Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 15

Case Study

Innovative geosynthetic
solution saves
106-year-old Panama
Canal structures
By Tom Stephens and Nicolas Ruiz

T

he Panama Canal opened for business 106 years ago and was
hailed as the eighth wonder of the world and an engineering
marvel. It has become the most consequential global waterway ever
constructed. Since 1914, more than a million ships of all sizes have
passed through the canal's original three sets of dual parallel lane
locks that are still operating in their original chamber dimensions of
108 feet (33 m) wide × 984 feet (300 m) long × 39 feet (12 m) deep.
Today, the canal annually produces $2.5 billion USD in revenue for
the Republic of Panama.

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

PANAMA CANAL
GEOTEXTILES AND GEOGRIDS
OWNER

Autoridad del Canal de
Panama (ACP)
LOCATION

Panama
GENERAL CONTRACTOR

Autoridad del Canal de Panama
DESIGN ENGINEER

Eng. Antonio Abrego, Division
de Ingeniería ACP

The problem
Since 1979, the Panama Canal has been administered and operated
by the Autoridad del Canal de Panama (ACP). The ACP Engineering
and Maintenance Division has ensured that the canal has been continually operated under safe conditions with modern upgrades and
new technology. However, ships have become larger and the tugs to
maneuver them in and out of the locks have become more powerful.
Today, 82-foot (25-m) long, 4,400-horsepower tugboats of azimuthal
propulsion regularly operate in the Panama Canal. This increase in tug
power prop wash combined with the continual flow of water through
the canal locks has created scour erosion along and under the entrance
dividing-wall foundations and the 7-feet (2-m) thick concrete locks
approach slab.

GEOSYNTHETICS PRODUCTS

GT1000M Geotextile/Miragrid
24T Geogrid
GEOSYNTHETICS MANUFACTURER

TenCate Geosynthetics
Tom Stephens is director of TenCate
Geosynthetics Americas based in
Bedford, Va.
Nicolas Ruiz, P.E., M.E., is regional
manager of TenCate Geosynthetics
Americas based in Commerce, Ga.
All figures courtesy of the authors.

www.GeosyntheticsMagazine.com

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http://www.GeosyntheticsMagazine.com

Geosynthetics August/September 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Geosynthetics August/September 2020

Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - Cover1
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - Cover2
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 1
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 2
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 3
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Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - Cover3
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - Cover4
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