On the basis of the scheduled service life of 70 years for steel hydraulic components, all lock gates have been replaced in recent decades. However, these steel hydraulic components must be overhauled at regular intervals. Consequently, the construction of a universal replacement pair of gates is being sought for the long-term maintenance of the ship locks.
These are to be designed as mitred gates in a transom construction and must meet or be adaptable to all the criteria of the 19 ship locks from Viereth to Rothenfels. This would make it possible to thoroughly renovate all these lock gates independently of the lock barrier during operation, which would significantly simplify the associated processes and minimise disruptions.