Bhagwan Mahavir

Polytechnic
Civil Department
Vinith Pillai
Virat Fumakia
Nisarg Joshi
Maulik Gamit
Ankit Desai
Project Guide : Mr. Vishal
Radadiya

RUBBER DAM

What is Rubber Dam?

The Rubber dam is relatively recent
technological break-through.
Rubber dams are placed across
channel, stream and weir crest to
increase the upstream water level
when inflated and because of that
rubber dams are also called as
inflatable dams.
The dams are tubes which are
made of rubberized material.

Rubber dam

Concrete structure

Anchoring

Composite joining sheets used in

Rubber Dam.

Construction & Membrane

design
An inflatable rubber dam is basically an envelope formed
from a fabric reinforced rubber membrane which is
anchored to a concrete foundation.
Membranes are designed and constructed to meet the
individual requirements of each installation.
The correct cross section of construction materials and
correct manufacturing techniques maximizes the
reliability and service life of the rubber dam

This is How Rubber dam

looks like..!

Why
Rubber
Dam ?

Better control of flood and

draught, through
watershed due to
automatic inflation and
deflation mechanism.
Increase per capita
storage capacity and water
use efficiency.
Easy installation.
Reduction of soil erosion.
Ground Recharging.

Built up cost
Lower investment, cost about 40%
than the conventional gated
regulating structure.

Cost Considerations.
Construction cost is mainly divided into two parts
as follows:
Designing of the rubber dam, including dam body
and related operating system.
Manufacturing and installation.
The construction varies with the width of dam.

INFLATION AND DEFLATION PHENOMENON OF

RUBBER DAM

To undertake design &

development of rubber
composites and process
for making rubber
dams.
To design and develop
different
components of
rubber dam.
To develop and validate
rubber dams.

FIRST INDIGENIZED MODEL RUBBER

DAM PROTOTYPE (MRDP) DEVELOPED
AT IRMRA(Indian Rubber Manufacturers
Resource Association)

Anchorage Design
To form rubber dam the membrane is anchored
to the foundations or weir. Rubber dams are
secured to the concrete foundation using a
single or dual row of clamping plates. These
plates are attached to anchor bolts which are
either cast into new foundations or embedded
into existing foundations.

Rubber Dam control systems

The control system depends on the customers specific
requirements and choice of either an air filled or water filled
rubber dam.
There are various control systems available ranging from
simple manual control of inflation and deflation to advanced
control of the upstream water level within a tight range.
Options for automatic control include :(A) Electrical automatic deflation
(B) Mechanical automatic deflation
(C)Bag pressure control

Rubber used in the

construction
Natural Rubber, SBR blend is selected as a best cover
compound in terms of physical properties.
Nylon-6 fabric gives better adhesion than Nylon 66 and
Polyester fabric.
Weaving pattern & gram per square meter (gsm) of fabric
also play important role for adhesion & strength of composite.
Gsm of the treated fabric is optimized to get specified
strength, adhesion and flexibility of composite material.

Purposes of Rubber Dam

It can be used as a system of flood control.
It can be used for creating recreational lakes without
environmental restrictions.
It can be also used in power generation for small
industries.
In case of repairing other dam, it can used for diverting
the water, because it can be quickly installed.
It can be used as water reservoir also in rural area as it is
very economical.

Future projects in India.

The First Rubber dam in India will be built
across the Bharatapuzha in Kerala. A
contract to this effect has been signed by the
public sector steel industries Kerala
limited(silk). Studies have confirmed that low
cost rubber dams would be suitable for
Kerala's river such as Bharatapuzha and
periyar

Conclusion
Rubber Dam is an innovative technology, which can be
used profitably for various purposes such as :
1) Water Parks
2) Flood Control
3) Diversion for Building main Dam
4) Repairs of Dams
5) Small Power plants
6)Rural water supply

Thank You