nwd sandbag pamphlet

7/27/2019 NWD Sandbag Pamphlet

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Portland DistrictP.O. Box 2946Portland, OR 97208-2946(503) 808-4400

Seattle DistrictP.O. Box 3755Seat tle, WA 98 124-3755(206) 764-3406

Kansas City District700 Federal Building, 601 East 12th StreetKansas City, MO 64 106-2896(816) 389-3282

Omaha District2 15 North 17th StreetOmaha, NE 68102-49978(402) 221-4259

Walla Walla District201 North 3rd Street

Walla Walla, WA 99362-1876(509) 527-7144

U S Army Corpsof Engineers

Northwestern Division

SandbaggingTechniques

Printed on recycled paper 2 004 .

The use of sandbags is a centuries old, triedand true method for flood fighting.

See procedures and safety tips inside onefficient bagging operations.


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Sandbags:u

a steadfast tool for flood fightingandbagging is one of th e most versatile

of flood fighting tools and is a simple,effective way to prevent or reduce flood

water damage.Although sandbags do no t guarantee a

watertight seal, they are a proven deterrent tocostly water damage.

Sandbags have been used to:

prevent overtopping of levees.direct a river's current flow to specific areas.construct ring dikes around boils on leveeback slopes, levee toes or behind levees.use as weight on back slopes of saturatedlevees.weigh down visquine and straw bales.build buttresses on back slopes and the toes

of saturated levees.reduce seepage a t closure structures.

Read this brochure to learn proper filling andplacement methods aimed a t increasingproductivity of sandbagging operations. Includedare hints, safety tips an d correct procedureswhich will minimize work-related injuries an dstrain and will maximize essential time.

THE FIRST LINE O F DEFENSE

Sandbag construction is a centuries oldtechnique that has changed little. Bags are madefrom different materials including treated burlapand plastic. They measure approximately 14inches wide and 2 4 inches long.

Sandbags filled one-half to two-thirds fullshould generally be left untied. Tied bags, filledslightly fuller, have specific purposes: filling holes,holding visquine or straw bales in place, orforming barriers backed by supportive planks oraluminum sheet piles.

If access to th e flood site is limited to boat,tractor or helicopter, then pallets and forklifts

may be needed to load an d off-load sandbags.

Unused empty bags can be stockpiled for emer-gency and will be serviceable for years if keptdry and properly stored.

FILL MATERIALS

Sand is by far the easiest material for fillingand shaping sandbags and becomes heavierwhen saturated from rain or moisture.

In emergencies, other materials such as silt,clay, gravel or a mixture of these may be used,but none work as well as sand.

When vehicle access is cut off to the flood site,and you have no other choice, use the back sideof the levee or an adjacent field to find whatevermaterial is available to fill sandbags.

Here are pros and cons on use of o thermaterials:

Silty soils ge t soft when wet and are moredifficult to shape, and finer particles leakthrough the weave in the material.

Clay materials are difficult to shape and tobag.Coarse-grained gravels ar e pervious andare also difficult to shape but can be usedfor redirecting the main stream flow whileallowing seepage through bags.

ALTERNATIVES

Other methods and remedies for flood fightingare as follows:

Readily available, straw bales are a neconomical alternative. They range in sizefrom 18 inches high by 30 inches long to 4by 4 by 8 foot long blocks. Secure the balesby driving 4 to 10 foot stakes (or rebar)

through th e straw into the levee top, andweight down with filled sandbags. Waterswells the st raw, making the bales heavierand w atertight.Concrete Jersey Barriers or Ecology Blockscan be used to divert water and can be costeffective solutions.Plastic sheeting can be used effectively byplacing sand along a fold.


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Overtopping

Downed trees onlevee slope

1. Gopher holesSeepage throughpervious levee material

Saturated leveeembankments

Seepage followingtree root paths

Flood Level Downed treeI " epage - pner n

CORRECT FILLING PROC

Filling sandbags is normally aperson operation. One memberwhile crouching with feet apartand arms extended, should placethe bottom of the empty bag onth e ground.

