Production of sealing rubber for a dry-off box.

In a nice collaboration between GS Birkhoff Staalwerken B.V and Schouten Group, a close collaboration has arisen for the development of an innovative dry-off box. This dry box is used for the development and construction of the new sea lock in Ijmuiden Netherlands.

The dry-off box is a steel construction which is placed on the combination wall of the lock chamber. After it has been confirmed, it is sunk and pumped empty. The employees can then work below the water level.

The sealing rubbers are mechanically attached and anchored to the drying box and ensures that the water does not have the opportunity to fill the drying box. Because the rubbers are placed at a considerable depth below the water surface for periods of several weeks, the rubbers must be able to withstand considerable pressure. After the wishes and requirements have been mapped out and the various calculations made, test setups were made with different rubbers and a certain type of polyurethane rubber from Schouten Group was chosen.

The rubbers were taken into production by Schouten Group with a certain expertise after the steel mold was constructed by GS Birkhoff Staalwerken B.V. The rubbers are made of a strong and stretchable polyurethane rubber with specific properties according to the requirements. The rubber seals weighing over 100 kg are mechanically anchored and a dry box construction has been placed and then placed deep under water.

After the box had been under water for a few weeks and the rubbers had stopped the water at full pressure, the drying box was returned to the quay. After extensive inspection, an independent report mapped the condition of the rubbers. Since the rubbers have been on a certain rack all this time, the original shape has almost returned after a few hours. Some time later, the original form was back. The polyurethane rubber blocks have also shown no cracking and less than 1% moisture absorption by the polyurethane rubber has been concluded.

  • Establishing quality requirements and properties of sealing rubber
  • Calculate and determine which Polyurethane rubber
  • Test phase, the testing of chosen cast rubber
  • Production of the sealing rubber with two component polyurethane casting rubber
  • Delivery is phase of various sealing rubbers
  • Discussion and reporting of the rubbers produced after commissioning

A great project for Schouten Group in collaboration and on behalf of GS Birkhoff Staalwerken B.V .. for the production of sealing rubbers for the dry box that is used in the construction of the new sea lock in IJmuiden. Commissioned by GS Birkhoff Staalwerken B.V. Schouten produced the sealing rubbers.

The link below provides more information about the use of the drying box: Rijkswaterstaat.