MIDDLE COLUMBIA RIVER STUDY SHIP LIFT ALTERNATIVES

This paper summarizes the options for opening up the Middle Columbia River from Richland to Wenatchee, Washington, for navigation and commerce. Several alternatives have been proposed and investigated since 1967. By 1985, the Corps of Engineers decided that the most feasible approach was to employ a horizontal or vertical lift system to by-pass the dams. Various and progressively more feasible designs were developed. In 1985/1986 the horizontal lift design using a marine inclined railway system was proposed. A thorough review and analysis of this design led to the development of another concept, the vertical barge lifting design. In June 1987 a report was completed that recommended a design using a chain driven, vertical, dry barge lifting system. Also in 1987, a similar design which uses a cable driven, vertical, dry barge lifting system was presented. In 1988 an analysis was conducted of a smaller 2200 ton barge instead of the 4500 ton alternative. Presently, for use on the Middle Columbia River, the 4500 ton design appears to be the most feasible. It is concluded that, if detailed design studies were conducted on the barge lift alternatives in the future, all systems shown in this paper would deserve more extensive research before choosing a construction alternative.

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• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Circular No. 350, Ports, Waterways, Intermodal Terminals, and International Trade Transportation Issues, Proceedings of the 13th Annual Summer Conference, July 19-22, 1988, Seattle, Washington.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Gilbrough, N
• Publication Date: 1989-5

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: p. 66-72
• Monograph Title: PORTS, WATERWAYS, INTERMODAL TERMINALS, AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE TRANSPORTATION ISSUES. PROCEEDINGS OF THE 13TH ANNUAL SUMMER CONFERENCE, JULY 19-22, 1988, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Circular
  • Issue Number: 350
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0097-8515

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Design; Navigation; Trade
• Geographic Terms: Columbia River
• Old TRIS Terms: Barge lift system
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Marine Transportation; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00485256
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jul 31 1989 12:00AM