Gannett Fleming engineers solutions for dams with controlled crests — widely used to manage water levels and create additional storage. We design and evaluate controlled gate systems such as inflatable dams, bascule gates, and fuse gates.

Our firm uses several dam technologies to control water levels on spillways or diversion structures. We consider a variety of conditions, configurations, and environments when applying this technology to the following moveable crest dams:

• Hydraulically-operated steel bascule gate dam• Inflatable rubber dam (Bridgestone Rubber

Dam)• Steel-gated dam operated with an inflatable

rubber bladder (Obermeyer Hydro, Inc. Gate System).

These inflatable dams have been installed in a variety of conditions, configurations, and environments.

Considerable advancements in inflatable dam technology, have now made it an economical solution for both installing new and replacing old spillway crest gates up to 18 feet high. The hydraulic and environmental advantages of inflatable dams makes them a viable solution for constructing new and replacing old run-of-the-river low head gravity dams. Although inflatable dams have been installed with water and air, air-inflated dams are the most popular type.

Our Services• Planning studies• Feasibility investigations• Final design• Operating systems design• Construction support• Design of control systems• Inspection and condition assessments• Troubleshooting• Hydraulic analyses• Permitting• Reliability investigations

Moveable Crest Dams

Deflated Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam, Sunbury, Pa.

Inflated Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam, Sunbury, Pa.

Advantages of Moveable Crest Dams and Gates

• Low environmental impact• Long service life• Low maintenance• Simple construction and installation on new

or existing foundation• Reliable deflation• Excellent operation in ice conditions• Ability to sluice debris• Proven performance.

Representative Projects• Gilboa Dam Spillway Crest Gates, Catskill, N.Y.• Fish Passage Facility at Sunbury Inflatable Dam

(Fabridam), Sunbury, Pa.• Wyoming Valley Inflatable Dam Feasibility

Study, Luzerne County, Pa.• Forest Park Inflatable Rubber Diversion Dam,

Chalfont, Pa.• Codorus Creek Bascule Dam, York, Pa.• Lake Chesdin Dam Raise Studies,

Petersburg, Va.• Black Rock Dam Hydro Plus Fusegate

Structural Design, Zuni, N.M.• Kimball Creek Inflatable Rubber Crest Gate

System, Napa County, Calif.

Water

Offices Worldwide

800.233.1055 www.gannettfleming.com

For more information on Gannett Fleming’s Moveable Crest Dams, please contact:

Paul G. Schweiger, P.E.717.763.7211 x2504

pschweiger@gfnet.com

Moveable crest inflatable dam, Sunbury, Pa.

Forest Park inflatable rubber diversion dam, Chalfont. Pa. (top) Black Rock Dam fusegate, Zuni, N.M. (bottom)

00295-0215

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