Does your property or job site suffer from chronic flooding? Do you need to do work in an otherwise inaccessible underwater area? Or are you working toward a brighter future by protecting the ecosystem? You can solve all these problems and more by implementing an inflatable cofferdam in your next project. Today we will discuss the purpose, use cases, and function of a temporary cofferdam and how it can save time, money, and even lives.
What Is An Inflatable Cofferdam?
Before exploring the purpose of an inflatable cofferdam, let’s look at the dam’s construction and parts and how it works together to stop even raging waters from overflowing your work site or home. At its core, an inflatable cofferdam serves the same purpose as a traditional permanent dam, albeit at a smaller and temporary scale. Temporary barriers use a series of interconnected baffles and a dense but flexible geotextile material filled with water that stops flow in a river, floodplain, or even bay area. It can also act as temporary housing for water and create a safe environment that is otherwise inaccessible for construction or maintenance.
Inflatable cofferdams are an eco-friendly damming solution that does not require harmful processes to install and are superior to all other cofferdam materials regarding flexibility, versatility, and ecological impact. There is no need for drilling or expensive equipment to set up an inflatable cofferdam as teams as small as three people can erect the dam in as little as a few hours, as opposed to the weeks or days other dewatering methods require. Furthermore, an inflatable dam can hold waters as shallow as a few inches to depths exceeding ten feet. Due to their modular design, they can create an interconnected system that can span an entire river if needed. Finally, since cofferdams use the water they block to inflate, they leave little to no trace when deflated and removed from a location.
Main Uses For An Inflatable Cofferdam
While the utility of an inflatable cofferdam lies in its versatility, there are several main purposes for an inflatable cofferdam. Most use cases for an inflatable cofferdam include construction and flood control, although several other projects can benefit from using a cofferdam. Here are just a few of the possible uses for an inflatable cofferdam:
- Storm Dewatering / Flood Control: After a considerable flood, a cofferdam can dewater the area or protect a location when flooding is projected.
- Construction: Any construction project that includes the added hurdle of water intrusion can benefit from adding an inflatable cofferdam to increase worker safety and remove water from vital areas.
- Shoreline Restoration: Inflatable cofferdams can offer a potent barrier during shoreline restoration projects and slow the rapid pace of erosion along coastlines.
- Bridge Construction Or Repair: Bridges are among the most technical repairs for crews. Inflatable cofferdams make repair of concrete struts, overhangs, and underwater stabilizers possible without requiring specialized equipment.
- Canal Construction Or Repair
- Creation Of Temporary River Crossings
- Anti-Flooding Operations
- Assistance In Dredging Projects
- Underwater Cable Or Pipeline Construction
- Water Park Maintenance
- Sediment And Erosion Control
- Groundwater Protection
Reach Out to Dam-It-Dams to Learn More About Inflatable Cofferdams
There are countless other possible uses for an inflatable cofferdam from Dam-It-Dams, and the only way to find out how one can work for you is to schedule a consultation with one of our professional cofferdam installation experts. Give us a call at 810-695-1695 or contact us online to learn more. To read more about cofferdams and their many applications, don’t forget to check out our other blog posts that detail the cofferdam construction and use process.