SLAMDAM Mobile Flood Barrier

Standard SLAMDAM units are 5 metres long and 67, 100 or 120 cm high. They retain water up to about 50, 80 and 100 cm respectively; the 100 cm unit is used most. Custom sizes are possible within limits. Higher or longer models may need heavy equipment to deploy instead of manual handling.

Filling time depends on the number and capacity of the pumps and the distance to the water source. With a high-pressure pump of 1,200 litres per minute, a 67 cm unit holding 4,500 litres can be filled in about five minutes; pumps with a higher or lower capacity, or a fire truck, can also be used. As a rule of thumb, we plan one day for up to 500 metres of barrier; more people and pumps make it faster. In Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, 200 metres of SLAMDAM was deployed within one day, including transport and site preparation.

As an indication, two people can deploy 100 metres of the 67 cm unit in about an hour. In practice it often takes longer, for example with a smaller pump or when the water has to be pumped uphill. It depends on the number of people, the number and type of pumps, and the distance to the water source.

SLAMDAM adapts to minor irregularities in the ground. Hard, stable surfaces such as asphalt and concrete are normally straightforward; deployment on grass, compacted soil, clay or sand should also be possible, depending on the site. Loose sand, such as a beach, is not suitable, because water can flow underneath the barrier. The ends of the barrier must rest against a fixed structure or run uphill, so that water cannot flow behind it. Where needed, we level the ground and remove sharp objects first.

Yes. SLAMDAM can be filled with seawater as well as fresh water.

Yes. In Maasland, the Netherlands, SLAMDAM formed a temporary basin for polluted firefighting water. Whether it suits other liquids depends on the substances in them; we check those against the chemical resistance list of its EPDM.

The units are stored in stackable crates of 60 by 80 cm. Maintenance is limited to draining the barriers and, if needed, rinsing them with water. Small punctures can be repaired with self-adhesive tape or a patch of EPDM and glue. We train local teams to deploy and maintain SLAMDAM. In our experience, people can learn to deploy SLAMDAM within a day, even without a technical background.

Yes. In 2013, TÜV Nederland witnessed leakage tests on SLAMDAM units of 66 cm high: they met the leakage requirements at water levels up to 50 cm, based on the PAS 1188 test procedure (attest of testing 2013-A-166; a Portuguese version was co-signed by TÜV NORD Group Brazil). In 2024, SLAMDAM was tested at full scale with waves in the Delta Flume of Deltares in the Netherlands, withstanding waves of approximately 1.35 metres. At the end of 2025, NAHRIM, Malaysia’s national hydraulic research institute, tested a 30-metre barrier of six connected units in its hydraulic laboratory; on 26 January 2026 it issued a Hydro Product Testing Certificate.

In Pakistan, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Nigeria, Fiji, Iceland, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Serbia, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United States. Examples include river flood control in Rumuruti, Kenya and harbour protection at the Port of Grindavík, Iceland.

For locations with strong currents, significant wave action, floating debris or erosion, we first assess the site. We combine hydrodynamic analysis with local experience to choose the right configuration, and check that deploying the barrier does not cause damage elsewhere.