U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' testing FAQs
What does the U.S Army Corps of Engineers' flood barrier testing entail?
The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers has developed a specific protocol to test various products designed to offer better alternatives than traditional sandbags.
Laboratory testing was conducted in a controlled setting but under conditions that emulate real world flood fighting. Stringent construction, testing, and removal protocols were developed for the laboratory. The protocol included both performance parameters (hydrostatic testing, hydrodynamic testing with waves and overtopping, and structural debris impact testing) and laboratory setting operational parameters (time, manpower, and equipment to construct and disassemble, suitability for construction and disassembly by unskilled labor, fill requirements, ability to construct around corners, disposal of fill material, damage, repair, and reusability).
What were the dimensions of the barrier wall used during the U.S Army Corps of Engineers flood barrier testing?
We constructed a 3-foot tall by 4-foot deep flood control barrier that met USACE specifications. The barrier had multiple turns and was a total of 65 linear feet long. When completed, the Metalith H2O barrier was filled with common sand.
A complete description of the testing protocol and results of the USACE testing for the Metalith H2O can be found by clicking here.
Were objects crashed into the flood barriers during testing?
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Test log is hydraulically pulled
to impact Metalith H2O barrier |
Yes. The Army Corps crashed log-like objects into the flood barriers to test whether the barriers would rip or rupture. During our testing they utilized an electric winch to impact a 12-inch diameter log and a 17-inch diameter log into the Metalith H2O barriers at ~5 mph at a 70° angle.
The Metalith H2O barriers suffered minor wrinkling of the wet side panel where the impact of the larger log occurred and the barrier moved less than 1/4 inch. The acceptable movement standard is 6 inches, so the Metalith was noted to have barely been influenced by the log impacts.
What were the results of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' flood barrier testing?
The Metalith H2O flood barriers were singled out by USACE personnel saying our panels:
- Demonstrated very rapid assembly time with small crew and no special equipment except for sand fill.
- Needed only a small footprint at 4 feet wide.
- Were lightweight, making them very portable.
- Easily set to different configurations (90º bend, 63º bend, and different lengths)
- Mated well to the test facility vertical walls
- Easily withstood the log impact test with just very small dents.
Where was the flood barrier testing performed?
The flood testing was performed at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Engineering Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, Mississippi conducted extensive testing on Infrastructure Defense technologies' Metalith H2O flood control barriers. Testing was performed in late April and early May of 2007.
How many products have passed the U.S Army Corps of Engineers testing?
The USACE has tested a number of flood fighting barriers since Hurricane Katrina, trying to find good solutions to protect people and infrastructure against hurricane driven storm surge flooding and general river flooding and flash flooding. USACE has developed a flood fighting barrier protocol and run the tests, but there is no USACE certification. However, the Metalith H2O flood protection barriers are the first to receive a UL certification in conjunction with the Corps' flood fighting barrier testing.
Why did you select the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to perform the flood barrier testing?
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Engineering Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, Mississippi, is the only testing facility in the country providing uniform protocols to test flood fighting barriers.
For more information about Infrastructure Defense Technologies' flood barriers and erosion control barriers and applications, please call us at 1-800-379-1822, email us at info@metalithH2O.com, info@infrastructure-defense.com or fill out our contact form.
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The Metalith H2O
A Division of Infrastructure Defense Technologies
3575 Morreim Drive • Belvidere, Illinois 61008
Phone: 1-800-621-5617 • Fax: 1-815-323-1317
Email: info@MetalithH2O.com
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