster Год назад +3

    You are absolutely killing it with these videos! Love them a lot.
    Should you ever find yourself at a lack of topics (which, I don't reckon you do any time soon), the delta works in the netherlands share a few parallels, but include new engineering challenges given the nature of fighting against the sea. Even in the US I think new Orleans has stuff like that. I know you touched on them before but there is so much to cover I think
    Might be cool for you to look into! Would be awesome to see some day.

  • @themagicwoodbus3211
    @themagicwoodbus3211 Год назад +2

    This is one of my favorite channels. I love the detailed but simple demonstrations with precise narration.

  • @jackson._.goulding
    @jackson._.goulding Месяц назад

    Honestly I usually hate sponsor ads but this one is so genuine it actually got me interested. I applaud the fact that you asked to try one before doing the sponsor as well.

  • @robdawg1017
    @robdawg1017 Год назад +4

    7:56 Yo Dawg, I herd you like gates, so we put gates on your gate so you can gate while you gate.

    • @nolesy34
      @nolesy34 Год назад +1

      🤣👌 and a supervisor sitting with a camera with a PIP monitor like
      👍

  • @nate6386
    @nate6386 Год назад +3

    I would love your take on Tempe Town lake's old rubber bladder dam that popped in 2010

  • @jimboreaddabible777
    @jimboreaddabible777 Год назад

    Great video! I hope people realize how much work you put into creating the comprehensive visuals for us.

  • @selfmade128
    @selfmade128 Год назад

    Thanks for taking the time to make engineering simplified! I was always mesmerized by dams and this video and demos were just perfect.

  • @Beryllahawk
    @Beryllahawk Год назад +4

    Great video! Might sound hilarious but I've been slowly making my way through your channel (and plan to get my hands on your book soon too!) in order to help me "construct" a fantasy world for a novel and TTRPG campaign. Your explanations are so clear and your models make it MUCH easier for me to figure out what infrastructure would make the most sense.

  • @zach123101
    @zach123101 Год назад +3

    9:08 aw man 😔

  • @bobs4486
    @bobs4486 Год назад +2

    My wife worked as an office clerk while in High School at the Ohio River Lock and Dam #13 shown in your picture at 9:47. Imagine that!

  • @jamieknight326
    @jamieknight326 Год назад +1

    The quality of your videos has really stepped up in the last year. It’s great to see! Well done to you and the rest of the team. It’s also good to see a RUclips including credits!

  • @lowellmccormick6991
    @lowellmccormick6991 Год назад +9

    I wish I'd seen this video 35 years ago. That's when I drew my first tainter gates for the Olmsted Lock & Dam project. Since then I've drawn lots of water control and flood control projects. Tainter gates, maintenance bulkheads, stop logs, flood gates, etc. My advice is to not live below sea level, behind a levee and/or downstream of a dam.

    • @seneca983
      @seneca983 Год назад +3

      Try to tell that to the Dutch.

    • @donhappel9566
      @donhappel9566 Год назад +1

      Well technically I'm at 7' above sea-level here in the Sacramento delta but given the last week's storms in NorCal that's of little comfort at the moment. :) Luckily despite being only a couple hundred yards from the Sacramento River itself my personal home isn't really at a high flood risk as our specific levee is quite robust. However that safety is only due to the lack of safety for many others....basically it's more likely some of the other levees will (and have) fail before the ones closest to me which will reduce the pressure on 'my' levee. I'm actually at greater risk of flood from sloughs and waterways much further away than the one I can see out my window.

    • @lowellmccormick6991
      @lowellmccormick6991 Год назад +1

      @@seneca983 I grew up in New Orleans at sea level. I moved a little north to 23 feet above sea level. Mother Nature will always find the weak spot. It's best to minimize the risk.

