Sandbags contain 20 kg of sand! How to make and stack sandbags properly, even for amateurs

Japan is a country of heavy rainfall, with rain falling once every three days. There are also typhoons. Recently, guerrilla downpours have been occurring frequently, and you never know when or where flooding or other water damage may occur.

Flooding countermeasures are not something to be concerned about, and you need to be prepared with certain knowledge. The first thing that comes to mind as a general flood control measure is the use of “sandbags” to stop flooding. Sandbags are often seen in news footage, but how much do you know about sandbags? Are you confident that you can build a sandbag wall that will perform adequately in an emergency?

In conclusion, this article states that sandbags are not something that the layman can adequately handle, and introduces a great alternative flood prevention tool to sandbags.
Let’s start by explaining how to properly stack and place sandbags. You will see how difficult it is.

Do you know how much sandbags weigh?

Common sandbags are easily available at home improvement stores. The bags are easy to obtain, but they must be filled with soil before they can be used.

How much does each sandbag weigh when it is filled with enough soil to be effective in stopping water?

The answer is about 20 kg.

Of course, one sandbag is not enough to stop water, so 10, 20, or 30 sandbags must be prepared. The total weight can be several hundred kilograms. Even if you can keep bags of soil on hand, you cannot keep this much soil on hand. Even if they could, it would be very difficult to carry and set up.

It is difficult to set up sandbags unless the organization can handle heavy machinery and move a large number of personnel.

Ideally, fill half of the bag with sand, not soil.

Sandbags are not meant to be filled to the brim. It is considered ideal to fill them approximately half to 60% full. There are two main reasons.

• To keep the weight down to a size that can be carried by hand
• To fit together and fill in gaps when stacked on top of each other

Note that the 20 kg weight mentioned above is the weight when filled to about half this amount. Ideally, sand, not soil, should be used to fill the sandbags. Sand has coarser particles than soil, which prevents sand from flowing out of the sandbags. However, it is not practical to prepare hundreds of kilograms of sand in an emergency.

Stack them so that the top and bottom joints alternate.

One layer of sandbags is not sufficient to stop water. The weight of two or three layers of sandbags will fill in the gaps, and the sandbags will prevent flooding only when the sandbags are tightly packed together. When stacking sandbags, they should be stacked “long-handled” with the long side facing outward and the joints of the upper tier alternating. When water is flowing, the knots should face downstream.

(Source: Zentsuji City website )

A certain level of skill and experience is required to neatly overlap the layers so that gaps do not occur.

It takes about 100 minutes to build a sandbag wall 45 cm high x 2 m wide

このように土嚢を積んでいきますが、十分な止水効果を発揮するためには、土嚢壁を約45cmの高さまで確保する必要があります。

この壁を2mの幅でつくろうとするときの所要時間は、大人2名が取り組んでも約100分です。非常時に、100分もかけて土嚢壁をつくる猶予はなかなかありません。

Delta Panel," a flood prevention product that replaces sandbags, makes it easy for anyone to obtain sufficient waterproofing effects.

もちろん正しく取り扱うことで、土嚢もしっかりとした止水効果を発揮します。だからこそ、今でも最も一般的な浸水防止装置として認知されているのです。

問題は、常備の難しさ・設置の難しさです。

重機が使えたり、多くの人数を動員できる場合には土嚢はとても有効なツールになりますが、一般家庭や店舗、市区町村庁舎などでは緊急時の防水手段としては不向きと言わざるを得ないでしょう。

このような土嚢の弱点をカバーし、素早く防水壁をつくれる水防ツールが『デルタパネル』（特許出願中）です。軽量かつコンパクトなので、誰でも簡単に扱えます。

The “Delta Panel” is a new, patent-pending flood prevention tool that uses “membrane material” to create a flood barrier. It is lightweight, compact, and suitable for permanent use, and can be assembled and installed in a short time without the use of tools. It also has the following other outstanding features

• Lightweight and compact, ideal for permanent use
• Quick and easy installation, even with no experience.
• No gaps for effective water sealing
• Economical to use repeatedly without discarding.
• Fits securely to stop water even on uneven surfaces

Lightweight and compact, ideal for permanent use

デルタパネルは、1枚あたり高さ60㎝×幅110㎝からとコンパクト。重量も、1枚あたりわずか2.5kgです。
シート状なので小さく丸めて折りたためるため、スペースの限られた家庭や小型店舗でも常備が可能です。 中に詰めるための数百kgの砂も必要ありません。

Quick and easy installation, even with no experience.

Simply raise the sheet and insert the pipe to complete the installation process. Installation of the delta panel requires only 10 minutes. No other materials or tools are required, and anyone can easily handle the system.

No gaps for effective water sealing

合成樹脂製の膜素材は、高い防水性を誇ります。さらに生地の接続面は溶着技術によって水を漏らさない仕様です。各パネルの連結部分も二重の止水ファスナーでつなぐため、隙間からの漏水も起きません。

漏水量は土のうと比較して約1/40です。
※灌水試験による実測値から算定

「膜だと弱そう…」と思うかもしれませんが、強度も十分。一般的なテントなどに用いられるシートの5倍以上の引き裂き強度があり、70kg～80kgの力にも耐えられます。

Economical to use repeatedly without discarding.

Sandbags generally need to be disposed of after one use because they are worn out. In addition to being costly, it is not easy to dispose of large quantities of sandbags. Delta panels, on the other hand, can be used repeatedly. After use, they can be dried and disassembled and stored again. They are environmentally friendly and economical because they can be reused over and over again without being thrown away.

Fits securely to stop water even on uneven surfaces

土嚢や成型品の防水壁などは、凹凸のある面に設置すると下に隙間が生じて漏水の原因になります。

デルタパネルは接地面も膜素材であるため、凹凸のある複雑な設置面にもしっかりとフィット。あらゆる面に密着させて浸水を防ぐことができます。

summary

We have explained that although sandbags are an excellent method of stopping water, it is difficult for ordinary households and stores to keep sandbags on hand, and it is difficult for amateurs to install them effectively to stop water.

Nevertheless, in our country, where flooding is no stranger to Japan, it is necessary to be prepared in some way. DELTA PANELS” are always available anywhere and can be easily installed by anyone. Please consider it.

For more information about “Delta Panel”, please contact us at the following address.

＞＞ Inquiry about “DELTAPANEL”

> > Click here for details of “DELTA PANEL