Footnotes
(Note) We have signed disaster agreements with 15 municipalities in total, including 10 prefectures, and 5 cities and towns (as of May 2021).
Development of "Water-absorbing Sandbag" that Inflates in 90 seconds for Flood Prevention
Hagihara Industries Inc.
Industry：Manufacturing
| Publication date | October 8, 2021 (Posted on November 9, 2022) |
|---|---|
| Sector | Natural Disasters / Coastal Areas |
Company Overview
Hagihara Industries Inc. has been refining its technology for the manufacturing of flat yarns, a strong, flat yarn made by slitting and stretching polyethylene and polypropylene films, and has developed its core technologies of cutting, stretching, winding, and weaving. Our products are used in a wide range of fields, including construction and civil engineering, agriculture, printing, and entertainment. Our original manufacturing facilities have dramatically evolved, and our engineering technology has been passed on to the engineering business, which is now used for the production of slitters and winders.
Climate Change Impacts
In recent years, torrential rains and typhoons have caused serious damage in many parts of Japan. Local governments have been stockpiling protective sheets and sandbags, which indicates a growing awareness towards disaster prevention.
General sandbags used to prevent flooding from heavy rains and floods are filled with soil, but there are issues such as "lack of time" in case of an emergency, "lack of labor" to fill the sandbags, and "lack of soil" in cities and urban areas.
Adaptation Initiatives
We have launched our new high-performance sandbag, Water Buster, in June 2021. By simply soaking the bag in the water and rubbing and squeezing it for 90 seconds, the polymer material inside the bag absorbs the water and functions as a sandbag weighing 10 kg. It also has the advantage of being lightweight and portable, weighing only 100g before use, so it does not require storage space. The Water Buster can be inflated in the following three steps (Figure 1).
- ①Soak the Water Buster in a tray or bucket filled with fresh water such as tap water or river water.
- ②Rub it and squeeze it well while soaking it in water. If the Water Buster starts floating, keep it down in the water.
- ③The "water-absorbing sandbag" will be ready in approximately 90 seconds after soaking it in the water.
The size of the inflated Water Buster will be 52 cm wide and 14 cm high.
We are also working with local governments to organize a system for disaster management (Note).
Effects / Expected Benefits
The inflated Water Buster can be used in front of doorways of houses and subway entrances to prevent inundation due to torrential rain or flooding. It can also be covered with tarps to further prevent flooding through the smallest gaps in the sandbags (Figure 2 and 3).
By introducing disaster prevention products that is easy to use and highly effective like the Water Buster, it becomes possible for people to prioritize the actions to protect their lives in cases of emergencies and is expected to reduce the damage caused by disasters.
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