The opening of th e bag isfolded outward about 1- 112inches to form a collar and heldopen to allow the second teammember to empty a fullyrounded No. 2 shovel of materialinto th e open end of the bag.

Don't hurry. Haste can resultin undue spillage and addedwork. The third team memberstockpiles or stacks th e opensacks. The three team members

EDURES should rotate duties often to reduce job-specific

two or threeof the team,

muscle fatigue

Untied bags should be filled approximatelyone-half to two-thirds full. Tiedbags can be filled slightly more,bu t with enough room left a tth e top to tie th e bag offproperly.

Always use gloves to protectyour hands during th e filling

operation. After handlingtreated bags, avoid contact withyour eyes and mouth.

Dress appropriately and layerclothing. Safety goggles shouldbe used on dry and windy days.Sandbag filling operations aredone either near the actual

This two-member team uses correct placement site or a t centrallypositions for sandbag filling. located filling sites such as fire


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stations, diking districts or sand pits.If the bags are filled at a distant location,

vehicle transportation and access to the floodsite are primary planning considerations.

For large scale operations, a variety ofspecialized filling equipment - such as funnels onthe back of dump trucks - is commercially available.

Such equipment is not always available duringan emergency and may be best suited for astaging area where bags can be filled and thendelivered to the site.

PR OPE R PL AC E ME NT

Remove any debris from the areas where bagsare to be placed. Place the bags lengthwise andparallel to the direction of flow. Fill the lowspots first before placing bags the full lengthof the area to be raised.

Start a t approximately 1 foot landward fromthe river or levee's edge. Fold the open end ofthe bag under the filled portion. Folded end ofbag should face upstream. Place succeeding

Veteran flood engineer Ernie Sabo demonstrates thatthe sandbag should be two-thirds full, folded at the top.

bags with thebottom of thebag tightly andpartiallyoverlapping theprevious bag.

Offset adjacentrows or layers byone-half baglength to avoidcontinuousjoints.

To eliminate

voids and form atight seal,c o m~ a c t nd

1 1 a t . c c a u l ~ U L L C C U I ~ I ~ as L I ~ I ~ L I Yeach bag against and parially overlapping the

walking on it and previous one. Compact and shape eachcontinue the bag by walking on it.process as each layer is placed.

This flattens the top of the bag and prevents

slippage between succeeding layers.

SI NGL ESTACKPL AC E ME NT

Sandbagsstacked in a single

row work well inflood areas wherethere is nostreamflowvelocity or dangerfrom floatingdebris, such aslogs and tree

stumDs, or fromawave action which Single stack placement

could topple the bags.Although generally not recommended to be above

three courses or layers in height (approximately 1foot), higher single stack placement can be effectivelyused as a barricade to protect structures fromimpending water damage as shown in the photo.


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PYRAMID PLACEMENT METHODUse pyramid placement to increase the height of

sandbag protection; however, use caution whenrasing the levee height. Determine the height ofthe sandbag raise by using the best available

forecasts of flood conditions.An example: When the water level is currently 1

foot below the top of the levee and is predicted torise 3 more f ee t, construct a 2-112 foot sandbagoperation which includes one-half foot of height

as a safety factor.It's important to compact each bag in place by

walking on it, butting the ends of the sacks toether,maintaining a staggered joint placement and

folding under all loose ends.Watch for flooding elsewhere, and watch for

boils on the landward side of the levee due to theincreased water elevation.

Bags Required Per 100Linear Feet of Levee

Height of

1 foot 600"

2 feet 2100

3 feet 45004 feet 7800

*

Single width course1 foot highrequires 300 bags per100 linear feet.

