PROTECT YOUR HOME WITH SANDBAGS DURING FLOODS By Giuseppe Bolzoni

Transcription

1 TRAINING FOR TRAINERS COURSE PROTECT YOUR HOME WITH SANDBAGS DURING FLOODS By Giuseppe Bolzoni

2 SAFETY FIRST!!! Never swim, play or drive in floodwater

3 Floodwater is generally considered as polluted, so sand from bags exposed to flood water should not be used for children s sandboxes. It can be used for typical construction applications.

4 Sandbagging can be used to prevent floodwater enters in your home. To be effective, this activity should follow certain rules.

5 Use sand to fill the bags. It is recommended do not use soil. Prepare a pile of sand to fill the bags in a sheltered location before the flooding season starts.

6 Safety during the sandbagging For safety reasons, do not fill the sandbags with more than 20 Kg of sand. Yes No

7 Always use a safe procedure to move the sandbags

8 How do we fill the sandbag? It is preferable that you only use sand to fill the bags. Soil is not recommended. Sandbags only need to be filled to 2/3 full. Do not over fill the bags. They will be too heavy to carry. A sandbag should not weigh more than kgs. Do not tie the top of the bag. The top of the bag may be tied for transport purposes only.

9 Tie the sandbags only if it is necessary

10 Filling sandbags is an exhausting activity. It is recommended to take a break every sandbags. 2 people + 1 shovel = 1.5 sand bags/min. This means a maximum of 90 bags/hour. In any case, two people cannot fill bags continuously. They must be replaced at least every 20 minutes.

11 How to create a funnel To avoid potential injuries during shoveling a plastic pot for flowers without the bottom can be used.

12 Where do we place the sandbags? Cover drainage holes e.g. toilet, shower, bath and floor drains to stop backflow of contaminated water. Place a small sandbag wall across doorways. The number of layers required will be dependant on the expected flood height; however it is generally around 2-3 sandbag rows high. Make sure that you have at least one doorway that you can use to access or exit the building. Do this by building a wall that allows the door to still be opened (refer to the next pages). Air vents between brickwork may also require sandbags. Small vents may be covered with waterproof tape or plastic. Protect air vents or drains with sandbags or tape. To avoid back flow of grey water block toilets with a small plastic bag of sand, weighed down by a larger sandbag (see the next pages).

13 How do we lay Sandbags? Place down a layer of plastic sheeting to act as the water proofing membrane. Lay sandbags like brickwork on top of the plastic sheeting. Start at one end and work to the other end. Ensure the unfilled top part of the bag is covered by the next bag. Tuck flap under the bag at the end of the row. Stagger rows so that the joins do not line up.

14 Do not tie the sandbags but position them as shown in the picture. Ensure the unfilled top part of the bag is covered by the next bag.

15 Sandbags are not sufficient to prevent the water infiltration through the bags. For this reason, it is necessary to place a waterproof plastic sheet between the bags and the door.

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18 Door opening inward Place the waterproof plastic sheet between the sandbags and the door Place the last row of sandbags on top of the plastic sheet to keep it stationary Plastic sheet Place the plastic sheet under the first raw of sandbags Flooding water

19 Door opening outside Place the waterproof plastic sheet between the sandbags and the flooding water Place the last row of sandbags on top of the plastic sheet to keep it stationary Place the plastic sheet under the first raw of sandbags Flooding water

20 Door opening outside Place the waterproof plastic sheet between the sandbags and the flooding water If the plastic sheet is positioned in the wrong way, draining water could swell versus the door. Flooding water

21 Use a plastic sheet between the air vent and the sandbags.

22 Drains. Put the sandbag in a plastic sheet to stop drains back flush.

23 Toilets. Sandbag placed inside plastic bag prevents sewage backflush from the toilets.

24 Back flush from toilet

25 During floods, internal and external hydrostatic pressure on the walls, as indicated by the horizontal arrows, are not equalized. If the level of water is too high, the walls of your house could collapse. For safety reasons, the maximum protection level must be not higher than 3 feet.

26 Alternative way to protect your home from floods. With a levee, on the left, or with a bricks wall on the right of the picture. An additional pump is necessary to remove the seepage and the internal drainage.

27 House protected with a levee

28 Thanks for your attention