Hydro flow controls specified for Yorkshire dam

Hydro International's Hydro-Brake Flow Controls have been installed into a dam, near Devil's Bridge, on the Blackburn Brook, near Sheffield.

JBA Consulting specified two of the large flow control devices to reduce the risk of flooding on the nearby Thorncliffe Industrial Estate, and surrounding residential areas.

The Blackburn Brook runs through a 500m long culvert beneath the Thorncliffe Industrial Estate.

The small weir, situated on the brook, creates a holding capacity of 4,000m3.

This isn't large enough to provide protection from flooding.

As a result, the industrial estate and nearby housing have suffered flood damage and disruption.

A dam, creating a potential storage capacity of 32,000m3, is therefore being constructed, approximately 300m upstream of the culvert, to alleviate this.

Alex Stephenson, Stormwater Division director, Hydro International, added: "The Hydro-Brake Flow Control installation will control the flow, up to a design maximum of 5.7 cu.m/sec, so will protect the culvert and prevent overtopping.

"Above this flow, the stored water will back up behind the dam but the flow characteristic of the devices limits the speed of back-up compared to other forms of flow control, saving in the region of 10-15 per cent of land grab'.

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