Flood Fight Design

1
Flood Fight Design Planning

• Flood Fight Design, Planning and Methods
• Overview
• D. Leslie Miller, P.E.
• Flood Preparedness Program Manager

2
Flood Damage Mitigation Through Designed and
Planned Emergency Operations

• The following presentation is an overview of
• - methods to build an expedient flood barrier
• - a process for designing a barrier/channel
• - a process for planning their placement and
  removal
• It is an effort to prevent repeat flood damage to
  public facilities, infrastructure, local economy
  and homes.
• Flood fighting is intended to provide temporary
  flood mitigation until permanent mitigation is
  taken.

3
Fighting Floods So what Factor.

• January 2007 Flood
• Lewis County, WA

4
Why?

• Why flood fight?
• Right action to take for your government (law
  taxes)
• Right action to take for your economy (job)
• Right action to take for family and neighbor
  (community culture)
• Right action to take for the environment (quality
  of life human and nature)
• Sick and tired of the damage, clean-up, impact
  to life and livelihood, and unmet assistance
  expectations
• Personal, professional and/or spiritual reasons

5
Why design and plan a flood fight?

• Because previous spontaneous flood fight efforts
  did not meet expectations
• More could have been done to make the fight more
  successful
• More or better management of resources
• Different priorities
• Permanent flood mitigation is going to take years
  to complete
• Converts historical flood records, personal
  experience and anecdotal information into a
  motivating vision
• Identifies scope, schedule and resources need to
  successfully reduce or prevent flood caused
  damage and heart-ache
• Identifies how individuals, community, state,
  region and nation are needed to conduct a
  successful flood fight

6
Lets Get Started

• Ways to flood fight
• What to consider
• Resources

7
Ways to Flood Fight!

• Sandbags
• Baskets
• Geotechnical Grids
• Impervious Fabrics
• Water Filled Bladders
• Water Weighted Floaters
• Jersey Barriers
• Earth Moving Equipment
• Pumps

8
Sandbagging

• Sandbagging is the flood fight method all other
  systems measure themselves against.
• Sandbags are made of burlap, polypropylene,
  cotton and other fabrics
• Standard size is 14X24
• They are filled one-half to two-thirds full
  untied with flap folded under
• Tied bags are used to hold plastic sheeting or
  other items in place
• Corps results
• Labor intensive to construct, thus slow unless a
  large number of well organized people are used
• Removal can be quick if done by equipment, but
  synthetic bags must be separated from sand before
  both can be disposed
• Low seepage
• 10 ft. wide foot print (4 high structure)
• Very stable, even on soft soils
• Not reusable unless hand emptied, cleaned, dried
  and bundled

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Typical Pyramid Sandbag Placement
3 to 1 Base/Height Ratio
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Fargo North Dakota - 2009
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Fargo North Dakota - 2009
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EZ Bagger

• Sandbag filling tool
• Virtually indestructible
• Quickly hooks into and releases burlap poly
  bags
• 14 ounces
• Stackable (15X15 flat)
• Fits in most suitcases
• Available individually or part of sandbagging
  kits

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Flood Fighter

• Sandbag filling tool
• Virtually indestructible polyethylene
• Holds the sandbag upright (without being held)
  providing a large funnel shaped opening to shovel
  sand into
• Once the bag is full, the tool is slipped out. 
• It leaves a 40 pound sandbag upright to be tied
  or folded.  
• Increases production up to 500
• Weighs 2.2 pounds
• Stackable

14
GoBagger

• Sandbag filling tool
• Ruggedly constructed polyethylene
• Holds sandbag with hand for quick on and easy off
  the tool
• Documented 5X increase in production
• Stackable
• Weighs 5 lbs.

15
Bucket Bagger

• Sandbag filling tool
• Skid Steer Universal Quick Tach
• Discharges 30 lbs in 4-8 sec.
• Bucket holds 11-13 cubic feet of sand - fills
  47-56 bags
• Single and double discharge models
• Hydraulic or electric powered models

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Sanding Truck Attachment

• Sandbag filling machine
• Replaces sand spreader on road sanding truck
• Attaches and plugs into the trucks existing
  power and hydraulics
• Controls and bag table ergonomically designed
• Average output 500 bags/hr

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MEGGA BAGGER

• Sandbag filling machines
• Single chute motorized
• Single person station
• Feet free operation
• 2.25 cubic yard vibrating hopper
• Trailer or skid mounted 1,200 pounds
• Average output 500/hr
• Double chute motorized
• 2 individually operated stations
• Feet free operation
• 3.75 cubic yard vibrating hopper
• Trailer or skid mounted 1,500 pounds
• Average output 1000/hr
• Single chute motorized automated control
• Single person station
• Hands and feet free operation, adjust for bag
  size and fill rate
• 2.25 cubic yard vibrating hopper
• Trailer or skid mounted 2,400 pounds
• Average output 1000/hr, maximum 1600/hr

