TULSA -- Maintenance workers at Chouteau Lock and Dam 17 completed a massive pipe replacement project to the McClellan Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, recently.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District, maintenance crews completed the final steps in replacing more than 1,700 feet of carbon steel piping with stainless steel piping.
The piping contains hydraulic fluid that is used to open and close the lock gates.
According to Kenneth Todd, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District, navigation operations manager, the piping will improve the reliability of the hydraulic lines at lock and dam.
"Stainless steel contains a chromium oxide layer that protects it from corrosion," said Todd. "The carbon steel piping originally installed in the navigation system was susceptible to rust."
The piping system at the lock contains more than 2,000 gallons of hydraulic fluid. Powered by an electric motor and hydraulic pump units, the fluid is forced through the piping to open and close gates weighing more than 376,000 pounds.
Todd said the Tulsa District worked with industry to schedule the repairs and decided upon May in order to minimize the project's impact on shipping. The closure to replace the piping was scheduled with industry three years ago.
"May is typically the best time of the season to schedule lock closures because of the lull between the fertilizer and agricultural products season," added Todd.
Lock 17 is one of 18 locks that are part of the MKARNS, a 445-mile navigation channel that extends from the Port of Catoosa, Okla. the nation's most inland port, to the Mississippi River. The MKARNS provides an inexpensive shipping route,supporting nearly 70 industries in the region. In 2014, nearly 12 million tons of goods, valued at $4.3 billion were shipped through the system in Arkansas and Oklahoma.