Cofferdam Comparison: Aqua Barrier® Water-Inflated Cofferdams vs. Sandbags

Know Your Dewatering Options

Have you been using sandbags as your go-to dewatering method for all of your construction projects? You may be able to save time, money, and unnecessary frustration that can come with sandbags by considering other options. While sandbags can be used for most projects, many contractors are finding great success and benefit when switching to Aqua Barrier® Water-Inflated Cofferdams.

Sandbags: Your Project’s Dead Weight

An 8ft tall x 100ft long sandbag wall requires over 50,000 sandbags, not only taking a long time to build but adding immense physical strain. Workers’ comp claims rise when projects require repetitive bending and heavy lifting, as does the time required to use expensive heavy equipment. Installing sandbags underwater is problematic, and the inability to configure correctly can cause leaking and undermining. Finally, fill material for sand bags adds an extra expense, bringing foreign material into the job site. Sandbags require special disposal after use, usually as a hazmat item, which results in extra cost.

How Water-Inflated Cofferdams Compare

In contrast, inflatable cofferdams require an easy installation process requiring no heavy equipment or backbreaking labor, as the water fills in and does all the work! During inflation, the flexible cofferdam molds to your environment and forms a seal, removing the risk of water seeping through the cracks, as often occurs with sandbags. Lastly, your fill material–water–is readily available at your worksite and leaves no harmful environmental impacts. The cofferdam itself is reusable, again reducing waste.

Quality Product

Aqua-Barrier® Cofferdams are greatly supported by wide-ranging engineering analysis. The dams are custom-designed to integrate seamless construction, curtailed stress concentrations, superior clamping, zero or minimal creases and robust flow division control. We design the Aqua-Barrier® using high-strength and powerful fabrics with weather and abrasion resistance features.

Calculate Your Savings

Use our Cofferdam Cost Calculator to see how you can save on equipment, labor, and cost–up to 30% or more–by using water-inflated cofferdams over sandbags.

Contact us for more information on how to start saving time and money with Aqua Barrier® water-inflated cofferdams for your dewatering projects.