    • @lowellmccormick6991
      @lowellmccormick6991 Год назад

      @@donhappel9566 The steel fab shop I worked for was up against the Mississippi River levee, just upriver of New Orleans and just downriver of the Bonne Carre spillway. I enjoyed watching the river go up and down thru it's cycles for 20+ years. When it was high and far up the levee, the top of the river was about 20 feet above the "dry" side of the levee. It's a bit scary.

    • @donhappel9566
      @donhappel9566 Год назад +1

      @@lowellmccormick6991 Yeah, grew up near the Ohio river and now live in the CA delta; lots of very visible level changes. The LA Mississippi delta and the Sacramento delta both share a lot similar risk. After Catrina tore things up there many pegged us as the next big target. They've been doing work ever since to mitigate the risk but there's just no way to make it 100% safe.

  • @B0Oty
    @B0Oty Год назад +5

    Fantastic as always

  • @jaredh2341
    @jaredh2341 Год назад +2

    I live in Minneapolis right by the river there. (can see my house in that first shot of the video.) Cool too see the structures there finally explained. Was also very cool to see the episode about weirs as well. Great video as always!

  • @wittvantinkel3113
    @wittvantinkel3113 Год назад

    I wish I could have had a cup of coffee or something with you when I was down there. However when I went to San Antonio to see my friend I spent the first week taking pictures and looking at the water infrastructure around the entire city I have a ton of pictures of different dams levees and whatnot around San Antonio and it is absolutely amazing. I wish I could have made it down to Corpus Christi and seen the construction going on there on the bridge. Thanks so much for the videos.

  • @mrtnsnp
    @mrtnsnp Год назад +4

    I wonder what you make of the Maeslant barrier. This is a flood-barriers for the harbour of Rotterdam, part the chain of coastal defences in the Netherlands.

  • @cheesypies5166
    @cheesypies5166 Год назад +9

    always loved making river dams with rocks, its amazing how water pushes a boulder easily that I have trouble moving

    • @gus473
      @gus473 Год назад +2

      😅 Try prying a 🛶 canoe trapped against a rock by current flow for even more amazement! 😖✌🏼😎

  • @purplealice
    @purplealice Год назад +1

    I used to live fairly close to Croton Dam in New York State. I used to go stand next to the roadway that went along the top of the dam. The overflow from the reservoir poured over the top edge of the dam in one spot, and cascaded down a set of stone stair-steps. I'd just look out over the serene lake and then look down the stairway at the leaping water. The main spillways for that dam were at the foot, emptying into what was left of the riverbed. One time I drove along the road around the edge of the reservoir and got to the water treatment plant. One of the workers noticed me looking all around, and showed me the parts of the treatment process that were open to the public. I learned about flocculation and chlorine - it was like one of your videos. Right now I live one and a half blocks from the waters of Raritan Bay - those salty waters sometimes get pushed up into the streets of my town, and last week they soaked my car to where the mechanic says he can't do anything for us. (Those onshore flows also destroyed half of my house during Superstorm Sandy.) The Croton Reservoir was interesting to have as a neighbor, but the ocean's not a good neighbor. (If I head due east from my house, I'll get to the Atlantic ocean, and if I keep going the next landfall will be on the coast of Portugal.)

  • @BigBoiiLeem
    @BigBoiiLeem Год назад +1

    I'd love you to do an in-depth video about the Thames Barrier. I never thought dams and spillways could be so interesting

  • @JFatGlentract
    @JFatGlentract Год назад +10

    I wonder if you could get a tour of Mansfield Dam and explain the functions of it?

  • @doormagic
    @doormagic Год назад +3

    12:34 ACCIDENT

  • @charlessudom288
    @charlessudom288 Год назад

    Thanks for the post, was not familiar with beartrap gates. I worked in dam safety for 8 years mostly with radial gates and glad that you mentioned the maintenance and inspection aspects. Stoplogs and seals are important. Lift cables are problematic if allowed to contact the gate surface and corrosion in general is a challenge.

  • @brock9119
    @brock9119 Год назад

    This is incredible, learning about spillway gates like this is so immensely satisfying, I love infrastructure.

