Maintenance and Repair of Spillway Gates

By Todd Schellhase, P.E., S.E., Engineering Manager, Black & Veatch, USA
ABSTRACT
Significant attention is placed by owners and regulatory agencies, FERC being the lead,
on assessing the condition of and maintaining spillway gates. Aging and other
mechanical stresses can hamper the ability of these structures to operate especially
under challenging conditions such as flooding or seismic events. This presentation
details the process followed by one Texas utility for the rehabilitation of their spillway
gates. The process to be explained begins with regulatory agency inspection and
culminates with construction of modernization upgrades. Along the way numerous
inspections, investigations, studies and reviews were undertaken to identify
modernization alternatives. This work lead to a select list of recommendations that
became the basis for the preparation of construction documents. Construction of the
recommended upgrades was performed by both the owners in-house staff and private
contractors.
This presentation focuses on the upgrades of spillway gates at two of the owners dams.
Flow through one of the spillways is controlled by radial gates while the other spillway is
controlled by both radial and roller gates. Problems common to the radial gates at both
locations included corrosion of the skin plates and framing members, coating failure,
seal aging and corrosion protection system deficiencies. Problems unique to the radial
gates at the larger of the two spillways included an excessive amount of time required to
open the gates, some gates which failed to fully open and corrosion of the hoisting
equipment. Investigations also identified structural and mechanical deficiencies in the
roller gates.
The conscientious implementation of the spillway gate modernization plans will allow
these valuable assets to continue to safely and reliably control flow through the
spillways for years to come.

INTRODUCTION
Calaveras Lake and Braunig Lake are located approximately 20 miles south of
downtown San Antonio, Texas. The lakes were built in the late 1960s to provide
cooling water to nearby power plants. Today those coal and gas fired power plants
have a generating capacity of roughly 3,000 MW. The ability of the lakes spillway
facilities to maintain the lake levels within the optimal operating ranges required for
supply of the cooling water is critical for the operation of the power plants. The lakes
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and power plants are owned and operated by CPS Energy. CPS Energy is the United
States largest municipally owned energy utility providing both electricity and natural gas
service.
Calaveras Lake Dam. Calaveras Lake Dam (Calaveras) was constructed in 1969. The
lake has a surface area of 3,624 acres, a maximum depth of 45 feet and a maximum
capacity of 97,441 acre feet. The spillway is a gated concrete ogee structure with a
service building housing the service bridge. The spillway structure includes five radial
gates which are 44 feet wide by 27 feet tall. Upstream of each radial gate is a roller
gate which is 44 feet wide by 21 feet tall. The crest of the dam includes a gravel access
road. The upstream slope of the dam is rip rap lined and the downstream slope has
grass cover.
The spillway is designed for a discharge of 126,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) at a
maximum lake elevation of 490 feet msl. The normal operating pool elevation is 485
feet msl and the spillway crest elevation is 460 feet msl. The roller gates were installed
in 1992 to protect the minimum operating water level of the lake (Elevation 480 feet msl)
from an uncontrolled spill due to an inoperable or damaged spillway radial gate.
Figure 2. Spillway at Calaveras Lake Dam

Victor Braunig Dam. Victor Braunig Dam (Braunig) was constructed in 1963. The lake
has a surface area of 1,350 acres, a maximum depth of 50 feet and a maximum
capacity of 32,324 acre feet. The spillway is a gated concrete ogee structure with a
service bridge. The spillway structure includes two radial gates which are 33 feet wide
by 14 feet high. The crest of the dam includes a gravel access road. The upstream
slope of the dam is rip rap lined and the downstream slope has grass cover.
The spillway is designed for a discharge of 21,204 cubic feet per second (cfs) at a
maximum lake elevation of 515 feet msl. The normal operating pool elevation is 506.5
feet msl and the spillway crest elevation is 493 feet msl.
Figure 2. Spillway at Victor Braunig Dam

