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Blast Protection Products
 The Waterwall® System is a rapid deployment anti-blast
containment system utilising water to contain fragments.
Water, having a relatively high
mass, has often been used to mitigate the effects of
explosions either deliberate or accidental.
In sufficient quantity, it can
dramatically reduce the damage caused by primary and
secondary projectiles and interact with the chemistry of
the explosion, reducing heat and the overall effectiveness
of the primary explosive material.
Depending on the thickness of the
water and the size of the explosive, blast overpressures
can be significantly reduced and a high percentage, if not
all, of the fragmentation captured.
Why Use
Water?
The velocity of fragments
produced by an explosion and passing through a layer of
water is significantly reduced. If the water layer is
thick enough it will stop all fragments completely.
Tests have also demonstrated that
if placed correctly, water will also reduce the blast
pressures associated with an explosive event by as much as
95%. Coupled with the fragment retaining properties it is
easy to see why the use of water is so desirable in
mitigating explosive events.
Furthermore, relatively thin
layers of water can prevent the ‘sympathetic’
detonation of neighbouring ammunition stacks should an
explosion occur in a magazine. Unlike other materials,
water offers a low ‘down-range’ hazard and is readily
available in urban areas where the threats of terrorist
attacks are highest. Moreover water is cheap. Its use in
explosive ordnance disposal systems facilitates the
capture of forensic evidence, inhibits the formation of
toxic gas clouds and can be pre-mixed with decontaminants
to facilitate clean up following a ‘dirty bomb’
attack.
Benefits
 Significantly
reduces the velocity of fragments produced by an
explosion;
- If the water layer is thick
enough it will stop all fragments completely;
- Reduces blast pressures by as
much as 95%;
- Combination of fragment
containment and blast suppression creates an ‘ideal’
mitigation system;
- Thin layers of water can prevent
the ‘sympathetic’ detonation of neighbouring
ammunition stacks;
- Low ‘down-range’ hazard;
- Readily available in urban areas
where the threats of terrorist attacks are highest;
- Inexpensive;
- Captures of forensic evidence
when used in against improvised explosive devices;
- Inhibits the formation of toxic
gas cloud;
- Can be pre-mixed with
decontaminants to facilitate clean up following a
‘dirty bomb’ attack.
Design
The Waterwall® System is based
around the requirement that each component in the system
must be capable of rapid deployment, use simple, inexpensive
materials and can accept any type of water. Furthermore,
each component must be capable of dramatically reducing
blast effects; it can also be easily stored and transported
without the need of mechanical equipment if necessary.
All Waterwall® System components
made from PVC coated double wall fabric and are partially
inflated with air first to facilitate handling and
positioning before the water is introduced into the system.
The flow of water into the component purges the air out
through a relief valve. The time needed to fill each
component will vary depending of the pressure of the water
supply but is typically 10 minutes or less. Following use,
if the unit is undamaged, the water can be emptied out and
the unit stored for reuse. Shelf life of an unused product
is indefinite and for a used component in excess of three
years.
All products are designed for
temporary use although the period of service can be extended
to several months should the need arise. In such cases it
may be necessary to make minor modifications to the
original. Further more, all products shown on this site are
generic and sizes, shapes and performance can be adjusted to
suit customer requirements. Please contact
us for further information. You can also visit this website
for more information.
You can also download the
Waterwall® brochure from here.
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