Hesco bastion

HESCO MIL units stacked two units high around portable toilets in Iraq
German base (Norwegian section) inside Camp Marmal near Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan. Note the internal lines of gabions to reduce and compartmentalize mortar effects.

The Concertainer,[1] known colloquially as the Hesco barrier[2] or Hesco bastion,[3] with HESCO being the brand name of the manufacturer, is a modern gabion primarily used for flood control and military fortifications.[4] It is made of a collapsible wire mesh container and heavy-duty fabric liner and is used as a temporary to semi-permanent levee or blast wall against small-arms fire and/or explosives. It has been used during the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It was originally designed for use on beaches and marshes for erosion and flood control.[5] They were used in 2005 to reinforce levees around New Orleans in the weeks between Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.[6] During the June 2008 Midwest floods, 8,200 metres (9,000 yd) of HESCO barrier wall were shipped to Iowa.[7] In late March 2009, 10,700 m (11,700 yd) of HESCO barrier were delivered to Fargo, North Dakota, to protect against floods. In late September 2016, 16 km (10 mi) of HESCO barriers were used in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for the fall flood of 2016.[8]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Heselden97 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "What are the 'HESCO' barriers used to shore up the LA River?". Southern California Public Radio. January 11, 2016. Archived from the original on September 20, 2017. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
  3. ^ "Watch the moment WW2 bomb is blown up". Kent Online. May 14, 2020. Archived from the original on May 19, 2020. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
  4. ^ "Ex-miner's £10m gift to good causes". Yorkshire Evening Post. 25 March 2008. Archived from the original on November 16, 2016. Retrieved 2020-05-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ Flood Fighting Structures Demonstration and Evaluation Program Archived 2006-06-22 at the Wayback Machine U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Factsheet January 2006
  6. ^ "HESCO Bastion - A simple approach to flood protection and much more", Progressive Engineer, 2006, archived from the original on 2008-12-01
  7. ^ Hammond company helps Midwest hold back flood[permanent dead link‍] - David, David; Hammond Daily Star, June 25, 2008
  8. ^ Cedar Rapids Discusses Permanent Flood Protection - Kalk, Jordee; KCRG, September 26, 2016