BoxBarrier concept can alleviate flood risk
Three Dutch companies have come together to develop an innovative flood defence concept calledBoxBarrier. The three companies, Delta Marine Consultants (BAM Infraconsult), Movares and Groep Midden Betuwe, began collaborating on the concept in 2007.
As a spokesperson for Delta Marine Consultants explained, many countries are now experiencing the effects of climate change and are vulnerable to the effects of sea level rise and flooding due to changes in rainfall patterns. ‘Problems occur where the rivers meet the sea if the rivers have to discharge more water while the sea level rises. The excess water in the rivers cannot flow into the sea when sea level rises, leading to an increased risk of flooding in large areas. Due to climate change, rain fall intensity is increasing, leading to flooding’, said a company spokesman, noting that emergency flood systems are increasingly required.
The BoxBarrier is intended as a flexible, emergency flood prevention system, which is characterised by its flexibility and ease of use. The modular flood defence system consists of as many separate boxes as are required, connected by sealed joints, which are filled with water using a pump and hose. Once filled with water, the boxes are then covered. The BoxBarriers use rubber strips underneath the box for a watertight sealing.
To date, the BoxBarrier has been tested on two main types of substrate, firm soil and clay. The boxes are stackable, which makes transport and storage efficient and convenient, and boxes can be installed by hand. The boxes can be transported on a trailer and once in place are filled using mobile pumps with a capacity of 150 cu/m per hour. Six men can install 1,000m of BoxBarriers in five hours.
Delta Marine Consultants says the BoxBarrier can be used in every possible situation where there is a risk of flooding. The BoxBarrier is flexible and no preparation of existing structures on which the barrier is placed is required. The BoxBarrier system can be tailor made in different sizes and can be placed on dikes and quays, and in urban areas as well. When the risk of flooding has receded the system can be quickly and easily demobilised.
A number of tests have been carried out using the patented technology, the most recent being in early November, when the Water Board in the Rijnland region of the Netherlands organised a pilot project to test the functionality of the BoxBarrier. In this particular project, 100m of BoxBarrier was installed along a canal in just 45 minutes. After the installation of the emergency flood defence system, the water level in the canal was deliberately increased, demonstrating that the BoxBarrier was capable of retaining the flood water to a height of 30cm (and locally to 50cm). It also withstood wave action from a passing boat.
