A ship enters a narrow chamber.

Massive gates close behind it.

Water begins to rise.

And without a crane, engine, or elevator, the vessel is lifted to a completely different elevation.

This is a canal lock.

In Engineering Insights S2 E84, we explore the engineering behind canal lock systems and the surprisingly simple hydraulic principles that allow ships to travel through waterways separated by large changes in elevation.

We explore how engineers control the movement of enormous volumes of water using gravity, gates, valves, culverts, and carefully designed chambers.

The geometry of the lock matters.

So does the pressure acting against its gates.

We examine how the gates are designed to withstand the enormous force created by the difference in water levels an ...