How Different Spillway Gates Work

If you ask me, there’s almost nothing on this blue earth more fascinating than water infrastructure.
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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 KZbin 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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This video is sponsored by Henson Shaving.
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Producer/Writer/Host: Grady Hillhouse
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[@PracticalEngineeringChannel]

🪒 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]

thats crazy bro

[@keving2726]

Does it come with an intern hook?

[@nian60]

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

[@peanut9125]

How about convection?

[@adamsdiwhy]

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 KZbin 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 KZbin 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]

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

[@theshuman100]

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

[@WarrenGarabrandt]

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

[@RyanLynch1]

i also found that unintentional play on words humorous

[@trs4184]

@@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]

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

[@needamuffin]

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]

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

[@Fickets]

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

[@pheakay]

Little bit of column A little bit of column B?

[@mesiagamer5217]

It's likely more so what he knows.

[@bazookallamaproductions5280]

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

[@CptPatch]

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

[@JohnDoeHZ]

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

[@jordanteichman2397]

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

[@user-bh6ey1ke4n]

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]

@@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]

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

[@5t4n5]

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

[@edwinsalisbury83]

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

[@JuniorJunison]

@@edwinsalisbury83 yep, ice can move mountains

[@5t4n5]

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

[@edwinsalisbury83]

@@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]

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]

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.

[@TheMotlias]

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]

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

[@clytle374]

Yes, and low head dams terrify me.

[@pferris3591]

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]

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]

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.

[@collembolan]

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]

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!

[@0yah0yah06]

“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]

"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]

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

[@1224chrisng]

@@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]

@@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]

@@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.

[@gabbymadsen7260]

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]

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

[@Uriah625]

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]

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

[@dextermorgan1]

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

[@Graham_Rule]

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

[@mickys8065]

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

[@ItsMrAssholeToYou]

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

[@paulhaynes8045]

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]

@@paulhaynes8045 kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4qQiXt3pLt4m7c 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]

ok

[@Fickets]

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]

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]

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]

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

[@royreynolds108]

@@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]

@@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

[@TheLeadhound]

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

[@devonmyhre766]

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

[@comblox7119]

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

[@bl8388]

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]

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]

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

[@jackielinde7568]

@@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]

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

[@rgsparber1]

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.

[@SteveStrummerUK]

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]

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

[@jaylenjackson2403]

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

[@Andreas-zm9tg]

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

[@SteveStrummerUK]

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

[@Andreas-zm9tg]

Thanks. I will then

[@blauw67]

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.

[@ford4x4x4]

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]

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.

[@Lillireify]

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]

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]

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]

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

[@bwhog]

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.

[@robdawg1017]

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

[@nolesy34]

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

[@ToIsleOfView]

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!

[@paulhaynes8045]

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]

🇷🇺

[@jefflarson1652]

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]

The EU flag makes me want to vomit

[@MapleMan1984]

Worst profile pic known to man...

[@marklandgraf7667]

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

[@sandergoossens7678]

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

[@user-sx1fg7lc3c]

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.

[@LaCorvette]

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.

[@pufthemajicdragon]

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

[@MikeHarris1984]

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]

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

[@shane727]

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

[@Tuberuser187]

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

[@tomkelly8827]

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]

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

[@martinlebl631]

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.

[@EvocativeKitsune]

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

[@bobs4486]

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!

[@jackson._.goulding]

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.

[@PlaneReality]

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

[@Forlong21]

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.

[@itznoraa]

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

[@Music-lx1tf]

AS usual, great show. Entertaining and informative.

[@zach123101]

9:08 aw man 😔

[@codycallaway9057]

I know right

[@Tracomaster]

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.

[@BenVonHandorf]

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.

[@sergej23kv]

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!

[@itsacryingshame7847]

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

[@YeOldeTraveller]

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.

[@StormBurnX]

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!

[@themagicwoodbus3211]

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

[@lowellmccormick6991]

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]

Try to tell that to the Dutch.

[@donhappel9566]

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]

@@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]

@@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]

@@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.

[@alexnelson8]

The real practical engineer would just quit shaving.

[@tommybahama4418]

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.

[@SidV_YT]

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

[@doormagic]

12:34 ACCIDENT

[@Beryllahawk]

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.

[@diktatoralexander88]

sounds amazing

[@jamieknight326]

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 KZbin including credits!