II Oft1 ft

MinimumWidth of Sandbag Pyramid Base

l n e pyramid placement method issued to increase Place the sandbags by laying an equal numberthe height of sandbag protection. of horizontal rows on the bottom as there ar e

Use this rule of thumb in determining dimensions vertical layers.of the pyramid: It's important t o compact each ba g in place by

1 bag in length equals about 1 foot walking on it, butting th e ends of th e sacks together,3 bags in width equals about 2-112 feet. maintaining a staggered joint placement an d3 bags in height equals about 1 foot. folding under loose ends.


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Minimum 2 ft. radius fromcenter of boil to ed ge ofring dike.

Tie in to levee if boil is nearto e of levee

Build half-moon shaped ringdike if boil is on levee slope.

RINGING S A N D BOIL METHOD

A sand boil is created by water seepagethrough th e levee foundation or embankment.When that seepage transports dirty water, thelevee's integrity is threatened.

It's generally not necessary to build a ring dikearound a boil that is not transporting soils but

monitor the boil for any change in condition.Don't at tem pt to place sandbags directly onth e boil. Pressure applied to plug t he boil willcause water seeping through the levee to seekother avenues to follow and could cause leveefailure.

As a minimum, there should be a 2 to 3 footradius from the center of t he boil to t he inside

edge of th e ring dike. Take care to contain theentire a rea experiencing boils within the ringdike.

Build a spillway section in th e dike so waterruns out in a controlled manner. This diverts th eoverflow water away from the dike and reduceserosion on the levee slope. Once the spillwaywater runs clear, and is not transporting soils,then t he ring dike is completed.

Corps employees demonstrate building a ring dike.

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U .S . A R M Y C O R P S O F E NG I N EE R S

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the nation's improving river navigation. In the following decadeoldest engineering organization and on e of its th e involvement in civil works mushroomed,oldest military branches. It dates back to th e including new roads, railroads and bridges, andRevolutionary War when, in 1775, George assistance to local communities during floodWashington appointed Col. Richard Gridley as Chief disasters.Engineer of th e Continental Army. Annually Congress sets aside funds for disastei

The Corps' water resource program began in response flood work. This gives the Corps the abiliq1824 when Congress appropriated money for

Tip#l: Use proper lifting techniques to avoidinjury and fa tigue. Lift with your legs andbend a t the knees to save your back.

Tip #2: Sandbags are trea ted to preventdeterioration when stored. Use work glovesand avoid contact with your eyes and mouth.

Tip #3 : Stay in eye contact with heavy equipment

operators and keep alert for truck backupalarms.

Tip#4: Flood waters can be polluted. Use rubbergloves and appropriate clothing if contact withwater is unavoidable.

Tip#5: Wear adequate clothing in layers and

watertight boots. Reflective material on outerclothing is essential for night work.

Tip#6: Rotate team members frequently toavoid fatigue.

Starting at the top , going clockwise:Watch for trucks and other heavy equipment

frequently at flood sites; boots , clothing and otheritems are necessary for flood fighting; and heavy

gloves are protection from treated burlap bags.


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This classic shot shows conditions frequently are not even close to perfect. In th e early '50s, flood fighters moved fast andfurious to contain the swollen Snohomish River a t Ebey island - a major flood event.

THE CORPS (continued from page 7)to provide preparation, response and recoverymeasures concerned with flood fighting.

Public Law 84-99 today authorizes th e Corpsto engage in flood fighting and rescue operationsif th e emergency is beyond local and statecapabilities. The Corps is there to perform a basic

mandate as set down by the Corps' forefathers.During a flood the corps has the authority to:

inspect and, if necessary, strengthen floodcontrol structures,make temporary levee raises,provide supplies and 24-hour technical assis-tance, andassist in the evacuation of people andlivestock.

The Army Corps of Engineers conducts floodfight training every year which includessandbagging techniques. The Corps' districtsmaintain a limited supply of sandbags and otherflood fighting materials intended to augmentthe stocks of state and local jurisdictions during

actual flood emergency situations.Local jurisdictions should first use their supplies

and then request additional sandbags from thestate.

If the s tate supplies become depleted, thenthe Corps supplies are available for use whenrequested by state or local officials.

nwd sandbag pamphlet

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