GB2472796A

GB2472796A - Temporary flood defence barrier

Info

Publication number: GB2472796A
Application number: GB0914412A
Authority: GB
Inventors: George Kavanagh
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-08-28
Filing date: 2009-08-18
Publication date: 2011-02-23
Also published as: GB0914412D0; GB0815638D0

Abstract

A temporary flood defence barrier 2 comprising a base 13 having one or more receiving means (16, fig 5), said receiving means being positioned such that when, in use, the base 13 is at least partially buried in the ground the receiving means remain accessible. The barrier also comprising one or more barrier panels 3, each panel having one or more base engaging means (8, fig 2) arranged to be engageable with the base receiving means, and each panel also having one or more panel engaging means 8 arranged to be directly engageable with the panel engaging means 8 of an adjacent barrier panel 3. The barrier may further comprise props or braces 5 which may be located on alternate sides of the barrier. The barrier may incorporate rubber gasket seals and the panels may be sheet steel with strengthening means in the form of indentations 9. The base may comprise a plate mounted in concrete and the panels may include a handle 10.

Description

TEMPORARY FLOOD DEFENCE BARRIER

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to flood barriers and in particular to temporary flood defence barriers that can be erected quickly around commercial and domestic properties.

Background of the Invention

When floods are due many people in their homes are not prepared for them in any way. There are no resources available to them for handling the floods apart from sand bags to try to hold back the water. In any event sandbags only provide cover over a very minor area, mainly the front door and back door. These defences are inadequate and eventually most houses are devastated by flooding, resulting in the destruction of all floorboards, plaster walls, electrics and plumbing and the whole floor area, This means that the damage inflicted by the flood water will need to be repaired before people can move back into their homes. In some cases residents need to be put up in hotels, guest houses and caravans for the duration of the renovation which in some cases can take over 12 months.

That is the normal state of affairs at present.

In view of this growing problem, attempts have been made in the past to develop temporary flood barriers which can be erected when flooding is expected and then taken down again when the risk has passed.

GB2386633 discloses a temporary flood barrier which is quickly locatable on upstanding supporting members. Although the design of this flood barrier enables a user to quickly erect the flood barrier, because the upstanding supporting members are permanently embedded in the ground the barrier cannot truly be considered temporary. When the barrier is not required the supports may be considered obstructive.

US604230'l discloses a temporary dam or flood barrier. The barrier utilizes piles, which are extractable from an underground housing, to support the barrier. As the dam disclosed in US6042301 is intended for heavy duty flood control the piles required are considerable in size and weight. The nature of the piles means that the extent of ground excavation required to accommodate the housings is considerable. Further, the effort required to extract the piles precludes the piles being raised manually.

DE3429190 discloses a temporary flood protection wall. Again this barrier relies upon the presence of substantial support stakes to secure the wall sections of the barrier. This can present difficutties during not only the assembly and disassembly of the barrier, but also during the storage of the barrier.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides a temporary flood defence barrier that is primarily designed to protect domestic and commercial properties from slow rising floods that occur when rivers overflow and water creeps across the ground. The barrier of the present invention is designed to have a simple and lightweight construction which removes the need for the cumbersome vertical support structures used in the flood barriers of the prior art. The present invention provides a barrier which can be easily assembled when needed and then disassembled for discrete storage when it is no longer required, In its broadest sense the present invention provides a temporary flood defence barrier comprising: a base having one or more receiving means, said receiving means being positioned such that when, in use, the base is at least partially buried in the ground the receiving means remain accessible; and one or more barrier panels, each panel having one or more base engaging means arranged, on or near the lower horizontal edge thereof, to be engageable with the base receiving means, and each panel also having one or more panel engaging means arranged to be directly engageable with the panel engaging means of an adjacent barrier panel.

PreferabNy the barrier may further comprise one or more props] each prop having a panel engaging means engageable with the panel engaging means of a barrier panel, and wherein each prop is arranged so that, in use, said prop is oriented towards the ground adjacent to the plane of the barrier panel. It will be appreciated that the props serve to stabilize the panels of the barrier against the ground lying adjacent to the barrier.

Further preferably the props may be arranged such that they are alternately oriented towards the ground adjacent to either side of the plane of the barrier.

Preferabfy the one or more base engaging means may be located on a flange on the lower horizontal edge of the barrier panel.

Preferaby the one or more panel engaging means may be located on a flange on at least one, and preferably both, of the vertical edges of each barrier panel.

