BAM Infraconsult / Delta Marine Consultants
Balgstuw barrier Ramspol
Storm barrier Ramspol protects Holland again
Due to persisting winds with forces eight to nine Beaufort on Jan 06, 2012 it was decided to inflate the storm surge barrier at Ramspol.
The process was started shortly midnight. It took about one hour before the enormous barrier was fully inflated thus protecting the Ramspol-diep for high water in the Dutch IJsselmeer.
April 2015, the barrier had to be closed for hours because of the storm.Closing ‘the gate’ was very successful.
3 inflatable dams
During recent weeks in the major rivers changed from extremely low to very high everal had been flooded. The rapidly rising water level were caused by continuous rainfall especially in the German basin and saturated land, preventing rainwater penetrate into the soil. The barrier consists of three inflatable, nylon-reinforced rubber dams, each 75 m long, 13 m wide and with a design height of 8.35 m. They are the largest dams of their kind ever built. The dam is inflated with air while a gravity-feed system allows water to flow in. The barrier is lowered again by pumping out the water and letting out the air.
The storm surge barrier near Ramspol, designed and built by the Royal BAM Group nv, was built to project the hinterland against flooding by high water from the IJsselmeer lake. It was commissioned end 2002.
facts & figures Balgstuw barrier Ramspol
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Yes, the Balgstuw is an emergency flood barrier for serious water crossings, but much more cost effective than ingenious above-surface structures the Dutch are also known about.
Only at really frightening rising water levels, the Balgstew comes in action. In most of the cases fully automatic(!), and with concern of vessels that might be around. With a mixture of pumped-in surrounding water and air, the rubber mega-tubes rise meters above water level and protects the hinterland from the greater and pushing sea, lake or main river.
To incidentally shut off an ocean bay for instance, the Balgstuw might not appropriate, but water areas to cross, and close, of 225 meters width (738 feet) are no exception for the developers of this ‘sleeping’ weir.