The Panama Canal Third Set of Locks were constructed for the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) under a design-build contract awarded in August 2009 to the consortium Grupo Unidos Por el Canal (GUPC). The design was prepared by CICP Consultores Internacionales, a design JV led by MWH Global (now part of Stantec).
A robust and comprehensive design methodology, comprising numerical and physical hydraulic modeling, was developed and implemented to deliver the required filling and emptying system performance objectives under a design-build model.
This paper will present the process, methodology, and tools employed to develop and validate the filling and emptying system design, from original concept through system commissioning. The approach to translating the owner’s hydraulic requirements into functional requirements will also be presented.
It will also present the main results collected during the startup and commissioning of the system. As part of the new facilities commissioning, a prototype measurement plan was developed in order to demonstrate compliance with the stringent Employer’s Requirements for system performance. The requirements included maximum allowable filling and emptying times, maximum allowable water surface slopes in the locks, maximum allowable flow velocities in the conduits, and required water saving. Other limiting hydraulic parameters include no cavitation, no air entrapment, no water hammer, and minimal currents in the lock approach channels.
The process was completed successfully and, after the approval of the system, the new locks started commercial operations on 26th June, 2016.