Other specific features will be appreciated from the preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the preferred embodiment the present invention provides a temporary flood defence barrier comprising: a base, having a metal plate with a plurality of holes therein, which is securable in the ground; and at least one panel made from a lightweight, but durable, material such as mild steel, said panel having a vertical flange located on either vertical edge thereof and a lower horizontal flange located on the lower horizontal edge of the panel; the vertical flanges being provided with a plurality of holes into which fastening means are receivable to facilitate the attachment of the panel to a neighbouring panel; the lower horizontal flange being provided with a plurality of holes which are alignable with the holes of the base and into which fastening means are receivable to facilitate the attachment of the panel to the base; and a plurality of props, each of which is attachable at one end thereof to the vertical flanges of a panel, that extend outwards from the panel, and where, in use, the other end of the prop is contactable with the ground adjacent the barrier.

Preferably the barrier may further comprising at least one corner piece, preferably made from the same material as the panel, said corner piece having a vertical flange located on either vertical edge thereof and a lower horizontal flange located on the lower horizontal edge of the panel, and wherein the vertical flanges being provided with a plurality of holes into which fastening means are receivable to facilitate the attachment of the panel to a neighbouring panel; and the lower horizontal flange being provided with a plurality of holes which are alignable with the holes of the base and into which fastening means are receivable to facilitate the attachment of the panel to the base. This enables the barrier to encircle a property entirely.

Preferably the props may be attached to the barrier at the point where two neighbouring panels, or a neighbouring panel and corner piece, are fastened together. This gives a more secure attachment and enables neighbouring pieces of the barrier to be supported by the props.

Preferably the barrier may further comprise a rubber gasket at the joint between neighbouring panels andlor corner pieces. Additionally, or alternatively, the barrier may further comprise a rubber gasket at the joint between a panel and/ or corner piece and the base. The gasket ensures that water does not leak through the barrier at the joints.

Preferably the base may comprise the plate mounted in concrete. This reduces the amount of metal work required whilst retaining a strong foundation.

Preferably the panels may consist of a sheet of steel with strengthening means in the form of one or more indentations, The indentations in the sheet metal serve to prevent the panel buckling during normal use and also during assembly and disassembly of the barrier.

Preferably the panel may further comprise handle means to enable easy moving of the panel.

Brief Description of the Drawings

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the provided figures, wherein: Figure 1 shows a plan view of a typical domestic property surrounded by a temporary flood defence barrier of the present invention; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a barrier panel; Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a corner barrier piece; Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of a concrete base; Figure 5 shows a plan view of a preferred embodiment of a flat bar base plate; Figure 6 shows a side view of a preferred embodiment of a prop (outrigger); Figure 7 shows a perspective view of a portion of the temporary flood defence barrier composed of the components shown in Figures 26; and Figure 8 shows the handle for the modular barrier panel of the present invention.

Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment

The temporary flood defence barrier of the present invention is not primarily designed to resist violent flooding or great torrents of water rushing at it, but rather the insidious type of flooding which is more prevalent when rivers overflow their banks and water creeps across the land rising slowly to one or two feet, flooding homes and businesses.

The following describes a preferred embodiment of the temporary flood defence barrier of the present invention. The barrier is primarily designed to protect both residential and commercial properties.

Figure 1 shows a plan view of a domestic property I with the temporary flood defence barrier system 2 in position around its perimeter. The four main types of component, of what is essentially a mod ular system, are a base (not shown), a barrier panel 3, a barrier corner piece 4 and a prop (or outrigger) 5.

Figure 2 shows a barrier panel 3 in more detail. In the preferred embodiment each panel 3 is manufactured from a 3 mm thick flat of mild steel to form rectangular shaped panel 6 with a flange 7 from the perimeter of the panel 6.

In the preferred embodiment the dimensions of panel 6 considered suitable for floods around Im deep would be 1368mm long and 1100mm high, although it will be appreciated by the skilled person that these dimensions and all others given hereinafter might vary according to the level of flooding likely without diverting from the inventive concept of the present invention.

The flanges 7 are folded from the edges of the panel 6 by making four cuts at the corners of the panel to allow the flanges to be formed on the break press to a 90 degree angle. The corners of the panel are welded to ensure the flanges 7 are maintained. It is appreciated that it may be beneficial for the flanges to be predrilled before machining the holes into the flanges The flange 7 may typically be 50mm in length, although again the skilled person will appreciate that this dimension may vary. The size of the flange is primarily dictated by the need to provide a plurality of holes 8 in the flange without damaging the structural strength of the flange.

