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Sandbag

 

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Sandbag


 
 


A sandbag (floodbag) is a sack made of burlapJute

Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fibre that can be spun into coarse, strong threads....
, polypropylene or other materials that is filled with sandSand

Sand is an example of a class of materials called granular matter....
 or soilSoil

Soil is the collection of natural bodies that form in earthy material on the land surface....
 and used for such purposes as flood controlFlood

A flood is an overflow of water, an expanse of water submerging land, a deluge....
, military fortificationFortification

Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defense in warfare....
, shielding glass windows in war zoneWar Zone Summary

"War Zone" is an episode from the first season of the television series Crusade....
s and ballastFacts About Ballast

Ballast may mean:* Track ballast, railway track-bed, on which sleepers and track is laid...
.

Advantages are that burlap and sand are inexpensive, and that the bags can be brought in empty and filled with local sand or soil.

Usage

Sandbags may be used during emergencies when rivers threaten to overflood, or a leveeLevee

A levee, leve , floodbank or stopbank is a natural or artificial embankment or dike, usually earthen, whic...
 or dike is damaged. They may also be used in non-emergency situations (or after an emergency) as a foundation for new levees, or other water-control structures. Sandbags are not always an effective measure in the event of flooding because water will eventually seep through the bags and finer materials, like clay, may leak out through the seam. After usage, dry sandbags can be stored for future use. Wet bags need to be disposed in a landfill as they may be contaminated by chemicals and fecal matter.

The military uses sandbags for field fortificationFortification

Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defense in warfare....
s, or as a temporary measure to protect civilian structures. Because burlap and sand are inexpensive, large protective barriers can be erected cheaply. The friction created by moving soil or sand grains and multiple tiny air gaps makes sandbags an efficient dissipatorDissipation

In physics, dissipation embodies the concept of a dynamical system where important mechanical modes, such as waves or oscill...
 of explosive blastExplosion

An explosion is a sudden increase in volume and release of energy in a violent manner, usually with the generation of high t...
. The dimensions and weight of sandbags used in fortification are carefully calculated so that the bags can be interlocked like brickworkBrickwork

Brickwork masonry is produced when a bricklayer uses bricks and mortar to build up structures such as walls, bridges and chi...
 and are not too heavy to lift and move around. They may be laid in excavated defences as revetment, or as free-standing walls above ground where excavations are impractical. As plain burlap sandbags deteriorate fairly quickly, sandbag structures that are meant to remain in place for a long time may be painted with a portland cementPortland cement

Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general usage, as it is a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar and most...
 slurrySlurry

A slurry is a mixture, which comes in different varieties:...
 to reduce the effects of rotROT

The aviation term ROT stands for rate one turn, in which the aircraft turns by 3 per second....
 and abrasion. Cotton Ducking sandbags last considerably longer than burlap and are hence preferable for long-term use. However, the vast majority of sandbags used by modern militaries and for flood prevention are made of circularCircular

Circular may refer to:*Circle, or something in the shape of a circle...
 wovenWoven

A woven is a cloth formed by weaving....
 polypropylenePolypropylene

Polypropylene or polypropene is a thermoplastic polymer, used in a wide variety of applications, including food packag...
. The easy availability to military personnel, size and construction of the bags has also led to the use of sandbags as makeshift hoods for prisoners of war.

Sandbags are also used for disposable ballast in gas balloonGas balloon

A gas balloon is any balloon that stays aloft due to being filled with a gas less dense than air or lighter than air....
s, and as counterweightCounterweight

A counterweight is an equivalent counterbalancing weight that balances a load....
s for theatre setsSet construction

Theatrical scenery is designed by a set designer, in collaboration with the director of the production....
.

Sandbags have been used since at least the late 1700s. They have traditionally been filled manually using spadeSpade

A spade is a tool designed primarily for the purpose of digging or removing earth....
s. Since the 1990s, machine-filling has become more common, which allows the work to be done more quickly and efficiently.

Other uses

"Sandbag" can also refer to a crude weaponWeapon Summary

A weapon is a tool which is intended to or is used to injure, kill, or a person, damage or destroy property, or to otherwis...
 consisting of a small bag filled with sand for use as a cudgel typically by criminals, or to the act of striking a person on the head with such a weapon. This usage is obsolescent in normal speech, appearing mainly in legal codes. However the verb form is extended metaphorMetaphor

In language, a metaphor is a rhetorical trope defined as a direct comparison between two or more seemingly unrelated subjects...
ically in several slangSlang

Slang is the use of highly informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's dialect or langu...
 expressions.

Sandbags are also used in weight trainingWeight training Overview

Weight training is a form of exercise for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles....
 and put in the trunk of rear wheel drive cars to increase traction in inclement weather.

In games and various kinds of adversarial settings, the term sandbaggingSandbagging

Sandbagging is the practice of deceptively portraying oneself as being in a weaker position than is true....
 refers to the practice of purposely placing oneself in a weaker position so as to give the deceptive impression that one is less skilled than one truly is.

See also

  • Hesco bastionHesco bastion

    The HESCO barrier or HESCO bastion is a modern gabion for military fortification....
  • SandbaggingSandbagging Overview

    Sandbagging is the practice of deceptively portraying oneself as being in a weaker position than is true....


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