The recent flooding crises have once again powerfully demonstrated the urgent need for a broadly-organized flood protection system. Mobile protective systems could represent a part of a possible solution. The company Wibbeler Hochwasserschutz (“Wibbel Flood Protection”) of Münster, Germany has developed a collapsible water-barrier system for property- and flood protection, and has had it tested by TU Hamburg-Harburg.
The patented “AquaWand” (“AquaWall”) is stored, when not in use, in a concrete canal which can, for example, be an integral part of a sidewalk. At such time as it is needed, the ground-level covering can be opened, and the system’s pillars can be unfolded and raised. Two persons can manage the work involved, taking the 120-cm-high and 18-meter-long water barrier out of its wire netting and foil, and erecting the system within 14 minutes. To establish the effective capacity of the barrier, set-up and breakdown run-throughs, hydrostatic- and hydrodynamic tests, and intensive impact tests were carried out.
The results showed that there was less leakage than expected. Even in the extreme stress tests, there was at no time any danger of a barrier failure. You can find further technical details, photos and videos of the described system at the website of the Aquaburg company of Münster, which distributes the mobile flood protection elements.
www.aquaburg.com
