The "Flexible Guardian" on the Jialing River – Multi-Dimensional Breakthroughs of the Guangyuan Shield Rubber Dam Project

As an important tributary of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, the Guangyuan section of the Jialing River can see a peak flow of 6,000-7,000 cubic meters per second. River regulation in this section must not only cope with the pressure of flood control for large flows, but also take into account the needs of navigation, ecological landscape and other aspects. The 4.5-meter double-airbag shield rubber dam developed by Qingdao Hechang High-Tech Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. has been successfully applied in the regulation of this section, providing an innovative model for water conservancy projects in large rivers.

I. Dilemma in Large River Regulation: Adaptation Challenges of Traditional Dam Types

The hydrological conditions of the Guangyuan section of the Jialing River are complex. Floods in the flood season are fierce and have large flows, while stable water levels are required in the dry season to ensure navigation and ecological water replenishment. Traditional rigid dams (such as concrete dams) lack flexibility in flood discharge, and rubber dams are prone to damage by impact under large flows, making it difficult to balance "flood control safety" and "flexibility of water level regulation". At the same time, large rivers have more stringent requirements on the pressure-bearing capacity and durability of the dam structure. Finding a suitable new type of dam has become the key to the project.

II. Double-Airbag Shield Rubber Dam: Technological Innovation to Solve Pain Points

Qingdao Hechang's 4.5-meter double-airbag shield rubber dam breaks through the predicament by virtue of "structural optimization + function integration":

• • Double-airbag structure for more reliable pressure bearing: The symmetrical design of double airbags ensures more uniform force compared with a single airbag, which can effectively disperse the impact force of water flow under the large flow of the Jialing River. The 4.5-meter dam height not only meets the need of storing water to form an open water surface in the dry season, but also can quickly deflate and collapse the dam in the flood season, allowing floodwater to discharge smoothly and enabling a more agile flood control response.
• • Technology integration to adapt to complex hydrology: The shield rubber dam combines the flexibility of rubber dams and the strength of steel dams. The shield plate protects the airbag from damage by floating objects, and at the same time has the characteristics of "fast inflation and deflation, easy silt cleaning" – it only takes a few minutes to inflate and retain water. After the dam collapses, the shield plate lies close to the riverbed (with a water-blocking height of less than 9 cm), which facilitates the discharge of sediment and solves the long-term siltation problem of large rivers.

III. Project Effects: A Win-Win Pattern for Flood Control, Navigation and Ecology

Since the shield rubber dam was put into use, multiple benefits have been achieved in the Guangyuan section of the Jialing River:

• • Upgraded flood control safety: When facing large flows in the flood season, the dam can quickly deflate and collapse, ensuring the smooth flow of flood discharge channels, effectively reducing the threat of floods to coastal cities and towns, and withstanding the test of high flows in the Jialing River.
• • Improved navigation efficiency: Cooperating with the navigation lock on the left bank, the shield rubber dam can accurately regulate the upstream water level, creating stable water level conditions for ship navigation, helping to release the navigation efficiency of the Jialing River and serving regional logistics and economic development.
• • Empowered ecological landscape: By inflating and retaining water in the dry season, a lake surface of about 0.45 square kilometers is formed, with a backwater length of more than 4 kilometers. This not only provides guarantee for irrigation of surrounding farmland and ecological water replenishment, but also creates a landscape of "a flat lake emerging from high gorges", becoming a new highlight for citizens' leisure and cultural tourism check-ins, and making the water conservancy project more harmonious with natural mountains and rivers as well as urban development.

From solving the technical pain points of large river regulation, to the innovative application of the double-airbag shield rubber dam, and then to the manifestation of comprehensive benefits in flood control, navigation and ecology, the Guangyuan Shield Rubber Dam Project, empowered by technology, has explored a new "safe, efficient and ecological" path for water conservancy projects in large rivers like the Jialing River, and also demonstrated the solid strength of Qingdao Hechang in the field of high-end water conservancy equipment manufacturing.