Storm surge barrier Ramspol

To protect West Overijssel against flooding due to high water at the IJsselmeer and Ketelmeer an inflatable rubber dam has been designed and is at this moment under construction. This dam will then be the largest barrier of its kind ever built. Since the size of this project is unique, 3D hydraulic model studies have been carried out to verify the dynamic behaviour of the rubber dam during inflation, operation and deflation. For the strength of the barrier, a rubber body reinforced with an aramid fabric has been developed. Due to the size, new material and unique application it has been concluded that the applicable design standards could not be used. To verify the capacity of the reinforced rubber body a large number of tests were conducted, supported by complex finite element calculations. From a hydraulic point of view it is concluded that the application of a rubber dam as a storm surge barrier under extreme hydraulic conditions is feasible. After modifications of the geometry, it is also concluded that the capacity of the aramid reinforced rubber body is sufficient to withstand the stresses, introduced by the hydraulic load and local stress concentrations.