MODERNIZATION PROCESS
The modernization of operating, critical and aged assets such as spillway gates is a
collaborative effort involving the owner, regulatory agencies, consultants and
contractors. Each adds value to the process in a unique manner.
CPS Energy. CPS Energy was an integral and active part of the modernization team.
The importance of having had access to CPS Energy Operations and Maintenance
professionals who have firsthand knowledge of the facilities cannot be overstated. In
addition to making available all existing data related to the spillways, CPS Energy was
instrumental in obtaining new data required for the assessments. During the course of
preparing the modernization plans CPS Energy performed nondestructive testing of the
gates using in-house professionals and had diving inspections completed using private
contractors.
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. In the State of Texas, the Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is responsible for administering state
dam safety laws. TCEQ inspected the Calaveras Lake Dam and Victor Braunig Dam on
November 4 and 5, 2009. These inspections included review of the embankments as
well as the spillway facilities. On January 7, 2010 TCEQ issued a Dam Evaluation
Report for each dam. The Dam Evaluation Reports found the facilities to be in overall
good condition but did include multiple recommendations for operations, maintenance
and repair. Those recommendations which related to the spillway gates included
evaluation of operation of the gates, a plan for exercising of the gates on an identified
time frame, a plan for maintenance and repair of the gates and analysis of the structural
integrity of the gates.
Black & Veatch. Black & Veatch (B&V) was retained by CPS in April of 2010 to assist
in preparing the responses to and implementation of the recommendations contained in
TCEQs Dam Evaluation Reports. The B&V tasks specific to the gates included
performing detailed site inspections at Calaveras and Braunig, performing structural
analysis and condition assessments of the gates at Calaveras and Braunig and
preparing modernization plans that take into account the inspections, analysis and
assessments.
Detailed design of the rehabilitation improvements began when Black & Veatch was
retained in April of 2010. By August 2010 construction had begun on the first gate at
both Calaveras and Braunig. Between April and August 2010, numerous inspections
were performed and documents prepared by B&V, CPS Energy and others to determine

responses to the TCEQ Dam Evaluation Reports and to plan the improvements
necessary for modernization of the facilities.
The process began with collection and review of existing data, followed soon after by
general condition assessments and structural analysis. During this process condition
reports, preliminary rehabilitation recommendations and construction cost estimates
were prepared which allowed CPS to fast-track the construction of the final
recommendations. The general assessments were followed by more detailed structural
inspection of the gates which continued through the duration of construction.
Table 1 summarizes the timeline of inspections and associated documents.

Table 1.
Timeline of Gate Inspections and Associated Documents
Date

Inspector Location

Purpose

Nov 4, 2009

TCEQ

Braunig

Regulatory Inspection

Nov 5, 2009

TCEQ

Calaveras Regulatory Inspection

April 21, 2010

B&V

Calaveras Condition Assessment

April 22, 2010

B&V

Braunig

May 5, 2010

B&V

May 5, 2010

B&V

Condition Assessment

Corrosion Inspection and

Calaveras Testing, Radial Gates 1-5
and Roller Gates 1-5
Corrosion Inspection and
Braunig
Testing, Radial Gates 1 &
2

Associated
Documents
Dam Evaluation
Report
Jan 7, 2010
Dam Evaluation
Report
Jan 7, 2010
Report on TCEQ
Dam Inspection
Recommendations
June 2010
Evaluation of Roller
Gate Modernization
Options
October 2010
Report on TCEQ
Dam Inspection
Recommendations
June 2010
Corrosion/Cathodic
Protection
Assessment Report
June 4, 2010

Table 1.
Timeline of Gate Inspections and Associated Documents
Date

Inspector Location

Purpose

July 6, 2010

CPS

Braunig

NDE Visual and UT

Inspection Radial Gate 1

July 6, 2010

CDS

Calaveras Diving Inspection

July 8, 2010

CDS

Calaveras Diving Inspection

July 12, 2010

CDS

Calaveras Diving Inspection

July 13, 2010

CDS

Calaveras Diving Inspection

Aug 17, 2010

CPS

Aug 24, 2010

B&V

Aug 24, 2010

B&V

Aug 26, 2010

CDS

NDE Visual and UT

Calaveras Inspection,
Radial Gate 1
Structural Condition
Assessment After
Calaveras
Sandblasting Radial
Gate 1
Structural Condition
Assessment After
Braunig
Sandblasting Radial
Gate 1
Calaveras Diving Inspection

Associated
Documents
NDE Report
Braunig Dam
July 6, 2010
Diving Inspection
Reports
July 6, 2010
July 8, 2010
July 12, 2010
July 13, 2010
NDE Report
Calaveras Dam
Aug 17, 2010
Radial Gate No. 1
Recommended
Steel Repairs
August 24, 2010
Radial Gate No. 1
Recommended
Steel Repairs
August 24, 2010
Diving Inspection
Report
Aug 26, 2010

