AquaFence deployable flood mitigation systems

Flood-prone cities around the world require reliable protection. Traditionally, sandbags have been used to prevent flooding and divert water. However, they have several downsides:

• Weight and handling: Sandbags are heavy, cumbersome and difficult to move.
• Limited effectiveness: Even well-stacked sandbags allow water seepage.
• Single-use waste: Once contaminated by floodwaters, sandbags are often discarded as hazardous biowaste.
• Environmental impact: The process of sourcing and transporting sand requires heavy machinery, which leads to increased carbon emissions.

The FloodWall is a portable flood barrier constructed from marine-grade laminate panels and based on the patented AquaFence technology. It cleverly utilises the pressure of floodwater to enhance its stability, with additional edge reinforcements, structural supports and flexible membranes designed to optimise both performance and adaptability.

While the initial deployment cost is similar to sandbags, AquaFence can be reused up to 60 times, making it a long-term and sustainable alternative.

In terms of sustainability, AquaFence replaces single-use sandbags, which are typically discarded after one use. For a 100-metre, 1.2-metre-high flood perimeter, AquaFence prevents the use of 25 500 sandbags, which would otherwise result in 459 metric tons of contaminated waste –enough to fill 32 dump trucks.

By eliminating the need for sand transportation, AquaFence also cuts down on logistics-related carbon emissions.

AquaFence panels can be installed quickly and easily. A team of four can set up 100 metres in one hour. For larger-scale projects, a team of 12 is recommended.

Beyond flood protection, AquaFence also helps to avoid the environmental costs of rebuilding after floods, reducing the need for new construction materials.

As climate change intensifies and extreme weather events become more frequent, the demand for effective flood protection systems is expected to grow. AquaFence has been refining its deployable flood systems over the past 15 years, in collaboration with national and international flood protection programmes.

AquaFence serves commercial and municipal customers in Asia, Europe and the United States. In the US alone, AquaFence’s flood panels protect over USD 30 billion worth of real estate, as well as critical infrastructure in cities and public utilities.