BoxBarrier

Authorities worldwide use the BoxBarrier to safeguard people and property, towns and villages, farmland, livestock, industry and vital or vulnerable infrastructure such as hospitals and power stations. The system can also be strategically deployed in shallow sections of rivers to direct water flows away from where a bank or waterfront has been or is likely to be breeched.

Designed by the Dutch, the world's undisputed water management champions, the BoxBarrier is the answer to the problem of incidental and seasonal flooding.

The BoxBarrier is quick to deploy and exceedingly effective. Comprising robust plastic containers filled with water that are seamlessly joined together using a coupling piece, over 100 metres of temporary flood defence can be erected by just three people in under an hour.

The rubber underside of the BoxBarrier creates a watertight seal on any surface - from tarmac to paving to sand to muddy grass - and once in place, the barrier will protect people and property from excess water heights of up to 60 centimetres.

Dubbed the 'modern-day sandbag', the BoxBarrier has a number of significant advantages over its more traditional counterpart. It is 70% less labour intensive, 500% quicker to deploy and weighed down using the water it is designed to keep at bay, rather than sand, which is not generally available on site. What's more, the BoxBarrier flood-protection system is cheaper and more versatile than any alternative.

Taking up very little space, 400 metres of protection from floodwaters up to 50 centimetres high can be stored in just one conventional 40-foot container, ready for quick transportation to wherever it is needed. This makes for easy and economical storage in centralised depots as well as close to flooding hotspots in both urban and remote rural locations.

Deployment is child’s play

The boxes are first arranged in position one by one and joined together using a coupler. A lid is then placed on each box before it is filled with water using a pump and hose. Generally, water will be readily available on site, but if the BoxBarrier is being placed in advance of expected flooding or at a distance removed from the source of expected flooding, water to fill the boxes can be sourced from the mains supply or fire hydrants.

BoxBarrier benefits at a glance

• Comprehensive, temporary flood defence
• Compact storage
• Fast transportation
• Swift and easy deployment
• Ideal as both first and second line of defence
• Robust and durable
• Vandalism proof
• Reusable
• Zero maintenance
• Low cost

The Royal Netherlands Army Regiment of Engineers awarded the BoxBarrier its innovation prize for the system's originality, practicability and promise for the future. Today, the temporary flood protection system has proven its success and versatility all over the world.