  • @TheZooloo10
    @TheZooloo10 Год назад +12

    What did you add to the water to get that white shimmer effect that shows off the flow nicely?

    • @UncleKennysPlace
      @UncleKennysPlace Год назад +6

      He does note that he added "sparkles", some sort of glitter, likely plastic to suspend properly.

    • @pultofcat8615
      @pultofcat8615 Год назад +9

      Mica Powder. Common craft supply

    • @lajya01
      @lajya01 Год назад +1

      I have an idea but I'll keep the comment section family friendly.

    • @filanfyretracker
      @filanfyretracker Год назад +1

      either some kind of powder or he got one of those mystic fog fluids used in computer water cooling.

    • @ststst981
      @ststst981 Год назад +1

      It's an edible shimmer powder they sell. Some drink shops make juices with it

  • @alexnelson8
    @alexnelson8 Год назад +4

    The real practical engineer would just quit shaving.

  • @somethingunderthestars
    @somethingunderthestars Год назад

    Wow! Really very interesting to see that times so! Thanks for the great video and the work you put into this!

  • @pinwdblue5013
    @pinwdblue5013 Год назад

    Grady, love the videos, great work! And thank you! And the joke about reading the papers for the test for seals was HILARIOUS. 😂

  • @clayton97330
    @clayton97330 Год назад +7

    The saltwater breaks and flood basin control gates on the Neches River are also interesting

  • @YouTube
    @YouTube Год назад +55

    i am so thankful for every demonstration you do 😅

  • @squid0013
    @squid0013 8 месяцев назад

    Now this episode is awesome...especially to a towboat captain on the river system

  • @JenniferFuchek
    @JenniferFuchek Год назад +1

    I've always found engineering to be so captivating and interesting - thanks to you, I'm now have an even greater appreciation for it and what it takes to design, create, and maintain everything around us.

  • @JaySlaterOfMars
    @JaySlaterOfMars Год назад +16

    Darn, missed the Henson Shaving promo code by a few days. Cool sponsor, though.
    I got one for Christmas, and having been shaving with a safety razor for more than a decade, I can confirm it's simply the best of its kind. They identified exactly what the issues were with other safety razors, figured out how to solve them, and did so. Engineering at its best.

    • @Zelmel
      @Zelmel Год назад +5

      I just came here to say exactly the same thing about the Henson razor. I've had mine for about a year after using safety razors for over a decade, and it's really well made and thought out. Also it feels so light that at first I had to double check it wasn't secretly plastic (it's obviously not, it's just aluminum).

    • @mostlyvoid.partiallystars
      @mostlyvoid.partiallystars Год назад +2

      I do not have or need the Henson razor but I seriously want it lol. I’ve been using a safety razor for years after my boyfriend explained it prevents razor burn so much more effectively and holy bananas are the blades cheap.

  • @ragnkja
    @ragnkja Год назад +3

    5:08 Force is never expressed in kg. It’s always in N.

    • @BigMikeDog
      @BigMikeDog Год назад +1

      Weight is a great example of where this is not true. Weight on Earth is measured in kg despite weight being a force between an object and the Earth. So, sometimes where the context is clear (such as on Earth) it is appropriate to talk about a force as being equitable to some mass. What they mean when they say it is some such and such kg weight is that the relevant force required to lift and lower it is as if it was that heavy. You are correct that forces are measured in Newtons, however here we are making everyday comparisons where Kilograms are a more human unit that people are used to than Newtons.

    • @20chocsaday
      @20chocsaday Год назад

      @@BigMikeDog Yes, if the intention is to lead into understanding, do it.

    • @VarenRoth
      @VarenRoth Год назад +1

      He's really using kilogram-force, which is N/(9.81 m/s^2).

    • @bipl8989
      @bipl8989 Год назад

      We have lbs force and lbs mass, so nobody has to use slugs. No problem thinking with with kg force.

