Navigation locks for push tows

An important part of the investigation concerns the shaping of the guiding structures leading towards the lock entrance. These structures are to ensure a smooth and safe lock entry and exit of push tows as well as conventional shipping. One of the main problems of lock-entry navigation is that of push tows getting stuck in the lock-entrance owing to the narrow clearance between the barge-formation and the lock-chamber. On leaving the lock, push tows are unable to manoevre until the whole barge-formation is outside the lock-chamber. The second phase of the investigation dealt with the hydraulic phenomena arising from lock entry and exit of push tows. During entry, a translatory wave is generated which runs into the lock-chamber ahead of the ship and, in turn, upsets the regularity of the ship's progress into the lock. In the model, the longitudinal forces that are exerted by translatory waves on ships moored in the lock-chamber, were gauged.