[@uberdang830]

The was an engineering disaster at Sant Anthony falls. There was a tunnel that built across that location and collapsed. It caused a cascading effect on the falls and it started eroding and cascading up stream. The spill way was built over the original falls location to stop the erosion.

[@mrtnsnp]

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.

[@nate6386]

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

[@brandonlink6568]

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.

[@selfmade128]

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

[@B0Oty]

Fantastic as always

[@cheesypies5166]

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

[@gus473]

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

[@jimboreaddabible777]

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

[@jaredh2341]

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!

[@TheZooloo10]

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

[@UncleKennysPlace]

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

[@pultofcat8615]

Mica Powder. Common craft supply

[@lajya01]

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

[@filanfyretracker]

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

[@ststst981]

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

[@YouTube]

i am so thankful for every demonstration you do 😅

[@itz_cornchip]

Hello there

[@dracsense_5610]

Bring back dislikes you cowards

[@organicfarm5524]

Who runs this channel?

[@Lord_Merterus]

Who let the intern access the beverage refrigerator

[@lalapreseraah6845]

I agree with this statement

[@BigBoiiLeem]

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

[@purplealice]

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.)

[@JFatGlentract]

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

[@mikecowen6507]

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]

Part two definitely needed!

[@TheRealE.B.]

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]

I was surprised we didnt see the ol' glory hole

[@wittvantinkel3113]

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.

[@marklindquist2494]

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.

[@JaySlaterOfMars]

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]

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]

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.

[@clayton97330]

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

[@texastaterbug5395]

I work for a hospital in a flood zone that has all of its ground level entrances flanked by vertical tracks for placing stoplogs. On days when the river is high and the snow is still melting its a bit eerie to enter a facility that might literally become an island later in the day.

[@JenniferFuchek]

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.

[@ragnkja]

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

[@BigMikeDog]

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]

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

[@VarenRoth]

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

[@bipl8989]

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

[@ragnkja]

@@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.

[@rederickfroders1978]

As a dutchman, this makes me fuzzy inside

[@imajeenyus42]

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

[@goddenbi]

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 KZbin explains it so simply is mind blowing. I think of this channel whenever I see something mentioned here in the wild.

[@bruehlt]

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]

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]

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]

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!).

[@robertmuller1894]

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

[@brock9119]

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

[@charlessudom288]

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.

[@SecretSquirrelFun]

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. ❤

[@alexc4924]

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]

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

[@andrewahern3730]

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]

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

[@scottstoyan5379]

Love your videos. I have been in the power industry for over 30 years and have been a Hydro Operator for the last 14 years of it. I will forward this to our apprentices here at my company as I appreciate the information you pass on so well.

[@hubertcumberdale6404]

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

[@TheChenza05]

Hey Grady, I love the channel! An interesting case study for a future video might be the Kariba dam on the Zambezi river, in Southern Africa (the largest man-made reservoir in the world). They are currently undergoing a restoration project to fix the flood gates and re-surface the plunge pool that is threatening the dam's foundations! I was there a last week and the visuals or the de-watered plunge pool are mind blowing!

[@meleyotanoyeleke4800]

I appreciate your dedication to pushing quality contents that shows detailed engineering. Thank you, thank you so much.

[@MRMC272]

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.

[@khampolsukhum5451]

Grady, from Bangkok here, swear I ve seen that drone footage of our Khundan prakarnchon dam twice in your clips already, maybe it's the time to come to Thailand and look at the real thing? Come on I'll drive you around the area is really scenic Great video, as always!

[@PracticalEngineeringChannel]

Love that clip. My cousin owns a restaurant in Bangkok (called Canvas I think) and I’ve always wanted to visit. Maybe someday!

[@dorvinion]

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.

[@tbix1963]

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts, ideas and videos. Nicely done video. Not sure what type of reception you would get but I’m sure you would love to investigate the operations of the control structure on the Niagara river. It is operated by Ontario Power Generation. Uses naturally formed weirs, gates and gauges to maintain the flow on the River within treaty limits between the US and Canada. It’s monitored by operators continuously. There is a lot more involved in running the Niagara river than anyone would imagine. Wishing you and your family the best.

[@somethingunderthestars]

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

[@davidmclellan3416]

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.

[@kenmuggli4613]

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

[@SpectralRedshift]

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!

[@michaeljcannell]

The company I work for does a huge amount of work on lock and dam complexes for the government and private owners. Nice to see an informative video that's well done and with good, practical models. Well done!

[@jonathanlanglois2742]

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.