Calaveras Gate Modernization Project Specifications and Drawings - 2010

Braunig Gate Modernization Project Specifications and Drawings - 2010

TYPICAL DEFICIENCIES AND REPAIRS

While inspections and analysis confirmed the radial gates at both Calaveras and
Braunig were generally in fair condition with no visible distress and no immediate safety
concerns, all the gates were in need of rehabilitation to ensure continued long-term
safety and reliability.
Radial Gate Structural Deficiencies.
Corrosion. The radial gates were found to have localized and minor surface rust
with localized areas of severe corrosion and steel member section loss. One
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area of severe yet localized corrosion on all of the gates was the steel channel
located along the bottom of each gate. The channel web and upstream flange
adjacent to the skin plate of the gates were the areas most susceptible to
corrosion. As was the case with most of the corroded members, the corrosion of
the bottom channel was the result of water ponding on the member.
The bottom channel of the Braunig radial gates was so severely corroded it
required complete removal and replacement. The bottom channel of both gates
at Braunig had previously been repaired. These previous repairs created
numerous inaccessible areas which ponded water and resulted in additional
corrosion. Rather than repair the repairs, the bottom channel of both gates was
completely removed and replaced with a comparable member.
Aside from the bottom channel replacement at Braunig, areas of severely
corroded members were generally repaired in one of three ways. The repair
method selected depended on the severity of the section loss and the geometry
and location of the member. For corroded sections of members with significant
cross sectional area remaining, cover plates with full seal welds were placed over
one or both faces of the corroded areas. For members where corrosion had
rusted completely through or nearly through a section of the member, the
localized area of flange or web was removed and replaced with a new plate with
full penetration welds all around. In the worst cases, were members had lost
much of their entire cross section, lengths of the members were completely
removed and replaced with new sections with full penetration welds to the
existing members on either end.
Following all structural repairs both sides of the gates were prepared for painting
and recoated.

Drainage. As noted above, the majority of corrosion which resulted in section

loss was the result of water ponding on the members. In most cases these
members had originally been provided with drain holes. On the members which
corroded however, the drain holes were largely ineffective because of their
location on the member or because they became plugged with debris. To reduce
future ponding, the majority of the drain holes were enlarged and additional drain
holes were provided. Where drain holes penetrate more than one ply of steel,
the drain holes were provided with stainless steel pipes seal welded all around
on both ends to prevent migration of moisture between the plys.

Hoist Platforms. Each of the 5 radial gates at Calaveras has a dedicated gate
hoist to open the gate. Each hoist is supported by a pair of cantilevered steel
platforms located adjacent to each edge of the gate. Inspection of these
platforms indicated that the bottom flanges of the cantilevered beams were
severely corroded with sometimes significant section loss. During rehabilitation
of the gate hoist machinery, each platform will be removed and sent to a steel

fabrication shop for repair or replacement of the corroded members before being
repainted and reinstalled.

Hoisting Cable Connection To Gates. The hoisting cables used to open the
radial gates are connected to the gates near the bottom of each gate. While the
cables themselves showed no signs of corrosion, the assemblies that anchor the
cables to the gates were corroded.
Each connection assembly was
disassembled and inspected to determine the rehabilitation appropriate for each
connection. In some cases the repairs were as simple as replacing missing
cotter pins with new stainless steel pins.

Cathodic Protection. The Braunig radial gates used a protective coating and
galvanic anodes for cathodic protection. The anodes were depleted and needed
to be replaced. The Calaveras radial gates used only a protective coating for
corrosion protection. At Calaveras it was recommended that a negative lead
from the existing impressed current cathodic protection system be connected to
each radial gate.

Trunnion Lubrication. As is common on many radial gates, access to the

grease fittings on the trunnions was difficult. The presence of clean paint over
the trunnion grease fittings indicated that the trunnions had not been lubricated in
at least several years. To correct this deficiency, stainless steel grease lines
were connected to the trunnions and run up the spillway piers to easily
accessible areas.

Roller Gate Structural Deficiencies. The 5 roller gates at Calaveras have been
submerged for most of the last 20 years. During this period they were rarely operated.
When the gates were raised for inspection it was discovered that they had several
unexpected problems.

Rollers. Each of the 5 roller gates at Calaveras is fitted with 14 rollers. When
inspected, it was discovered that the rollers were inoperable and heavily
corroded. Rehabilitation of the rollers included removal, disassembly and
inspection of the roller assemblies; sandblasting and galvanizing of the rollers;
replacement of the bronze bushings and reassembly.