In the preferred embodiment the flanges are machined such that the centre of each adjacent hole 8 is about 150mm apart along the long horizontal flange with the exception of the holes 8 at either end of two holes which are formed 75mm apart to maintain the 150mm spacing overall when two separate panels are jointed together.

In the preferred embodiment the flanges are machined such that the centre of each adjacent hole 8 is about 100mm apart on the vertical flanges with the exception of two holes closest to the horizontal flange, which are formed 50mm apart to ensure end of joints are tightened evenly at the top and bottom.

Advantageously, when 12mm bolts are to be use to fix the barrier panels 6 together, the holes 8 would have a diameter of 20mm. This would give a certain amount of movement on the joints to allow for slight tolerances in movement when fitting by the householder. All bolts and nuts are rust-proof The barrier panel 3 also has three indentations 9 at the centre of the rectangular shaped panel 6 to retain the shape and hold the panel 3 rigid during handling for erection and dismantling of the system 2. The skilled person will appreciate that more or less indentations might be usefully adopted.

The indentations are pressed into the centre of the panel at the same time that the flanges are folded to a 90 degree angle. The ridges 9 help make the panel 6 rigid to avoid wind loading and general movement during erection and to ensure the gaskets remain tight whilst installed.

The barrier panel 3 has four handles 10 fitted, two at each end. One front and one rear to aid lifting into position when erecting or dismantling.

The barrier panel 3 and the corner piece 4 are designed to fit together to provide a perimeter which sets out an enclosing barrier around a property 1 to protect the property form flooding.

As will be appreciated from figure 2, the corner piece 4 is made with a simiiar design to the barrier panel 3, but without the indentations as the corner panels are free standing.

The flange 11 provided around the perimeter of the corner piece 4 is provided with holes 12. It will be appreciated that the spacing of the holes 12 on the corner piece 4 will need to be the same as on the barrier panel 3 to which it is to be connected.

The initial flange would be made to form a centre fold on the corner panel to make it take the 90 degree angle for the corner piece. As with the barrier panel 3 the corner piece 4 is welded to ensure the flanges 11 are maintained. In the preferred embodiment six welds rather than four are used on the corner piece 4.

Preferably the entire barrier, including the barrier panels 3 and the corner pieces 4, should be painted in a water proofing compound before finally painting it bright construction type colours.

In order to construct a stable and water-tight flood defence, the barrier panels 3 and the corner pieces 4 are fitted on to a base 13, which is set into the ground prior to installing the barrier. Figures 4, 5 and 7 show the base plate 13 from various angles, which will help the skilled person appreciate a typical design of base 13.

In the preferred embodiment the base 13 is made of concrete 15 but also comprises a 12mm x 150mm mild steel plate 14 secured into the concrete 15 of the base 13 by concrete anchors (not shown). The plate 14 would be drilled and tapped with holes 16 which are machined to receive the bolts to fix the panel together. As mentioned above 12mm bolts may be used.

In order to protect the holes 16 during the formation of the base 13 plastic plugs are located through the holes 16. This ensures that the holes 16 do not become blocked and also provides a recess 17 in the concrete 15 below the plate 14. When the barrier is not in use it is appreciated that filler plugs may be used to prevent debris filing the holes 16 and recesses 17.

As wilt be appreciated the holes 16 and the recesses 17 are spaced about 150mm apart in order to ensure they line up with the barrier panel holes 8 and the corner piece holes 12. The base 13 is provided with location lugs (not shown) to make centering the barrier panel holes 8 and corner piece holes 12 easier.

In order to provide foundations strong enough to hold the temporary flood defence barrier in place during flood conditions the base 13 is at least partially buried in the ground. The ground works consists of about 600mm deep concrete base of a design into which the base 13 for the barrier panels 3 and corner pieces 4 are set. The skilled person will appreciate that the concrete base may go deeper in areas prone to undersurface water to ensure that the barrier is not breached from below.

The base plate 14 is pre-drilled and tapped to ensure absolute accuracy when installing the panels and to ensure all joints are watertight.

In the preferred embodiment the ground work to contain the base 13 for holding the temporary flood defence barrier would consist of a trench 1372mm wide X 610mm deep. The width of this trench would be filled with concrete 100mm thick and this would cover the whole of the trench up to 1219mm. This would cover the whole length of the completed trench.

Down the centre of the trench would be concrete re-enforcing bars (not shown) to support the concrete shape built down the centre of the 1372mm wide trench to hold the base plate.