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Sandbagger - Multibagger

• Sandbag filling machines
• Gravity feed
• 1 CY 2 chutes 400-500/hr
• 2 CY 4 chutes 700-900/hr
• Motorized auger agitator
• 2 CY 4 chutes 1600/hr
• Best for wet and sticky soils
• Multibagger
• 2 CY 3 chutes 1200/hr
• Individually operated chutes
• Ergonomic adjustments
• All types of fluent materials
• Transportable in a pickup truck

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Sandbagging 2009
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HESCO Bastion Concertainer

• Concertainer units have a Galfan coated steel
  mesh framework
• Lined with non-woven polypropylene material
• Integrated cells to provide internal structural
  integrity.
• The vertical joints are made from helical coils,
  to form 360 degree hinges.
• Units fold flat when empty, to carry on a
  standard pallet or skid.
• Units can be quickly installed, since they are
  fully assembled during manufacturing.
• They can be filled with locally available
  material, using standard backhoe loaders or
  similar equipment.
• Corps results
• Easy quick to construct and remove
• High seepage
• 4 ft wide foot print (4 high structure)
• Stable, except on soft soils
• 95 reusable

21
Hesco Baskets Jamestown, ND - 2009
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Rapid Deployment Flood Wall

• RDFW is a collapsible plastic grid 8 high.
• Expands into 4X4 or 4X2 sections.
• Interlocks
• Filled with sand from the top with a loader,
  excavator, bottom-dump, or other piece of
  earthmoving equipment.
• Light enough to be handled by two people,
• Small enough not to be unmanageable in the wind,
• Fits into a pickup truck bed or helicopter.
• Requires no special tools.
• Small footprint and cross-section.
• Corps results
• Easy quick to construct
• Time consuming to remove
• Very Low seepage
• 6 ft wide foot print (4 high structure)
• Very stable, even on soft soils
• 90 reusable and repairable

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RDFW w/ Sandbag Raise Jamestown, ND - 2009
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Sandbags, Hesco Baskets RDFWJamestown North
Dakota - 2009
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Portadam - Portable Cofferdam Systems

• Utilizes a steel supporting structure.
• Continuous reinforced vinyl liner membrane.
• Means of water diversion, retention or
  impoundment.
• The support structure is designed to transfer
  hydraulic loading to a near vertical load,
  thereby creating a free-standing structure with
  no back brace to extend to work area.
• The liner system is flexible, sealing over most
  irregular contours.
• This system can be installed almost anywhere, in
  any configuration and to any length.
• The equipment is offered as rental item in
  heights of 3', 5', 7' and 10'.
• Corps results
• Easy quick to construct and remove
• Low seepage
• 9 ft wide foot print (4 high structure)
• Stable, except on soft soils
• 100 reusable and repairable

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Portadam

• Hydrostatic Loading Creates Seal to Stream Bed

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AquaFence

• Rapidly deployed and removed
• Assembled along pre-installed anchor line
  seepage barrier
• A standard element is 6.9 long
• 2.5 3.9 level of protection
• Custom elements available
• 3.9 wide foot print (3.9 high structure)
• 100 reusable and repairable
• First USA installation in Mt. Vernon, Washington
  2007

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Water Inflated Flood Barriers - Aqua Dam

• Aquadam patented system
• Uses any water source
• Two polyethylene liners contained by a single
  woven geo-tech outer tube
• Two liners provide a non-rolling wall of water
• A collar is used to join two or more sections
  together
• 1- 7 high tubes provide 100 protection for
  back-water type sites
• For flowing water and/or waves recommended height
  of protection varies from 67 or 8 to 86 or 6
  high
• Rapidly deployed and removed
• 15.5 wide foot print (4.5 high protection)
• Very stable, even on soft soils
• Stores compactly
• 100 reusable and repairable

32
Aqua Dams - 2004 Emergency Levee Repair Arcata
California 450, 8 high, three sections
33
Water Inflated Flood Barriers FloodWalls

• FloodWalls is a patented system used in Europe
  for 25 years
• Water inflated bags uses any water source
• Heavy-duty rubberized fabric
• Quasi-cylindrical bags provide role over
  stability together or alone
• Rapidly deployed and removed
• 1- 6 high bags range from 6.5 to 65 long
• Protection to 67 or 8 4 high
• Corps evaluated 47 high bag yielding 31.5
  protection, 7 wide foot print
• Very stable, even on soft soils
• Stores compactly
• 100 reusable and repairable

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Water Inflated Flood Barriers FloodWalls
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Water Inflated Flood Barriers - WIPP