Connection Between Upper and Lower Segment of Gates. The roller gates
at Calaveras are constructed of upper and lower segments each 10.5 feet tall.
The two segments of each gate are field bolted to form the total gate height of 21
feet. The connection between the two segments uses 24 1 inch diameter
stainless steel bolts in direct tension. Raising the gates for inspection caused
many of these bolts to break. Inspection revealed that galvanic corrosion of the
carbon steel gate had allowed the stainless steel bolts to countersink into the
steel plate of the gate. The loss of material below the heads of the bolts created
an unequal distribution of tension between the bolts resulting in the failure of
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many of the bolts. The connections were repaired by filling the corroded areas
with weld material, re-drilling the bolt holes and installing new pretensioned bolt
assemblies with insulated sleeves and washers.

Cathodic Protection. Corrosion control for the roller gates included a protective
coating as well as an impressed current cathodic protection system. The
protective coating and the gates in general were in good condition however, the
system was not effective in protecting the rollers and roller guides from corrosion.
To increase the cathodic protection of the rollers and roller guides, additional
anodes will be placed along the height of the guides.

Operational Deficiencies. To confirm the operability of the five radial gates at

Calaveras, each was subjected to a full open in the dry test. Gates 2, 3 and 4
functioned as designed. Gates 1 and 5 however, failed to reach the full open position
without repeated binding and tripping of the electric hoist circuit breakers. All five gates
are essentially identical in structure with identical hoisting equipment. The gates vary
only in their relative positions on the spillway. Gates 2, 3 and 4 are interior gates with a
spillway pier on each edge of the gate. Gates 1 and 5 are located on either end of the
spillway with a spillway pier on the interior edge of the gate and an earth retaining
cantilevered wall on the other edge. It was hypothesized that the binding of Gates 1
and 5 was caused by either excessive trunnion friction or from the cantilevered wall of
the spillway having deflected in, slightly reducing the width of the gate opening. To rule
out any concern regarding excessive trunnion friction, the trunnion end plates of Gate 1
were removed and inspected for lubrication. This inspection showed no indication of a
lack of lubrication of either trunnion. Before the trunnion end plates were reinstalled,
Gate 1 was opened a few feet in the dry to observe the rotation between the trunnions
and trunnion arms. The rotation was smooth with no indication of problems at the
trunnions. Subsequent inspection of Gate 1 revealed that there was little or no gap
between the gate guide shoes and the adjacent concrete wall and pier. This
observation added additional credibility to the theory that the gate binding was a result
of minor rotation or deflection of the spillway walls.
Rehabilitation of the Calaveras radial gates required that the guide shoes be removed.
During reinstallation of the guide shoes the gap between the guides and adjacent
concrete was reset to match that of the original design thus eliminating the previously
observed binding.
During the structural repair of Gate 1, the hoisting machinery for Gate 1 has removed,
disassembled, inspected, repainted, reinstalled and lubricated.
No mechanical
deficiencies were found during the rehabilitation of the hoisting machinery further
confirming the gate binding was a result of a structural problem and not the result of any
mechanical deficiency.
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Seal Deficiencies. The radial gates at both Calaveras and Braunig use J-seals on the
edges of the gates and flat strip seals along the bottom of the gates. In all cases the
seals were generally in fair condition with only very minor leakage at isolated locations.
It was decided early in the planning of the rehabilitation that the seals would be
removed to facilitate a more effective repainting of the gates. Once it was decided the
seals would be removed it was a simple decision to replace the 40 year old seals with
new seals of a similar profile.
During removal of the seals it was discovered that the majority of the seal retainer
plates were severely corroded. These plates have a relatively small cross sectional
area and are located in areas of the gate where corrosion is common. While the
original seal retainer screws were stainless steel, the seal retainer plates were carbon
steel. It was decided during rehabilitation of the first gate that all seal retainer plates
would be replaced with stainless steel material.
Table 2 summarizes the estimated construction cost of the gate rehabilitations.
Table 2.
Construction Cost Estimate
Calaveras Radial Gates 1 - 5

$2,000,000

Calaveras Roller Gates 1 - 5

$1,500,000

Braunig Radial Gates 1 - 2

$600,00

SUMMARY
Construction of the Calaveras and Braunig spillway gates rehabilitation is 70%
complete. As of March 2011 construction is complete on both of the radial gates at
Braunig, all 5 of the roller gates at Calaveras and 1 of the 5 radial gates at Calaveras.
The conscientious implementation of the spillway gate modernization plans will allow
these valuable assets to continue to safely and reliably control flow through the
spillways for years to come.

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Author
Todd Schellhase is an Engineering Manager and Structural Engineer in the Hydropower
and Hydraulic Structures department of Black & Veatch Corporation in Kansas City,
Missouri. Mr. Schellhase has performed analysis and design for numerous structures of
varying size and complexity primarily for hydropower and hydraulic structures and water
and wastewater treatment plants.

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