Expensive Lock Gates

[Paul C]

Sustainably?

[Jerra]

Oak is - can be - sustainable. Whether all users/timberyards source theirs from sustainable plantations, I don't know, but I think (can't 100% remember) during my visit to Bradley workshops, they said theirs was. Sustainable means that new trees are planted at the same rate that trees are felled for timber, so it follows that planting occurs. Maybe someone with a better memory than me can clarify exactly what type of oak is used for lock gates?

Of the English Oaks I would expect it to be Pedunculate Oak as it tends to have longer trunks which are branch free.

 

I know that trees are grown sustainably now. Incidentally planting one tree for every tree used isn't sustainable a largish proportion are lost to pests disease, weather etc. If I remember correctly about 17 to get one mature conifer. That does allow for thinning but I suspect Oaks grown for lock beams will need to be grown close together to make them grow a long straight trunk and thinned once they get to a good height.

 

To get a lock beam out of heart wood the tree is going to be 75 -80 yrs were people really planting in this way in the 1930s? If not there will be a shortage of good oaks soon.

[bag 'o' bones]

I was sitting on a bench the other day that appreared to be made of wood but was in fact some sort of (recycled?) plastic.

 

Considering oak locks gates cost around 25k to replace and only last between 15-30 years (I think I read somewhere), I was wondering what other materials other than steel have been tried that are better value in terms of what they cost versus their serviceable life?

 

I've heard they can turn old tires into all sorts of materials these days - rubber lock gate anyone?

 

 

 

 

But the OP wasn't suggesting recycled plastic would be 'better', they thought it would be cheaper.

 

I rather doubt it, which led to my quibbling about the costs involved.

Hmm did really say I though plastic was cheaper?

I was thinking about alternative materials in general that might offer a better cost/durability ratio.

For example if a set of lock gates cost twice as much to produce in an alternative material but lasted 5 times as long then in the long run their overall cost would be cheaper (I think) assuming that maintenance costs were the same.

Edited September 22, 2015 by bag 'o' bones