Abstract
Field vibration tests in running water were conducted on Tainter gates under practical uses in USA, with the specific intent of advancing the state-of-art knowledge concerning the coupled-mode instability mechanism for such gates, where a steel-rod breaking excitation method was adopted. The test results were the clear identification of the gate's inherent in-water vibration characteristics, which could not be revealed by the ambient test. Subsequently, the previously developed theoretical analysis was applied to the tested gate to uncover an essential dynamic instability for this installation, as well as to provide a framework for the design of a retrofit and an optimized maintenance plan.
