A giant, inflatable structure designed to prevent flooding in tunnels, will be unveiled by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) in a special technology demonstration in Frederica, Delaware on June 6, 2017.
The Resilient Tunnel Plug (RTP) was developed in partnership with ILC Dover, the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, West Virginia University, and DHS S&T.
(Learn More about the challenges in protecting tunnels against disaster. Courtesy of The New York Times and YouTube. Posted on Nov 20, 2012)
The RTP, made from a liquid crystal polymer called Vectran®, was developed to provide security to transit systems as protection from flooding, primarily in subways, in the event of a terrorist attack or natural disaster.
In the event of flooding, the plug would rapidly inflate, holding back at least 30 feet of water, keeping citizens and the transit system assets safe.
Demonstration: Tuesday, June 6, ILC Dover, 1 Moonwalker Rd, Frederica, DE 19946
11:00 AM EDT – DHS S&T and partners from ILC Dover and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will demonstrate the flood-stopping capabilities of the Resilient Tunnel Plug technology.
Resilient Tunnel Plug TAXONOMY
STRATEGY
- Identify and assess critical transportation infrastructure needs
- Government agencies, municipalities, universities, and private industry working together
RISK MITIGATION
- Build off of proven, advanced engineering solutions for demanding applications
- Phased program approach of design, sub-scale evaluation, full scale testing
AFFORDABLE PROTECTION
- Protecting assets quickly saves replacement and repair costs due to water damage
- Minimized tunnel modifications reduces retrofit construction costs
To learn more, visit the ILC Dover website or The Resilient Tunnel Plug (RTP) at http://www.ilcdover.com/sites/default/files/rtp-brochure-mkt-0094reva.pdf