    • @ragnkja
      @ragnkja Год назад

      @@BigMikeDog
      Weight is expressed in kg as a shorthand so that a balance and a scale can use the same units. For actual physics you do not use kg when referring to force.

  • @marklindquist2494
    @marklindquist2494 Год назад +1

    These crest gates work very well in conjunction with a radial gate. On our river diversion for or canal company, both are used . On the check structure a radial gate is used and it can keep the river channel clean from sediment. The crest gate can deliver cleaner water to the ditch since it takes top water not sediment laden bottom channel water. It results in a dramatically lower sediment removal needs in the ditch. The gate is autimated due to the changing channel depth affects delivery more drastically than a radial gate. The hoist is just a pneumatic truck spring more or less. The gate works great.

  • @dorvinion
    @dorvinion Год назад +1

    Its been quite interesting living near a flood control reservoir the last few years. Its our primary local recreation area so we see the river and lake levels changing frequently.
    Watching them shut the river off for a few hours by closing the sluice gates (maintenance was needed on something downstream) was very interesting to see how quickly the downstream water level dropped and to walk on the riverbed.
    So too watching how quickly it rose when they had to open the tainters for a day when the reservoir was nearing capacity. Fourth highest crest of the reservoir in its 60 years of operation was recorded that year. Took a good two months running the sluice gates at close to maximum to safely drain the lake back to its minimum.

  • @rederickfroders1978
    @rederickfroders1978 Год назад +3

    As a dutchman, this makes me fuzzy inside

  • @davidmclellan3416
    @davidmclellan3416 Год назад

    Love it Grady, I always loved travelling via my home countries hydro-electric infrastructure, in Aotearoa - New Zealand, South Is, Tekapo A/B, Ohau A/B/C, Benmore, Avimore, Waitaki, all use the same water. But by far my favourite is the spillway at Benmore.

  • @hubertcumberdale6404
    @hubertcumberdale6404 Год назад +1

    Born and raised just north of the twin cities. I love going to this part of the river and watching the commotion!

  • @bruehlt
    @bruehlt Год назад +16

    Great video - and also - Double edge safety razor for the win! I've been using one for years and they are much better than the crazy Gillette razors

    • @jeffspaulding9834
      @jeffspaulding9834 Год назад +2

      I bought one for my son when he started needing to shave, thinking it would be cheap for him to replace blades on once he moves out of the house. I showed him how to use it, and then promptly went out and bought one for myself.
      Those things are amazing. I'm not sure why people stopped using them in favor of disposables.

    • @gaerisl
      @gaerisl Год назад

      I forgot the razor I owned was by Henson until I watched this and checked my order info (older model). I freaking love the razor so much. I've been shaving with it almost daily for the last year and a half since I bought it when they were less well known, and it's such a great razor. 3rd one I've owned, but the end of the search for the perfect razor. Their attention to tolerances shows in the shaving experience. I can't say enough great things.

    • @wallyman292
      @wallyman292 Год назад

      Ha! Glad to see I'm not the only one so enamored with my double edge razor as to leave a comment! I've had mine for over a decade now, and absolutely would never even consider going back to a cartridge blade! Shaves just as close, if not closer, and the blades cost 1/10th the price! Plus, there's just something satisfying about using "old" tech to shave with (although personally, I'm drawing the line short of the straight razor and leather strap mode of shaving!).

  • @passthepipe1
    @passthepipe1 Год назад +3

    Who else came here simply to look at spectacular spillways?

  • @leetjohnson
    @leetjohnson Год назад +1

    I live right by Folsom Dam in Granite Bay....this confirms my fears! Luckily, it was rebuilt in 1995 and is fairly solid.

  • @SpectralRedshift
    @SpectralRedshift Год назад

    Watching any episode of Practical Engineering is a real joy. Please keep up the amazing work and happy 2023 to everyone in the PE team!

