Tubewall flood barriers: A faster, lighter alternative to sandbags

Sandbags are a commonly used solution to mitigate the effects of flooding. However, other solutions can be used to hold back rising water. Though not very popular, many of these have been known for many years. These include Tubewall flood barriers. How do they work?

Pneumatic Tubewall flood barriers were developed at the beginning of the century by the Swedish company NOAQ Flood Protection AB as an alternative to sandbags. They are much lighter, allow for quicker flood barrier creation, and can be quickly dismantled once the water level recedes.

The key advantage of this solution is the speed with which an effective barrier against water can be built with minimal resources. When using Tubewall, there is no need to transport sand, load it into bags, and organise the work of many people, which is necessary when building traditional barriers.

The invention consists of a pneumatic sleeve filled using a compressor and an attached plastic skirt. Once unfurled, the skirt is positioned in front of the sleeve and, due to its construction, adheres tightly to the ground.

Thanks to this solution, the incoming water, as its level rises, floods the skirt, and its mass secures it – and thus the entire barrier – to the ground. As a result, as the water level rises, the barrier becomes more firmly anchored, while at the same time not damaging the surface on which it is set up.

The manufacturer emphasises that the stability of Tubewall is due to the weight of the collected water, and the logistics related to building the flood barrier have been radically simplified. Once the barriers are transported to where they are needed, just air is required for their deployment, and the rising water secures them.

This solution can be applied irrespective of the surface – on a meadow or lawn, but also on hard asphalt or gravel, or on the crown of a flood embankment. The manufacturer highlights the ease of use of Tubewall. The assembly of the barrier does not require any fastenings or anchors to secure it to the ground.

A 33-foot section of Tubewall weighs around 110 pounds and can be set up in a few minutes by just two people. The sleeves can be connected – even at an angle – to create longer barriers, and two people can set up as much as 197 feet of the sleeve in an hour.