Tubebarrier
In case of a flood threat due to extreme precipitation and/or high river discharges, rising water levels may exceed to capacity of flood prevention systems such as dikes and urban drainage. In those cases emergency measures must be taken swiftly, for instance by deploying a temporary flood prevention system.
The Tubebarrier is a flood barrier that can be used to temporarily increase the height of a dike, to protect vital objects from urban flooding or to contain industrial leakage. The Tubebarrier is made of flexible PVC and fills itself with water. The shown model is 70 cm high with a front flap that is fixed with anchor plates. One segment is 10 meter and is stored in a box like an accordion. Segments are connected by zippers and can be quickly deployed over hundreds of meters by two persons.
ProSystem prototype demonstration in operational environment.
Prototype near or at planned operational system. Represents a major step up from TRL 6 by requiring demonstration of an actual system prototype in an operational environment.
Prototype near or at planned operational system. Represents a major step up from TRL 6 by requiring demonstration of an actual system prototype in an operational environment.
Starting in 2013, the Tubebarrier has been subjected to theoretical analyses of failure mechanisms and validation in tests under design conditions at the Flood Proof Holland test site of TU Delft. This iterative process has lead to several improvements of components which has resulted in a reliable prototype. The latest improvements include universal anchor plates (for all types of surfaces) and zippers to connect segments. These will undergo further testing in Flood Proof Holland. If these tests are succesfull, testing will continue in operational settings (TRL6 and higher).
How does it work?
The Tubebarrier can be placed on soft (e.g., grass) or hard surfaces (e.g., concrete, asphalt). The flap can be fixed to the underground to prevent seepage /piping. The rising water enters the barrier through small holes on the front side. When the water level falls again, the water leaves the barrier through the same holes. The TubeBarrier can be bought or leased and Tubebarrier offers a 24/7 service including storage, maintenance and deployment in case of an incident or an imminent flood.
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