The application of rubber dams for water supply in Hong Kong

There is a long history of the use of inflatable dams (rubber dams) in Hong Kong. Three inflatable dams were constructed in the 1960s as an integral p art of the Plover Cove water supply scheme which was the largest project in Hong Kong at that time. However, because most civil-engineering structures are constructed from steel, concrete, soil and rock, the use of rubber as a construction material is subject to much scepticism. The problems and cou nter-measures associated with the use of rubber are discussed, based upon t he experience of several departments which have used the dams in Hong Kong, and in other parts of the world.