Engineering Term of the Month CANAL
A canal is a human-made waterway used to convey water for farmland irrigation , navigation , or drainage . A canal may transport water to meet requirements for municipal , industrial , and outdoor recreational uses . Typically , canals are excavated through land to connect two larger bodies of water .
Navigation canals connect or take the place of natural bodies of water to allow for either ship or barge transportation . When two natural bodies of water are at different elevations , building a canal between them presents a complicated engineering problem . One or more locks ( or “ steps ”) are constructed that carry ships or boats up or down between the two levels to make up for the difference in water surface elevation . Construction of canals involves careful planning to account for the terrain , water flow , and ecological impact .
Historical canal examples include the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal , both of which are vital international shipping routes . Locally , the Cape Cod Canal , of which construction was completed in 1914 , joins Cape Cod Bay to Buzzards Bay . The Cape Cod Canal saves ships 70 miles in travel from Boston to New York City , and also allows ships to avoid dangerous waters of Nantucket .
Image of tanker ship in Cape Cod Canal
• US Department of the Interior , Bureau of Reclamation , Design of Small Canal Structures , 1978
• Encyclopedia Britannica , Inc ., - https :// kids . britannica . com /
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