17.6.3. Radial (or Tainter) Gates These are made of steel plates which form a segment of a cylinder which itself is attached to supporting bearing by radial arms. The cylindrical plate is kept concentric to the supporting pins so that the entire thrust of the waterload passes through the pins and only a small amount of moment needs to be overcome in raising or lowering the gate. The hoisting loads then include only the weight of the gate, the sliding friction, and the frictional resistance at the pins. The small hoisting effort required for the operation of the radial gates makes hand operations at small installations possible. Besides, they require lesser head rooms than required by vertical lift gates. All these advantages make the radial gates more adaptable.
