TUFFBOOM®

The original floating barrier

Since 1994, providing economical floating barriers and dam safety solutions for dam safety engineers and operators.

  • TUFFBOOM® is produced from rotomolded LLDPE (plastic) which provides the most economical 20-year barrier on the market. Standard features include:

    - Shackle-Free Connections (no more shackle failures!)

    - Alloy chain interconnections.

    - Heavy-wall impact resistant polyethylene with max. UV resistance.

    - Unsinkable solid internal core of non-water absorbing foam fill. Maintains buoyancy even when punctured.

    - High load bearing internal steel member provides strength and ballast, resists horizontal and vertical loads.

    - Zero-gap fine debris option available.

    - 15 to 20-year design life.

    - Mold-in Graphics™ with standard or customized warnings.

    - Exceptional debris load capacity.

    - Standard Color: Safety Yellow. Also available in International Orange, Log Boom Brown, Forest Green, and others.

    - High Visibility, high buoyancy for maximum freeboard visibility.

  • TUFFBOOM® comes in two sizes.

    TUFFBOOM Original: Dia 41cm (16in) x 3.05m (10-ft) long.

  • Since the first TUFFBOOM came out of production 1994, it was safety orange. All over the World, dam owners recognized these highly visible orange booms.

    We discovered that 8% of males and 2% of females are color blind. When they see an orange log boom, it may look grey, or it might blend in with the background to them.

    We also discovered that the color orange is only 63% as visible, when measured in brightness, as yellow. For the non colorblind person, in low light conditions such as dawn, dusk, or even on an overcast day, the orange booms will be more difficult to see from a distance. Yellow is the brightest color on the spectrum, the most visible color, and the safest color for any floating barrier boom installation where people may be on the water.

    In 2021, we introduced the world of dam safety engineers and regulators to a safer way to do booms. YELLOW is the NEW Orange!

    • Diameter 40.6 cm (16 in)

    • Float Length 305 cm (120 in)

    • C-Center Length with hardware: 340 cm. (134 in)

    • Weight (dry) 64 kg. (141 lbs)

    • Buoyancy 317 kg (700 lbs)

    • Freeboard 30.5 cm. (12 in)

    • Design Strength 130 kips

    • Spacing Between Units 39 cm. (15.5 in)

    • Internal Construction C4 Channel w/ EPS Foam

  • Patented Life-Saving Handholds

    Built into each unit, these handholds were ergonomically designed so that a person in distress can grab hold of and hang on to the boom during an emergency.

    Patented Shackle Free Connections

    We eliminated the shackle. We nearly tripled the design strength. We stopped bottom plate “ovaling”. In short, we revolutionized how booms are connected.

    Hi-Strength Alloy Chain

    Provides interboom connection integrity, low wear, and high load bearing capacity.

  • - Submerged Debris Screens

    - Interboom Fine-Debris Exclusion Panels

    - Permanent Fusion Graphics

    - Custom Company Logos

    - Solar Lights

    - Boat Gates

    - “Manatee-Safe” construction

    - Mooring and Anchor Buoys

    - Anchor Hardware

TUFFBOOM® was introduced to dam operators in 1994 under the original name of TUFFLOAT and later rebranded under the TUFFBOOM family of floating barrier products. From the first installation in California (USA), the TUFFBOOM name has become synonymous for high quality, effective debris control and public safety barriers in an affordable package. TUFFBOOM series booms are installed in over 63-countries enabeling dam safety engineers to reduce dam safety risks while increasing renewable hydroelectric power generation by deflecting floating debris away from trash racks and spillgate structures.

For Public Safety Around Dams, TUFFBOOM Series floating booms provide both a visible and a physical deterrent to clearly define dangerous zones to prevent boaters from entering the high flow “draw zones” in front of water intakes, above open floodgates, near overflow dams.

TUFFBOOM®

USE CASES

Floating Debris & Trash

Floating debris, plastic in rivers, and lake trash damage our ecosystem, often end up as ocean garbage and create serious dam safety risks.   TUFFBOOM® floating barriers provide effective solutions to river trash and floating debris of all types.  Combine with sub-surface debris skirts and screens for enhanced debris control effectiveness.

Manatee Protection Barrier

Worthington designs floating barrier systems to protect Florida manatee’s from becoming entangled in water intakes, high-volume canals and other areas where they can be come injured or worse.

River Trash & Ocean Cleanup

TUFFBOOM® is used by NGO’s and conservation groups worldwide in an effort to capture floating plastic in rivers and lake trash before it has a chance to reach the ocean. These floating booms are helping to achieve ocean cleanup goals on small rivers and estuaries worldwide.

Public Safety Barriers

Worthington’s first public safety boat barrier occurred on the Muskingum River in Southern Ohio in early 2001.  Since that time our booms have been saving lives and lowering risk for dam owners worldwide.  TUFFBOOM® allows dam safety engineers the ability to satisfy their boater safety needs in an affordable design package.

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