We see an increase in flash floods around the world and they can surprise us in the blink of an eye. Homeowners, warehouse managers, commercial property owners and emergency responders are not just fighting the water height, but also the time to act. While traditional sandbags still can be of value in certain situations, they are mostly slow, heavy, cumbersome and not easy to open and close several entries in a short amount of time before the floodwater arrives at the property. That is why fast installable, light weight flood gates have become the new normal in flash flood situations. Here AquaBarrier flood barriers can offer a practical solution for garages, warehouses, gardens and other entries where time is of the essence. Our flood gates are fast to install, modular, corrosion resistant and have a perfect seal. They are made from aluminium alloy, stainless steel and rubber.
Why Are Traditional Flood Defenses Too Slow for Flash Flood Events?
An initial consideration in choosing a new flood protection system is to analyze why past systems have failed during sudden onset flooding events. Key considerations are speed, labor and repeatability.
Why Do Sandbags Create Deployment Bottlenecks?
Although the use of sandbags is familiar, they have a major drawback: they are not fast enough. As with sand fillers, sandbags have to be filled, moved, stacked up, aligned and have to be inspected for any possible gaps. With the large surface area of entrance ways and with several exterior doors, often one or two people are not able to place a sufficient number of sandbags quickly enough.
The used sandbags can become very heavy, wet, muddy and hard to remove after the flood. So a lot of extra work is needed to clean up. And in the end it can be very costly when the work has to be done over and over in the following flood seasons.
Why Is Manual Labor a Weak Point During Emergencies?
Most flash flood events occur during storms, at night and when defense systems are left unattended by staff. While heavy defense systems require more people, time and coordination than current standard responses, a small response team is unlikely to arrive in time and in numbers to defend a building before it is exposed to flash flood water.
The use of a rapid-deployment flood gate is an effective means of addressing these weaknesses, as it is mobile enough to be moved and put in place quickly, as opposed to relying on large amounts of heavy temporary building materials.
Why Does Speed Matter More Than Ever?
A strong flood barrier is only of value when it is put up before water starts to arrive. Durable materials will not hold against a flash flood if the preparation time of the flood protection system is too long and water starts to enter early.
The main reason why we stock very lightweight flood gates is because some type of property solution is required quickly and normal steel flood gates take too long to fit.
Why Are Lightweight Flood Gates Better for Rapid Deployment?
Lightweight flood gates address the biggest problem in emergency flood defense, which is time. With lightweight gates, you can move them, open and close them and put them over doors and openings quickly and easily.
How Does Lightweight Design Improve Handling?
A lighter barrier is easy to take with you, put in place and fix up. A garages, warehouse doors, garden entrances, shops etc. barrier can be really useful in case you need to act fast.
When a flood warning is issued no time is to be wasted looking for items to use to create barriers, filling sandbags or waiting for a large team of people to arrive to install a flood gate. A lightweight flood gate is a practical solution.
Why Does Aluminium Alloy Matter?
The flood barriers of AquaBarrier are made of the aluminum alloy. As the key material of the flood barriers, the aluminum alloy has the advantages of strong strength, portable, and anti- corrosion. It can be used for a long time and can be set up in quick time.
Stearic acid produces a barrier which is suitable for use in outdoor or semi-outdoor applications where the film may be subject to rain, moisture or abrasion. It has a high resistance to handling.
How Can Lightweight Barriers Reduce Emergency Labor?
A lightweight modular system means that entrance preparation by a small number of people is faster than relying on a large crew. This is particularly ideal for small businesses, homeowners, and facilities with limited staff.
Labor demand impacts emergency planning as lower demand for workers could allow sufficient time for installation of a flood barrier.
How Do AquaBarrier Products Fit Different Opening Sizes?
Each property has its own individual set of circumstances in terms of flood risk and door width. Some require a fixed solution to a standard size door whereas others require a more flexible solution for wider or unusual openings.
When Is AquaBarrier-S670 a Better Fit?
AquaBarrier-S670 is fixed width barrier material. S670 is ideal for fixed size openings such as doors, garage openings and fixed building access points.
A fixed setup of this nature can help create a repeatable method for a flood defense. Measuring up a site and deploying a barrier can be quickly done when a flood alert is announced and the user knows they have a system in place to do so.
When Is AquaBarrier-F303 More Flexible?
AquaBarrier-F303 is an expandable flood barrier. AquaBarrier-F303 is suitable for applications where the required protection width is not limited to one single span.
The system is very versatile as it can be used in wider spaces, variable width openings, outdoor areas or sites where one access/egress barrier can connect to other units as required.
Why Does Expandable Design Matter for Real Sites?
A property’s flood prone areas are not simplistic or uniform. Typically flood prone areas are around garage doors, warehouse entrances, side gates, courtyards and garden openings and vary in width and surface type.
An expandable flood barrier is extremely useful for home owners and businesses as it allows for the construction of a simple flood defense system that can be designed around site specific problems.
Why Is Watertight Sealing Critical for Flood Gate Performance?
While lightweight design can also help with speed, the primary function of a flood gate is to close tight. A barrier that is quick to install, but is not sufficient to stop water, is of no use for serious flood protection.
How Do Rubber Sealing Components Help?
