Sealing Venice from Flooding Conditions
CEFIL’AIR Inflatable Seals Provide The Optimal Seal
Technetics was contacted by an engineer from a city-wide flood control project who was seeking a sealing solution for half-cylindrical lock gates in seawater. The project involves the construction of an artificial dyke, three locks, and six doors – two doors for each lock – in order to protect a historic city from flooding caused by high water tides. To be successful, sufficient sealing of the doors on the locks located at the entrance of the city’s lagoon is required, which will allow for boats to circulate between the lagoon and the connecting sea when the artificial dykes are in action.
The project specifications required a durable sealing solution that was suitable for seawater conditions. Technetics’ expertise allowed for a high-quality solution, meeting the critical challenges and specifications of the project, to be discovered, designed, and manufactured.
CEFIL’AIR inflatable seals were identified as an optimal sealing solution for the lock gates. This seal has the ability to expand and retract with the movement of fluids, making it appropriate for seawater conditions. Furthermore, the CEFIL’AIR seal has highly resistant mechanical and physical properties, which ensure a long lifetime and numerous operating cycles. The solution was designed with one horizontal seal and two vertical seals, amounting to three seals per lock gate.
Technetics received and fulfilled orders to equip three gates at the three inlets located at the entrance to the lagoon. The seals proved to be a success when the city did not experience flooding during the high tide season for the first time in many years.