The centre of the concrete that would bring the levels of the base 13 up to ground foundation level to hold the barrier 2 would typically consist of a concrete base with a 150mm plate held at the top level of the concrete.

As will be appreciated from figure 7 that, once the initial groundwork is completed, the only portion of the base 13 that remains above ground it the base plate 14. The complete barrier 2 is set up using the base plate 14 that is set into the base 13 by concrete anchors to secure a firm fit that would not move by wind loading of the panels when erected or by movement during the erection process.

Although the barrier of the present invention is such that, once the initial ground work is complete, it can be erected by untrained users, a brief description of the erection process is provided. Figure 7 shows a portion of the erected barrier 2 of the preferred embodiment.

The barrier panels 3 are bolted together by using the corner piece 4 (not shown), which is free standing and would be bolted to the base plate 13 using six bolts to hold it hard down. When the corner piece 4 is erected it would be possible to work from both sides of the corner panel to erect the barrier panels 3.

Each barrier panel 3 is bolted along the horizontal seam A on to the base 13, typically using a 5mm rubber gasket (not shown) set between the base 13 and the bottom side of the barrier panel 3 to make a watertight joint.

Before the bottom bolts are fully tightened the vertical seam B between adjacent barrier panels 3 would be bolted in the same way using a 5mm rubber joint to make a watertight seam.

Before tightening the vertical seam B the fourth bolt down from the top of the barrier panel 3 should be removed and a prop 5(or outrigger) inserted into this space. The prop 5(or outrigger), which is shown in detail in figure 6, should be bolted to the vertical seam B using the same bolt that had been removed prior to inserting the support art 5. The prop 5 should be inserted on to the ground and the bolts fully tightened.

The bottom bolts on the barrier panel 3 are then tightened to make the whole barrier panel 3 secure. The next barrier panel 3 is then set up and the process repeated until the next corner is reached when the same procedure should be used to bolt up the whole barrier to make the defence secure to stop flooding to the whole property.

It will be appreciated from figure 6 that the prop 5 (or outrigger) has a prop base plate 18 orientated such that it is at ground level during normal use.

The prop base plate 18 is bolted down to maintain the barrier level throughout its whole length by making sure each prop 5 is correctly positioned.

In the preferred embodiment the prop 5 is manufactured from a 20mm round bar bent at 45 degrees in two places to form an angle across a 90 degree bend. To give an insert for space for the nut and bolt at 700mm above ground level this end of the bar would be flattened and a 12mm hole drilled to give a 3mm insert 19 for the bolts. The other end of the prop 5 would have a 150mm plate 15 drilled with four 12mm holes (not shown) at the corners for holding down at ground level.

The prop 5 is set up at each vertical seam B alternating from the wet side of the barrier to the dry side barrier, thus securing the whole barrier 2 to maintain a vertical position along its whole length.

The use of the props 5 removes the need for posts or stanchions to hold the barrier vertical. This is to ensure the work erecting the panel would progress without having extra work and to cut down the number of joints to secure from leaks after erection. Removing the need for stanchions and posts means that when the barrier 2 is taken down the footprint of the barrier 2 is mInimized. It also removes the need to provide deep foundations for the posts.

The concepts behind the present invention is that it should require no special knowledge or skills, and that the components of the barrier should be light enough for two people to lift into position, without the aid of any mechanical assistance. This means that it can be erected and dismantled in a matter of hours using just a 12mm spanner.

The barrier is bolted down using 12mm bolts, the same bolts are used for the vertical joints adding to the simplicity concept, in that there is no possibility of struggling with the wrong bolts. Although the preferred embodiment uses nuts and bolts to secure the various component of the barrier together, the skilled person will appreciate that alternative fixing means will also be suitable.

To further simplify the design for untrained users, once the ground work is complete and the base installed the barrier, apart from the nuts, bolts and gaskets, consists of only three types of component, i.e. the barrier panel 3, the corner panel 4 and the prop 5.

This simple operation eliminates the use of sand bags and saves whole teams of people from the Fire Service, Police and Armed Forces having to fill bags, loading and stacking them in order to save vital installations and peoples' homes.

The main advantage of the barrier of the present invention is the lightness of the components and the simplicity of installation and dismantling.

After the initial ground work is completed it will require no special skills for the average householder to erect and dismantle the barrier.

