Construction of panama canal

Construction and How the Canal Works

The Panama Canal Engineering Wonder of 20th Century
According to the American Society of Civil Engineers
“The canal remains a testament to the combined skills of structural, geotechnical, hydraulic and sanitary engineers.”

Facts and Figures
Construction began 1904
Opened Aug. 15, 1914
50 Miles long deep water to deep water
Average depth 43 feet
Width varies between 500 to 1000 feet
14000 vessels pass every year
Average of 8 to 10 hour journey
Travel time from NYC to San Francisco 6000 miles compared to 14000 taking route around Cape Horn
Tolls based on tonnage of the vessel

Key Figures in the Construction
William C. Gorgas- Surgeon General U.S. Army 1914-1918
Sent to Panama in 1904 to eradicate yellow fever/ malaria from the Canal Zone.
John F. Stevens- Chief engineer from 1905-1907, Responsible for initial work on the Culebra Cut and deciding to build a lock type canal.
Gen. George Washington Goethals. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ,Assigned completion of canal in 1907 by Pres. Roosevelt.

Culebra Cut
Manmade valley that cuts through Continental Divide.
Line that divides the flow of water between Pacific and Atlantic Oceans-East to West
The Cut forms part of the Panama Canal linking Lake Gatun and the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Panama and Pacific Ocean
It is 4.8 miles from Pedro Locks on the Pacific side of the Chagres River (water levels of 85 feet above sea level)

Layout of Canal
Consists of artificial lakes (Miraflores, Gatun)and channels and three sets of locks
Additional artificial lake, Alajuela Lake, acts as a reservoir for the canal
Chagres River is dammed by the Gatun Dam and forms Gatun Lake-it drains northwest into the Caribbean Sea

Gatun Dam
Constructed 1907-1913
Impounds Gatun Lake
Hydro-electric generating station generates electricity
Electricity used to operate the locks and other equipment in the canal

How Locks Work/Design
Three sets of the two lane Canal work as water elevators to lift the ships to the level of the Gatun Lake
Set of lanes can accommodate traffic on opposite or same direction
No pumps used to lift the ships, the work is done by a force of gravity
Later lower the ships back to sea level on the other side of the Isthmus of Panama
Electric locomotive on the side provides complete control of movement of vessels
All operations accomplished from a control house built on the center wall of the upper lock chamber.
Single person can run every operation in the passage of the ship except for the towing

Story of the Bridges
When the Panama Canal was completed in 1914, it divided the country of Panama as well as North and South America except for a small service bridge at the Gatun Locks.
In 1942, a small service swing bridge was built at the Miraflores Locks. Both of these bridges were quite small and can only be used when the locks gates are closed. Therefore as traffic increased, the small service bridges and ferries could not handle the volume of traffic.

Finally in 1959, the United States started construction on the Bridge of the Americas and completed the bridge in 1962.
When opened, the bridge was an important part of the Pan-American Highway, and carried around 9,500 vehicles per day; however, this expanded over time, and by 2004 the bridge was carrying 35,000 vehicles per day. The bridge therefore became a significant bottleneck on the highway, which led to the construction of the Centennial Bridge, which now carries the Pan-American Highway too.

Bridge of the Americas

Bridge of the Americas
Puente de Las Américas (In Spanish).
The Bridge of the Americas is approximately 354 ft. high and 5,400 ft. long, and connects the land that was divided during the construction of the Panama Canal(as well as north and south America). The Bridge of the Americas crosses the Pacific approach to the Panama Canal at Balboa, near Panama City and serves as an important part of the Inter-American Highway.

-Originally known as the Thatcher Ferry Bridge, is a road bridge in Panama, which spans the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal.
-Completed in 1962, costing $20 million, it was the only non-swinging bridge (there are two other bridges, one at the Miraflores locks and one at the Gatun locks)

Centennial Bridge

Centennial Bridge
(Spanish: Puente Centenario)
A major bridge crossing the Panama Canal. It was built to supplement the overcrowded Bridge of the Americas, and to replace it as the carrier of the Pan-American Highway; upon its opening in 2004, it became only the second permanent crossing of the canal.

The bridge is cable-stayed ,meaning it’s a bridge that consists of one or more columns , with cables supporting the bridge, the cables are made nearly parallel by attaching cables to various points on the tower.
It’s designed with a total span of 1,052 m (3,451 ft). The main span is 320 m (1,050 ft), and clears the canal by 80 m (262 ft), allowing large vessels to pass below it.
The bridge is supported by two towers, each 184 m (604 ft) high. The deck carries six lanes of traffic across the canal.The bridge is designed to withstand the earthquake.
The West Tower of the bridge was built ca. 50m inland to allow space for the future widening of the Panama Canal.

Construction of panama canal

by Rafael Concepcion

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