DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
ETL 1110-2-553
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Washington, DC 20314-1000
CECW-ED
Technical Letter
No. 1110-2-553
30 May 1997
Engineering and Design
CONTROL STATIONS AND CONTROL SYSTEMS
FOR NAVIGATION LOCKS AND DAMS
1. Purpose
b. The Corps, in its stewardship of the inland
waterway navigation system, has entered into a period
where:
This Engineer Technical Letter (ETL) describes
current usage and provides guidance for future
!
More double locks are being constructed.
designs of control station structures and control sys-
tems for navigation locks. The primary intent of this
!
New electronic technology with automated
ETL is to require cost-efficient control stations and to
operating systems and equipment are
encourage the use of programmable logic control
available.
systems rather than relay-based systems.
!
Future advances in electronic technology will
2. Applicability
allow opportunities for incorporation of
improved operating systems.
This ETL applies to all HQUSACE elements and
!
Personnel limitations are reducing the num-
USACE commands having responsibilities for Civil
ber of lock operating and maintenance per-
Works projects.
sonnel so that some locks have only one
operator and some shifts are not staffed.
3. Background
!
Increasing traffic demand for lockages may
a. The primary purpose of navigation locks and
tax operating equipment due to the ever
increasing frequency of operation of the
dams is to provide navigable depths by damming of
equipment.
the waterway, thus allowing transfer of navigation
vessels from one water level to another in a safe,
!
Initial and future costs must be carefully
reliable, and expeditious manner. To perform this
considered for life cycle efficiency of naviga-
complex operation, lock operating personnel must be
tion project construction, operation, mainte-
provided with convenient control stations containing
nance, and major rehabilitation.
dependable operating control systems that can be
easily operated, maintained, and modified. These
operating systems also need to be designed so that
they can be upgraded to incorporate advances in
technology.
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