Project Review: East Peckham Radial Lock Gate

Spanning nearly 15 Metres this gate is one of the largest of it's type in the country and consists of a curved blade in mild steel plate and support arms in box section with balancing weights on the rear pivoting around a central pin and bearing on either side depending on the high water level up stream of the gate. It's operation therefore gives an automatic control of the river height and flow through this particular section of the River Medway.

The gate was designed by Professor Jack Lewin, considered one of the countries leading experts in river control systems, for the Environment Agency in 1998. Hunton's, in Partnership with JT Mackley Construction were successful in acquiring the contract for the complete manufacture and installation of the gate with Mackley's providing the supporting civils works.

Pictured here we have both the gate blade and the end section of one of the pair of balancing arms during manufacture at our premises. The gate blade was formed in 3x1.5x10mm thick plates, rolled to a radius and stiffened by fully welding 200x100 RHS sections to the back side.

The balancing arms were fabricated in 200x200x10 SHS, again fully welded. All structural welds were subjected to dye-penetrant and magnetic particle testing with 10% tested by x-ray to confirm their strength.

A pair of balancing tanks to be fitted next to the pivoting bearings were also manufactured at this time as well as the seal plates in stainless steel to be fitted either side of the gate for the rubber seals attached to the blade to meet against thus creating the seal.

The entire works were then shipped to a local industrial coatings company for full shotblast and application of paint to ensure the structure meets its design life of a minimum of 50 years from the date of installation.

East Peckham Radial Lock Gate.