That basically is all there is to the erection of the barrier and vice versa for the dismantling operation. It would be advisable when dismantling to hose the barrier down and to clean all boils and nuts, which are rust-proofed and put carefully away for the next time they are needed.

When dismanfled, the barrier 2 can be stored in the open with no special arrangements required to cover as it is water resistant and would be readily available for the next emergency. Although the barrier of the present invention is mainly considered to be temporary due to its lightweight design, it may be possible, in cases where panels of the barrier are erected in some unobtrusive position1 to leave them up thereby saving time and labour on the next occasion the barrier is required.

The fact that the system is modular means that the barrier 2 can protect as much or as little of a property that the user wishes. This can be either a small area around the house or a large area including the garden, garage and any outbuildings.

Similarly residential properties, small businesses, shops and offices could be protected using a small number of barrier panels to protect front and back doors as well as conservatory doors or similar situations. In this way a small amount of underground work could be undertaken and air-bricks and vents could be covered to make them water proof at the same time.

It is appreciated that the barrier system 2 can protect all aspects of the property, e.g. cellars, outhouses, conservatories, sheds, garages, cars, gardens and all items that are left outside including children's swings, and slides that are left unprotected but nevertheless lose value and in some cases are totally written-off by water damage whether covered by insurance or not and add to the consequential clean-up operation.

In the event that this system is used, it is appreciated that it might be advisable to install backflow valves in water drains and sewer pipes to allow for high water levels outside the barrier backing up into the property.

Temporary lugs are inserted in the base plate to help locate the bottom holes in the panel to aid quick assembly.

Although the barrier system of the present invention is primarily intended for domestic and commercial properties it is appreciated that the barrier has many alternative uses in the protection of utilities, water treatment plants, sewage works or electrical installations where the barrier could have sections erected on a semi-permanent basis, to be completed when flooding is imminent and eliminate the need for sand bags.

The height of previous floods should be noted to asses the dimensional requirements of the barrier panels, corner pieces and props.

R is possible that many properties will already have fences that are there to protect the premises and this would present no problem to the installation of a temporary flood defence barrier as the system would allow all work to proceed on either the inside or outside of an existing fence without disturbance.

Protecting individual properties was the original object of this design but as it has progressed it has become clear that it would be possible for the barrier to protect a number of properties -even whole streets if utilized by local councils.

During all jointing operations care must be taken to make sure that the gaskets are correctly in place at each bolt hole.

The cost saving found in not having to clear up after the flood together with the saving of cleaning and refurbishing houses as well as the cost of accommodating people in temporary housing, static caravans or hotels are all advantages of this system and the savings that can be made.

A rubber gasket may be permanently fixed to the side and bottom edges of the barrier panels and corner pieces.

The barrier can protect properties by being located close to the homes and businesses (for example 2 to 3 metres), or can be covering wide areas around the property.

This system of the present invention can protect all aspects of the property, e.g. cellars, outhouses, conservatories, sheds, garages, cars, gardens and all items that are normally left outside including children's swings and slides that are left unprotected but nevertheless lose value and in some cases are totally written off by water dames whether covered by insurance or not and add to the consequence of clean up operation.

The barrier can be used by Utility Services, Many of the electricity company's sites are open to floodling such as sub-stations, electrical grids that have to be shut down during flood conditions could be enclosed by the barrier and using a single panel could be left available for maintenance but could be installed during flood situations and not need to close down in bad weather.

Many sub-stations, water or gas company sites which are open to the weather but not for flood could also be protected. This would also save electricity, water and gas supplies to homes that are not included in the flood but would have services cut off by flood ing Local Councils could enclose complete estates of houses or install the barrier in certain roads, during floods you see water running down the roads and running off into side street. The barrier could be set up on the pavements to let the water flow but people could still walk on the pavement clear of the flooding and their houses are protected from the flood flowing sideways down the streets.

This barrier is presented as being 1100mm high, this is not the full height as in certain situations the barrier could be raised to 1.5m with the provision of appropriate props (or outriggers).

Although preferably the barrier is modular with all barrier panels being of equal size, it is appreciated that there may be a benefit for more advanced users in providing more than one size of barrier panel in the modular system.

Corner pieces with angles other than 90 degrees may provide improved flexibility for some users.