Rubber sealing components ensure a tight contact between the barrier and the respective installation surface. Thus, the rubber sealing component prevents water penetration at the bottom and sides of the opening.
For garages, warehouses and other entrance areas, the real-world sealing performance is the most important aspect of a flood protection solution.
Why Does Structural Rigidity Matter?
Water from floods puts a great deal of pressure on barriers. If a barrier is too flexible, it may bend under pressure or even shift. This can in turn cause the seal to be compromised, which is something that needs to be prevented by making sure that the structure as a whole is rigid.
AquaBarrier products are made of strong materials such as aluminum alloy and stainless steel, robust enough to support the necessary performance and at the same time be easy to take along.
Why Is Corrosion Resistance Important?
Flood barriers are typically deployed in wet environments and can be used over and over again. In order to extend the service life and remain ready for use in future flood events, the barrier must be made of corrosion-resistant materials and be stored, installed, removed and reused in good condition.
For outdoor use in coastal, rainy or flood prone situations, such as swimming pools, and other outside applications, durability of the finish is especially important.
Why Are Lightweight Flood Gates Useful for Warehouses, Garages, and Gardens?
The products of AquaBarrier are meant for practical applications to protect properties. Their value is only clear when related to real situations of flood-risks.
How Can Warehouses Benefit from Fast Flood Protection?
A typical warehouse will contain products, equipment, electrical services, packaging materials and loading areas. Even a small amount of floodwater can cause considerable damage and result in delay to a business.
A very light weight Flood gate for temporary protection of warehouses sensitive entrance points like loading doors, low level access points.
Why Are Garages High-Risk Entry Points?
Many garages are located at low points in the yard or are attached to a driveway. When it’s raining very hard water will track very quickly to the garage door and by the time you can open the door, water will have poured in.
A removable flood gate is also worth considering. This would provide a temporary solution for protecting items such as vehicles, machinery, tools and stored goods, as well as interior space.
How Can Gardens and Outdoor Areas Use Flood Barriers?
Direct water from gardens, courtyards and paths to buildings with lightweight or temporary barriers that can be put up as needed when flood risk is higher.
These types of structures offer more benefits than fixed structures, particularly in terms of daily access and appearance.
How Does Easy Installation Improve Emergency Preparedness?
A flood barrier has to be easy to use. In case of an emergency a complex installation procedure causes delay and mistakes.
Why Should Flood Gates Be Easy for Ordinary Users?
Not all properties have a professional emergency team available to assist with alarms. Many domestic homeowners and small businesses require a simple product to install, using straightforward instructions.
AquaBarrier flood protection solutions are designed to be easy to install and ready to be put into place before the start of flood season. Our modular system can be assembled by our experienced installation team quickly and efficiently to provide effective protection of buildings and around openings such as doors, windows and ventilation points.
How Do Manuals and Video Guidance Help?
Clear user manuals and video guidance will help to prevent errors during setup. Even the strongest barrier is not of use if it is not set up correctly.
Having clear instructions on how to use the Baby Gate Barrier is crucial. It tells you where to put the bar, how to secure it and checks the area where it has sealed.
Why Is Supplier Support Valuable?
Supplier support is useful for first time users, unusual installations and maintenance. AquaBarrier can provide guidance on installation and also service support to assist customers to get most out of the product.
How Can AquaBarrier Serve as a Reliable Flood Barriers Supplier?
AquaBarrier’s wide range of high quality flood barrier products have been designed with the key characteristics of; Light Weight for ease of handling, Modular for ease of installation, Corrosion Resistant and Watertight. Fixed width or expandable products are available to suit site requirements.
As reliable flood barriers suppliers, AquaBarrier can offer you advice on our products, install your chosen barriers, customize products to meet your requirements and offer after sales service. The wide range of flood barriers that we provide are suitable for a variety of uses including warehouses, garages, gardens, commercial entrances and many other areas that are prone to flooding and require rapid flood defense solutions.
AquaBarrier is therefore a very practical product for people requiring a solution that is better than a temporary flood barrier. They require a reusable system that can be rapidly deployed in the event of changing weather.
Conclusion
Flash flood defense has evolved from slow, labor intensive methods used to protect a property from a flood, to the use of lightweight, easy to install flood gates, which can be deployed and closed in a matter of minutes, offering great value in being reusable time and time again, ready to face any unexpected flood event.
AquaBarrier’s flood barrier solutions are designed for practical use in warehouses, garages, gardens, shops and other commercial entrances. Made from aluminum alloy, stainless steel, rubber etc. and easily mounted in a modular fashion, AquaBarrier solutions enable fast reaction to flooding and prepare for future events.
FAQs
Q1: Are lightweight flood gates strong enough for flood protection?
Yes. AquaBarrier temporary floodgates are light-weight yet sturdy enough to provide reliable protection from flooding. The main components of our water-barriers consist of aluminum-alloy, stainless steel and high-quality rubber for sealing.
Q2: What is the difference between AquaBarrier-S670 and AquaBarrier-F303?
AquaBarrier-S670 is designed for fixed-size open areas and AquaBarrier-F303 for larger open areas which need to be protected.
Q3: Can AquaBarrier flood barriers be installed without professional help?
AquaBarrier water barriers are user-friendly, in modular design for easy installation. We provide a user manual, video and installation support for correct installation of the water barriers.
