Flood Protection: Your Guide to Sandbag Alternatives

5/28/2021 (Permalink)

Flooded entrance of a building in Round Rock, TX.

Flood Protection

When the weather reports indicate that a major storm is headed for Round Rock, TX, you likely take whatever precautions you can to protect your building from the impending storm and potential flooding. By far, the most common precautionary measure is to construct a sand bag dam or levee around properties or areas that are vulnerable to the threat of rising water. However, sandbagging is not the only way to protect your property in the event of a flood.

Water-Filled Flood Dams
Some alternative flood protection solutions utilize water, rather than sand, to create heavy, sturdy, and stackable barriers against rising floodwater. One example, the HydraBarrier, consists of a 72-inch-long tube. You use a hose to fill the tube with water, which takes around two minutes. Each tube is an effective barricade against up to six inches of floodwater. A larger example of a water-filled barrier is the AquaDam, which offers protection against up to three feet of floodwater. Filling these types of flood barriers with water is considerably faster than filling bags with sand; also, these barriers can be emptied and reused when the flooding recedes.

Levee-Style Flood Barriers
Another category of sand bag alternatives is floodwall-type flood protection. The options in this category vary widely in cost and design features.

AquaFence: For large commercial properties, the AquaFence Floodwall features panels of stainless steel, marine-grade laminate, and aluminum-laced PVC canvas that can be installed by a team of 8-10 workers to create a 4-foot-tall floodwall around your entire building.
Instee Levee Builder: This option uses a large tube and special sand-pouring machine that quickly creates an 18-inch-tall, sand-filled flood levee.
QuickDam: The QuickDam is a strip of highly absorbent fabric that absorbs and expands when exposed to water, forming up to a 3.5-inch-tall, 5-foot-long barrier that can be stacked as needed.

Flood damage remediation can be difficult and costly. With so many fast, eco-friendly alternatives to traditional sand bag barriers available, you’re sure to find the right flood prevention solution to protect your building against rising water.