A multi-part reusable retaining wall and levee bag. The reusable levee bag includes a top bag section and a bottom bag portion removably affixed to the top bag portion. The combined top bag section and bottom bag portion define an interior space within which fillable material may be received to form a levee bag for use in flooding and other installations. The bottom bag section includes a receiving cell for receiving an end of another levee bag to connect multiple levee bags end to end to form a retaining wall with minimal gaps between levee bags. The bottom bag section is made of a biodegradable material while the top bag section is made of an alternative material. The reusable levee bag, once filled, may be disassembled and the top bag section reused while the bottom bag section may remain in place to biodegrade.

A portable, water-filled barrier system includes a water-fillable module that is internally divided into cells that emulate a section of a sandbag dike or wall, the module being fixed to an underlying base having front and rear boundaries that extend up from base and horizontally restrain the module. The base can be flexible and water filled, or rigid, and can be installed at or below grade. A lid can extend between the front and rear boundaries of a rigid base to cover the unfilled module, enabling the assemblies to be stacked when stored and transported. The lid can be hinged and, when open, can be supported by at least one brace extending from behind the lid to underlying terrain, where it can be wedged or staked in place. Adjacent bases can be joined at the front and rear to maintain contact between adjacent modules.

A flood barrier component comprising a base; a plurality of wall extending upwardly from the base; a top coupled to an upper edge of said plurality of walls and defining a cavity between said base, plurality of walls and said top; the top or the at least one of said plurality of sides to be placed in contact with the flood waters being capable of allowing the flood waters to pass through the top or the at least one of said plurality of sides into the interior of the flood barrier component and being retained therein.

The absorption device includes a hydrophilic powder and a casing which is permeable to a liquid, the casing being composed of an upper layer which is superimposed on a lower layer, the lower and upper layers being connected to each other by strong connections which delimit a confinement zone for the hydrophilic powder in the casing. Advantageously, the lower and upper layers are connected to each other by first weak connections. The first weak connections delimit a plurality of adjacent cells in the confinement zone, each cell enclosing a quantity of hydrophilic powder sufficient to bring about the breakage of the first weak connections which delimit the cell when the hydrophilic powder absorbs a liquid.

A bio-friendly water flow control system can include a portable structure adapted to contain organic waste material. The water flow control system can be configured for deployment outdoors to guide water flow to limit erosion. A portable structure of such a system can include a sheath that is configured to contain waste material within an interior of the sheath. The portable structure may be configured to allow a flow of water into the interior of the sheath. The portable structure may include a waste material that includes processed palm frond particles. The portable structure may be configured to absorb a weight of water at least 50% greater than a dry weight of the portable structure.

Provided is a water-absorbent resin that quickly absorbs water, even in sandbag in which a large amount of the water-absorbent resin has been used, that does not easily form unswollen lump, and that has a high gel swelling volume when water is used to swell the water-absorbent resin. This water-absorbent resin is configured from a polymer of water-soluble ethylenic unsaturated monomers. The physiological-saline absorption capacity of the water-absorbent resin is 40-60 g/g. When a cross-sectional image of the water-absorbent resin is observed by x-ray computed tomography, the fraction of the area of the cross-sectional image that is hollow portions (the hollow area ratio of the cross-sectional image), as calculated on the basis of formula (I), is no more than 10%. (I) Hollow area ratio [%]={total cross-sectional area (B) of hollow portions of the water-absorbent resin/(total cross-sectional area (A) of resin portions of the water-absorbent resin+total cross-sectional area (B) of hollow portions of the water-absorbent resin)}×100%.

A portable, water-filled barrier system includes a water-fillable module that is internally divided into cells that emulate a section of a sandbag dike or wall, the module being supported by a hollow frame including a base below the module and a rear wall behind the module. Holes allow flood water to enter the frame's interior. A peripheral base rim can surround and restrain the module. At least one brace can extend from behind the rear wall of the frame to underlying terrain, where it can be wedged or staked in place. The frame can be unitary or can comprise separate base and rear wall constructions that can be assembled to form the frame, for example by inserting a portion of one into a trough provided in the other. A fitting can extend between the assembled base and rear wall to allow water to flow between the hollow interiors.

Modular multipurpose, rapidly deployable, barriers that couple together into barrier walls and barrier blocks. The barrier walls are watertight, self-filling, and capable of being coupled horizontally without vertically lifting the barriers. The barriers are capable of being vertically and horizontally stacked in all directions while also allowing the stacked blocks to be offset and reinforced with poles, ropes and cables that thread through the stack vertically to support fencing and other materials. Horizontally, the barriers also permit poles, ropes and cables to be thread through the barriers greatly increasing their strength. The modular barriers are also stackable to be efficiently stored within truck and shipping container. The barriers may also be bullet proof.

A barrier structure for impeding erosion due to mudslides allows mud to enter through large holes in a barrier wall, and water separated from soil to drain out through smaller holes in a rear wall. An underlying reservoir can further stabilize the structure by rapidly collect water and/or mud. A backstop wall and/or an extension can be abutted to a top of the barrier wall to enhance mud collection during a mudslide. The structure can further include a penetrating passage enabling a fraction of impacting mud to flow through unimpeded, and/or a diverting wedge uphill of the apparatus diverts some impacting mud and debris while allowing a remainder thereof to pass through to the barrier wall. A plurality of the barrier structures can be installed such that mud flowing past an uphill structure impacts a downhill structure. The barrier structure can be constructed from biodegradable materials.

A modular building block apparatus for the construction of a coastal or river bank erosion defence or protection structure includes a plurality of blocks arranged in stacked rows, the blocks in each row having cooperating formations whereby the blocks in each row are interconnected with one another. Apertures formed in each block extend perpendicular to the rows, and a plurality of connector members extend through aligned apertures in adjacent rows of the blocks to interlock the rows to one another.