The concept behind the design is that it should require no special knowledge or skills to assemble the components of the barrier and it should be light enough for two people to fit. The temporary flood defence barrier is manufactured so that householders can erect and dismantle the barrier easily and quickly.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A temporary flood defence barrier comprising: a base having one or more receiving means, said receiving means being positioned such that, in use, when the base is at least partially buried in the ground the receiving means remain accessible; and one or more barrier panels, each panel having one or more base engaging means arranged, on or near the lower horizontal edge thereof, to be engageable with the base receiving means, and each panel also havIng one or more panel engaging means arranged to be directly engageable with the panel engaging means of an adjacent barrier panel.
2. The barrier of claim 1, further comprising one or more props, each prop having a panel engaging means engageable with the panel engaging means of a barrier panel, and wherein each prop is arranged so that, in use, said prop is oriented towards the ground adjacent to the plane of the barrier panel.
3, The barrier of claim 2, wherein the props are further arranged such that they are alternately oriented towards the ground adjacent to either side of the plane of the barrier.
4. The barrier of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the one or more base engaging means are located on a flange on the lower horizontal edge of the barrier panel.
5. The barrier of claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the one or more panel engaging means are located on a flange on at least one, and preferably both, of the vertical edges of each barrier panel.
6. A temporary flood defence barrier comprising: a base having a plate made from a durable material such as steel with a plurality of holes therein, which is securabte in the ground; at least one barrier panel made from a lightweight, but durable material such as steel, said panel having a vertical flange located on either vertical edge thereof and a lower horizontal flange located on the lower horizontal edge of the panel; the vertical flanges being provided with a plurality of holes into which fastening means are receivable to facilitate the direct attachment of the panel to a neighbouring barrier panel; the lower horizontal flange being provided with a plurality of holes which are alignable with the holes of the base and into which fastening means are receivable to facilitate the attachment of the panel to the base; and a plurality of props, each of which is attachable at one end thereof to the vertical flanges of a panel, that extend outwards from the panel, and where in use the other end of the prop is contactable with the ground adjacent the barrier.
7. The barrier of claim 6, further comprising at least one corner piece, preferably made from the same material as the panel, said corner piece having a vertical flange located on either vertical edge thereof and a lower horizontal flange located on the lower horizontal edge of the panel, and wherein the vertical flanges being provided with a plurality of holes into which fastening means are receivable to facilitate the attachment of the panel to a neighbouring barrier panel; and the lower horizontal flange being provided with a plurality of holes which are alignable with the holes of the base and into which fastening means are receivable to facilitate the attachment of the panel to the base.
8. The barrier of claim 6 or 7, wherein the props are attached to the barrier at the point between where two neighbouring barrier panels, or a neighbouring panel and corner piece, are fastened together.
9. The barrier of claim 6, 7 or 8, further comprising a rubber gasket at the joint between neighbouring pan&s and/or corner pieces.
10. The barrier of any of claims 6 to 9, further comprising a rubber gasket at the joint between a panel andl or corner piece and the base.
11. The barrier of any of claims 6 to 10, wherein the base comprises the plate mounted in concrete,
12. The barrier of any of claims 6 to 11, wherein the panels consist of a sheet of steel with strengthening means in the form of one or more indentations.
13. The barrier of any of claims 6 to 12, wherein the panel further comprise handle means to enable easy moving of the panel.
14. A temporary flood defence barrier substantially as described, with reference to the drawings, hereinbefore.
15. A method of constructing the temporary flood defence barrier according to any of claims I to 14 comprising the steps: a) forming a trench in the ground adjacent to, or surrounding, the area to be defended from floods; b) at least partially burying the base of the barrier in the ground such that the one or more receiving means of the base remain accessible; c) securing the one or more base engaging means of a barrier panel with the one or more receiving means of the base; d) as necessary, securing a further barrier panel with both the one or more receiving means of the base and the one or more receMng means of an already secured barrier panel; e) repealing step d) until the desired area is defended.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein step b) further comprises using temporary engaging means to protect the one or more receiving means of the base while burying the base at least partially in the ground.
17. A method of assembling the temporary flood defence barrier according to any of claims 1 to 14 comprising steps: a) securing the one or more base engaging means of a barrier panel with the one or more receiving means of a base, which is at least partially buried in the ground adjacent to, or surrounding, the area to be defended from floods; b) as necessary, securing a further barrier panel with both the one or more receiving means of the base and the one or more receiving means of an already secured barrier panel; c) repeating step b) until the desired area is defended.
18. The method of claim 15, 16 or 17, further comprising the step of securing the one or more props between the one or more barrier panels and the ground adjacent to the barrier panels.
19. A method of constructing or assembling a temporary flood defence barrier substantially as described, with reference to the drawings, hereinbefore.