Italian Project Pneumatic Curved Folding Dam | Air Shield Dam 44.5m×1.2m for River Landscape
Pneumatic Curved Folding Dam for Italy River Project, 44.5m Length, 1.2m Retaining Height
This project adopts pneumatic curved folding dam (air shield dam) with a total length of 44.5 m and water retaining height of 1.2 m, custom-built for urban river ecological water storage and landscape weir. The whole system consists of arc-shaped hot-dip galvanized steel panels, multi-layer reinforced EPDM rubber air bladders, water sealing gaskets, bottom hinge anchoring assemblies and PLC pneumatic automatic control system.
Working principle: When the air bladder is inflated, it supports the curved steel panel to stand up for water retention. During flood season, air is released from the bladder, and steel panels lie flat on the riverbed, barely occupying the river cross-section and maintaining excellent flood passage capacity.
The gate panels adopt modular multi-span prefabricated design, supporting separate-span manufacturing, phased shipment and staged installation. Partial spans can be manufactured, shipped and installed on site first; the remaining spans can be constructed later by river diversion, which well matches site construction schedule and project budget arrangement. This is our key differentiated advantage for overseas hydraulic projects.
The system supports local manual operation and remote SCADA automatic control. Air pressure can be adjusted automatically according to water level to realize stepless water level regulation. The curved steel panel delivers better mechanical performance and strong resistance against floating debris impact. Featuring durable structure and low maintenance cost, it is ideal for European urban river regulation, ecological restoration and landscape water retaining projects.
Product Details | 44.5m ×1.2m Pneumatic Curved Folding Dam (Air Shield Dam)
1. Main Technical Parameters
Product Name: Pneumatic Curved Folding Dam (Air Shield Dam)
Project Location: River Ecological Restoration Project, Italy
Total Dam Length: 44.5 m
Designed Water Retaining Height: 1.2 m
Driving Type: Air bladder pneumatic drive
Panel Material: Carbon steel with hot-dip galvanizing and protective coating
Air Bladder Material: Multi-layer fiber reinforced EPDM rubber
Control Mode: Local manual control + PLC automatic control, compatible with SCADA remote monitoring
Structure: Modular multi-span independent units, each span works separately
Working Air Pressure: 0.02~0.04 MPa
Operation Logic: Inflate to rise for water retention; deflate to lie flat for flood passage
2. Structure Components
Arc Steel Panel: Hot-dip galvanized curved carbon steel plate to bear water pressure. Curved design optimizes force distribution and resists impact from floating debris. Prefabricated per span in factory.
Rubber Air Bladder: Multi-layer reinforced EPDM rubber bladder, the core supporting component. Inflation lifts the panel; deflation lets the panel fall flat. Anti-aging and resistant to river water corrosion.
Bottom Hinge & Anchoring System: Stainless steel hinges and anchor bolts, fixing panels on riverbed foundation to ensure stable rotation.
Water Sealing System: Bottom and inter-span rubber seals to prevent water leakage and guarantee water retention efficiency.
Pneumatic & Automatic Control System: Air compressor, solenoid valves, pressure sensors, water level gauges and PLC cabinet. Automatically adjust air pressure according to water level for intelligent water level regulation.
3. Working Principle
The pneumatic curved folding dam rises and falls by inflating or deflating the bottom rubber air bladder.
When the bladder is inflated, it expands and pushes the curved steel panel to rotate upward around the bottom hinge, forming a weir for river water storage and landscape water surface.
During flood season, the bladder is deflated. The panel rotates down and lies flat fully on the riverbed. It creates minimal obstruction to river flow and ensures good flood discharge.
Each span can be controlled independently to adjust water level section by section.
4. Key Advantages
Superior Flood Discharge Performance: Panels lie flat on riverbed when fully opened, nearly no protrusion, meeting European river flood control standards.
Modular Multi-span Design: Independent spans allow separate manufacturing and phased shipment. Staged delivery and diversion installation is available to match site schedule and project budget.
Optimized Curved Structure: Arc panel improves stress bearing capacity and provides strong resistance against floating debris impact.
Intelligent Automatic Control: PLC & SCADA remote monitoring, auto response to water level change, with manual backup for emergency operation. Simple daily maintenance.
Durable Anti-corrosion Treatment: Hot-dip galvanized steel panels and weather-resistant rubber bladder, long service life in outdoor river environment.
Lower Civil Work Cost: Less demanding for river foundation compared with traditional flap gates, saving civil engineering investment.
5. Construction Solution
The total length of this project is 44.5 meters, divided into multiple independent spans. Partial spans can be manufactured and shipped first for early site installation and commissioning. Remaining spans will be produced and delivered later, and installed via river diversion.
This staged construction shortens the timeline for initial water impoundment, suitable for overseas cross-border projects with long lead time.
6. Application
Urban river ecological water storage, landscape weirs, small river water level regulation, ecological restoration and municipal small river water retaining projects in Europe.
