Freycinet gauge

{{Short description|French standard for canal lock sizes}}

File:Peniche (1).jpg

The Freycinet gauge ({{langx|fr|gabarit Freycinet}}) is a standard governing the dimensions of the locks of some canals, put in place as a result of a law passed during the tenure of Charles de Freycinet as minister of public works of France, dating from 5 August 1879.

The law required the size of lock chambers to be increased to a length of {{convert|39|m}}, a width of {{convert|5.2|m}} and a minimum water depth of {{convert|2.2|m}}, thus allowing 300 to 350 tonne barges to pass through.{{cite web|url= http://www.nievre.equipement.gouv.fr/Voies_navigables/patrimoine/page_Briare3.htm#Freycinet|title= Freycinet Gauge|access-date= 2007-06-05|archive-date= 2007-08-28|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070828071238/http://www.nievre.equipement.gouv.fr/Voies_navigables/patrimoine/page_Briare3.htm#Freycinet|url-status= dead}}

Consequently, boats and barges, such as the péniche, built to the Freycinet gauge could not exceed {{convert|38.5|m}} in length, {{convert|5.05|m}} in breadth and a draught of {{convert|1.8|m}}. Bridges and other structures built across the canals are required to provide {{convert|3.7|m}} of clearance.{{cite book|title = World Canals|url = https://archive.org/details/worldcanalsinlan00hadf|url-access = registration|author=Charles Hadfield}}

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries many French canals were modernised to conform to the Freycinet standard. By 2001, {{convert|5800|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} of navigable waterways in France corresponded to the Freycinet gauge, accounting for 23% of waterborne traffic.