• The WIPP System
• Water Inflated Property Protector uses any
  water source
• Industrial-grade, vinyl-coated polyester membrane
  material
• Internal baffle system provides role over
  stability.
• 1- 8 high tubes provide protection to 75 or 9
  6 high
• Rapidly deployed and removed
• 12.5 wide foot print (4.9 high protection)
• Very stable, even on soft soils
• Stores compactly
• 100 reusable and repairable

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Water Inflated Flood Barriers - WIPP
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Water-Gate Self-inflating Barrier

• Rapidly deployed and removed
• 30 - 50 ft long
• ½ ft - 6 ½ ft high
• 8 ft wide foot print (4 high barrier)
• Very stable except on porous soils
• 100 reusable and repairable

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Jersey Barriers

• Rapidly deployed and removed
• Sandbags and plastic required to form an
  impervious barrier at joints and bottom
• 3-4 wide foot print with seepage barrier (2.5
  high barrier)
• Requires firm and even foundation for maximum
  stability
• 100 reusable

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Mount Prospect, Illinois - 2007
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Expedient Levee Construction
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RDFW Tied Into Temporary Levee Jamestown, ND -
2009
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Researching Flood Barriers using Agricultural
Products
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Leakage Management Sandbags PumpsJamestown,
ND - 2009
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Handling Leakage with Crisafulli Pumps
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Leakage Management Plastic PumpsMount
Prospect, Illinois - 2009
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Flood Fight Design Planning Requirements

• Warning Triggering
• Legal and Real Estate
• Access before, during and after
• Other Emergency Operations
• Resources
• Responsibilities before, during and after

47
Tough Decisions?

• Warn and Evacuate Only
• Flood Fight not economical
• Insufficient time to place a barrier or channel
• Flood Fight Priorities
• Highest life safety
• Highest public benefit (government
  non-government organizations)
• Highest economic impact (livelihoods taxes)
• Highest residential impact (homes, employees
  culture)
• Highest environmental impacts (hazardous
  materials, human detritus and sensitive biomes of
  endangered species)
• All priorities are contingent upon a realistic
  capability to execute (only assumption - Martians
  dont attach!)
• Decisions must be included in appropriate
  emergency operation/action plan (levee,
  community, county etc.)

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Resources Needed In Addition To Money

• People
• Leadership
• Management
• Administration
• Technical/Professional
• Tradesman
• Labors
• Supplies
• Sand, Sandbags, Plastic
• Earth and Rock
• Lumber
• New Technology

• Equipment
• Communication
• Office
• Construction
• Filling
• Transportation
• Facilities
• Management
• Operations
• Logistics
• Medical
• Care Feeding

49
Resources Inside and Outside of Affected Area

• Citizens Volunteers
• Business Industry
• Chamber of Commerce
• Special Districts, City County Government
• Levee districts
• Planning Departments
• Public Works Engineering
• Port Authorities
• Emergency Services
• Schools
• Non Profit Org. United Way

• State Government
• Emergency Management
• Transportation
• Water Resources
• Forestry Game
• Military
• Climatologist
• Federal Government
• NWS USGS
• Corps BOR
• NRCS USFS
• FEMA

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Planning Response Team

• Collaborative Design Planning Collaborative
  Response Recovery
• Everyone who is a player during the response and
  recovery must bye into the design and plan
• The team members are committed collaborators (no
  quitters)

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Corps Information - Web Sites

• http//www.metalithh2o.com/assets/pdfs/USACE_NonFe
  d-Levee-Owners-Manual_Mar06.pdf
• http//chl.erdc.usace.army.mil/ffs

52
Sandbagging Tools - Web Sites (In order of
presentation)

• http//www.freedomsafetyproducts.com/
• http//bagladyinc.net/Flood_Fighter.html
• http//www.gobagger.com/
• http//www.bucketbagger.com/
• http//bagladyinc.net/Sanding_Truck_Attachment.htm
  l
• http//bagladyinc.net/Megga_Bagger.html
• http//www.thesandbagger.com/

53
Flood Fight Technology - Web Sites(In order of
presentation)

• http//hesco-bastion.com/
• http//www.geocellsystems.com/index.htm
• http//www.portadam.com/index.html
• http//www.aquafence.com/index.html
• http//www.aquadam.com/index.htm
• http//www.floodwalls.com/FloodWalls/index.htm
• http//www.hydroresponse.com/wipp.htm
• http//www.hydroresponse.com/flood_barrier.htm
• http//www.hydroresponse.com/watergate.htm
• http//www.hydroresponse.com/floodgate.htm

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Where do you go from here?

• For more information or to arrange a flood fight
  design, planning and methods workshop have your
  state or county Emergency Management Office
  contact
• D. Leslie Miller, P.E.
• Flood Preparedness Program Manager
• Readiness Branch (CENWP-OD-E)
• Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of
  Engineers
• 333 SW 1st Avenue
• Portland, Oregon 97204-3495
• 503-808-4400
• d.les.miller_at_usace.army.mil