Inflatable rubber dams are cylindrical rubber fabrics placed across channels, and streams and act as a

weir A weir or low-head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the water level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

to raise the upstream water level when inflated. The membrane is a multi-layer fabric made of synthetic fibre (usually

nylon Nylon is a family of synthetic polymers characterised by amide linkages, typically connecting aliphatic or Polyamide#Classification, semi-aromatic groups. Nylons are generally brownish in color and can possess a soft texture, with some varieti ...

) and rubberised on one or both sides. The fabric is flexible and yet exhibits good wear-resistance characteristics. A layer of stainless steel mesh or ceramic chips can be embedded in the surface layer to reduce or prevent vandal damage. The inflatable flexible membrane dams (IFMD, rubber dams, tiger dam) were developed in the 1950s by Norman M. Imbertson of the

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is the largest municipal Public utility, utility in the United States with 8,100 megawatts of electric generating capacity (2021–2022) and delivering an average of 435 million gallons of wat ...

and were originally called fabridams. They are installed in stream and river beds, generally being bolted into a concrete foundation. They are used to divert water for

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...

, temporarily raise existing dams,

flood control Flood management or flood control are methods used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters. Flooding can be caused by a mix of both natural processes, such as extreme weather upstream, and human changes to waterbodies and ru ...

, water retention for

aquifer recharge Groundwater recharge or deep drainage or deep percolation is a Hydrology, hydrologic process, where water moves downward from surface water to groundwater. Recharge is the primary method through which water enters an aquifer. This process usually ...

, reduce or prevent salt water intrusion into fresh water areas, protect low-lying coastal areas from

tidal flooding Tidal flooding, also known as sunny day flooding or nuisance flooding, is the temporary inundation of low-lying areas, especially streets, during exceptionally high tide events, such as at full and new moons. The highest tides of the year may b ...

, enable fish passage past diversion works, by deflation, and for sewage retention/separation during flood events. Inflatable dams can be filled with water, air or both. They typically span about 100 m, with dam heights usually less than 5 m. The membrane is usually deflated for large overflows, but it is common to have a small

nappe In geology, a nappe or thrust sheet is a large sheetlike body of rock that has been moved more than or above a thrust fault from its original position. Nappes form in compressional tectonic settings like continental collision zones or on the ...

over the inflated dam.

Examples of inflatable rubber dams

Capay Diversion Dam

The Capay Diversion Dam across Cache Creek in

Yolo County, California Yolo County (; Wintuan languages, Wintun: ''Yo-loy''), officially the County of Yolo, is a County (United States), county located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Yolo County was one of the original counties of Californi ...

, was originally built as a concrete structure in 1914. In 1994, an inflatable rubber component was added to the original dam and was recognized as the "longest single bladder dam in the world" at that time. The Capay Diversion Dam is located approximately two miles above the town of Capay on Cache Creek. This dam was built by the Yolo Water & Power Company and serves as the headworks for the canal system. Here, the water released from Clear Lake and Indian Valley Reservoir is diverted into the West Adams and the Winters canals, feeding the entire canal system. The dam belongs to the Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District.

Ramspol Balgstuw

Image:Balgstuw Ramspol.jpg, Balgstuw Ramspol rubber dam Image:20080520 Balgstuw Ramspol NL.jpg, Panorama of the Balgstuw Ramspol File:production of rubber dam.jpg, Rubber dam production File:Huachenrubberdam.jpg, Example of a rubber dam The balgstuw near Ramspol is a series of three inflatable rubber dams used for storm surge protection. It is situated between the

Ketelmeer The Ketelmeer is the tongue of the IJsselmeer into which the River IJssel drains, it is situated between the polders Noordoostpolder (North-east Polder) and Oostelijk Flevoland (East Flevoland), and connects the river IJssel to the IJsselmeer. ...

and the

Zwarte Water The Zwarte Water ("Black Water") is a river in the Dutch province of Overijssel. It is formed just south of the city of Zwolle when two streams, the Soestwetering and the Nieuwe Wetering, merge. The Zwarte Water then flows north through Zwoll ...

the Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

. The flexible rubber membranes of the 240 m span dam are inflated by air and water. The balgstuw is built to protect the villages against the rising water of the

Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam

The Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam (formerly known as the Sunbury Fabridam) was constructed in 1966 and was known as the world's longest inflatable dam, but has since been supplanted by the Xiaobudong rubber dam in China. The dam is located just below the confluence of the Western and Main Branches of the Susquehanna, between the towns of Shamokin Dam and

Sunbury, Pennsylvania Sunbury ( ) is a city and the county seat of Northumberland County in Pennsylvania, United States. Located in the Susquehanna Valley, Sunbury is positioned on the east bank of the Susquehanna River. Sunbury's roots stretch back to the early ...

. The dam is 2,100 feet (640 m) long and is made of seven dam bags. When it is raised in the summer time, it creates the 3,000 acre (12 km²) Lake Augusta, which is used for recreation. The dam and lake are part of

Shikellamy State Park Shikellamy State Park is a Pennsylvania state park located at the confluence of the West Branch Susquehanna River and Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. The park is divided into two sections. The older part, on a bluff on the western bank of ...

References

Sources

Hubert Chanson Hubert Chanson (born 1 November 1961) is a professional engineer and academic in hydraulic engineering and environmental fluid mechanics. Since 1990 he has worked at the University of Queensland. Research Chanson completed a Doctor of Philosop ...

(1996)
Some Hydraulic Aspects during Overflow above Inflatable Flexible Membrane Dam
Report CH47/96, Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of Queensland, Australia, May, 60 pages (). *

(1998)
Hydraulics of Rubber Dam Overflow : a Simple Design Approach
Proc. 13th Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference, Melbourne, Australia, 13–18 December, M.C. Thompson & K. Hourigan Ed., Vol. 1, pp. 255–258. {{DEFAULTSORT:Inflatable Rubber Dam Dams by type

dams A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, ...