  • @mikecowen6507
    @mikecowen6507 Год назад +8

    Grady, this was a fascinating episode, but it seemed to come to an unexpected end. There are many other types of gates (several mentioned in the comments) that you didn't mention. This episode felt rushed at the end, without a wrap-up, yet here's the sponsor message. It seems like this episode could have easily been twice this length and still kept your viewers enthralled. At the very least, where's part two?

    • @paulhaynes8045
      @paulhaynes8045 Год назад

      Part two definitely needed!

    • @TheRealE.B.
      @TheRealE.B. Год назад

      Agreed. I'd never heard of a bear trap gate until that one collapsing went viral, and I'd never heard of a "crest" gate until this video. I've seen plenty of dams with vertical lift gates, though. Sure, they're pretty simple, but that's why they'd be a good starting point to explain why these more convoluted technologies exist instead.

    • @greatcanadiantire
      @greatcanadiantire Год назад

      I was surprised we didnt see the ol' glory hole

  • @robertmuller1894
    @robertmuller1894 Год назад +6

    Glad that you also displayed the numbers in the metric system and not only in the burger per eagle system

  • @pbsa1979
    @pbsa1979 Год назад

    I'm fascinated with water infrastructure since early childhood, those episodes are absolutely amazing dude :)

  • @SidV_YT
    @SidV_YT Год назад +1

    I actually went to the spillway on the San Antonio river that he’s talking about and I got to say he nailed that description

  • @SecretSquirrelFun
    @SecretSquirrelFun Год назад +6

    I really want to 3D print another 3D printer - apparently this is an available kit.
    How cool would that be - buy one printer and then print yourself a few more ❤
    Although, please use PPE when operating your 3D printer, and use it in a WELL ventilated area. Safely store and use any and all glues and ...stuff 😳
    🙂🐿🌈❤️
    Thank you for coming along to this induction and safety briefing. ❤

    • @thewhitefalcon8539
      @thewhitefalcon8539 Год назад +1

      It's possible to melt it down yourself and extrude it into a filament shape. That's pretty much how they make filament, just melt plastic pellets and extrude them

    • @twiggss4344
      @twiggss4344 Год назад

      I cringe when I hear people say this....

    • @andrewahern3730
      @andrewahern3730 Год назад

      Not sure what that has to do with this video but 3D printer owners have been making their own upgrades since they hit the market

    • @lizj5740
      @lizj5740 Год назад

      @@andrewahern3730 Grady said this video gave him an excuse to finally buy a 3-D printer for his work.

  • @jonsmith4364
    @jonsmith4364 Год назад

    Yes, I'm old, it's Friday evening, I'm home watching a video on spillway gates, and enjoying every minute of it!!!!!!! You got me, subscribed and liked.

  • @kenmuggli4613
    @kenmuggli4613 Год назад

    Thank you Grady, you do an excellent job of explaining things, keep up the good work. Keep Your Powder Dry

  • @goddenbi
    @goddenbi Год назад

    This is the only channel I will wait to watch. Sit down, get comfortable and learn something. Water infrastructure is by far one of the most terrifying and fascinating things we play with as a species. The fact someone on RUclips explains it so simply is mind blowing. I think of this channel whenever I see something mentioned here in the wild.

  • @DaFeMaiden
    @DaFeMaiden Год назад

    You’re videos are always so well made and relaxing. Such a great thing to watch after work

  • @MRMC272
    @MRMC272 Год назад

    I love how you can take a topic that at face value would seem mundane, and make an informative but super interesting video out of it everytime.

  • @brandonlink6568
    @brandonlink6568 Год назад +1

    The St Anthony dam came in handy when the 35W bridge collapsed, they were able to slow the flow of water in to the disaster site and open the Ford dam downstream to lower the river in the area to help with the rescue operation.

  • @OgienChomik
    @OgienChomik Год назад

    I love your videos, been watching consistently for a few years now. Keep it up, you're doing great and perfecting your craft every day!