About the SpeedyDam

In a first for the Wey & Arun Canal Trust a water-inflated dam usually used to protect against flooding has been put to use in a restoration project.

AquaDam Europe’s mobile flood barriers are now being adopted by canal trusts as a fast method of creating a protective barrier during construction work.

The company’s SpeedyDam model has been installed at the Wey & Arun Canal Trust’s latest restoration project at Birtley.

Volunteers positioned the sausage-shaped device on the towpath in its rolled-up state and filled it by pumping in water, causing the dam to roll out and push across the canal. The threemetre-wide cylindrical tube created a 1.2m-high barrier in a matter of a few hours, much faster and cheaper than bringing in material to achieve the same result.

The dam means volunteers can now dig a trench below the canal bed and build a temporary footpath and bridleway diversion needed here ahead of constructing work on the bridge.

The SpeedyDam has a strong geotextile membrane with a seam-free blown polyethylene liner, much like a car tyre, allowing it to withstand tremendous force. When empty it is easily transportable and will be used on future Wey & Arun Canal Trust restoration projects.