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 Rubber dam

technological break-through.

 Rubber dams are placed across

channel, stream and weir crest to
increase the upstream water level when

Concrete structure
inflated and because of that rubber
dams are also called as inflatable dams.

 The dams are tubes which are made of

rubberized material. 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..!
• Better control of flood and
draught, through watershed due to

Why Rubber automatic inflation and deflation

Dam ? 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 customer’s 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