Materials
1. Gather the
following supplies
from a hardware or
home improvement
store: cloth or
plastic sandbags,
sand, shovel and a
wheelbarrow. You may
wish to purchase
polyethylene
sheeting (6 mil or
thicker). During the
winter the District
makes sandbags and
sand available to
Vallejo area
residential
customers at the
rear of the District
sewer plant at the
west end of Solano
Avenue in southwest
Vallejo.
2. The number of
bags needed for 100
linear feet of dike
is: 800 bags for
1-foot high dike;
2,000 bags for
2-foot high dike;
and 3,400 bags for
3-foot high dike.
Close-weave burlap
bags are recommended
for all sandbag
construction.
3. It is recommended
that you wear work
gloves, if possible.
Site Selection
Select the location
for the dike taking
advantage of natural
land features that
keep the dike as
short and low as
possible. Avoid any
obstructions, which
would weaken the
dike. Do not build
the dike against a
building wall. Leave
about 8 feet to
maneuver between the
dike and buildings.
Filling Sandbags
When filling
sandbags you should
work in pairs, with
one person holding
the bag while the
other shovels the
fill material. The
first shovel of fill
will be placed on
the lip of the bag
to help hold the bag
open. The bag holder
should bend at the
waist until the
elbows are resting
on the knees while
he/she is holding
the bag open.
Shovel sand into the
bag until the bag is
approximately 1/4 to
1/2 full. The
shoveler should use
rounded scoops of
sand as it is easier
to make sure most of
the sand goes into
the bag. While
shoveling, avoid
extra movements
(turning or twisting
the back) as this
will tire you sooner
and may cause
injury. It is
important not to
fill the bags to a
weight more than can
be safely lifted by
the one lifting the
bags, even if this
means that the bag
is filled less than
1/4 full. A bag
filled 1/2 full is
estimated to weigh
about 40 pounds.
Fold over the empty
top of the bag in a
triangle to keep
sand from leaking.
Suggestions for
construction of
sandbags
Wait to build the
sandbag dike until
the rainy season is
near, since the bags
can deteriorate over
an extended period
of repeatedly
getting wet and then
drying.
1. Dig a trench
around the area you
want to protect.
(The standard trench
is usually 4 to 6
inches deep and 18
to 24 inches wide).
This is to anchor
the dike.
2. If you have
polyethylene
sheeting, lay it
along the trench
bottom. Anchor the
sheeting with
sandbags. If the
sheeting is wider
than the trench,
allow the excess to
lay out on the water
side of the dike.
Fold the excess back
over the dike as
high up as you can.
3. Whether you have
sheeting or not,
begin placing the
sandbags in the
bottom of the
trench. The bottom
layer of sandbags
may be wider than
the trench. The
bottom layer should
be at least one and
a half (1.5) times
as wide as the dike
is planned to be
high. ( example: 6
foot wide bottom for
4 foot high dike)
4. Place each bag
over the folded top
of the preceding bag
and stomp into place
before placing the
next layer of bags.
Place the first
layer of bags
lengthwise of the
dike, the folded
edge at the top is
toward the water
source. The top end
of one bag should be
covered by the
bottom of another.
Complete one row
before you begin the
next. (see diagram
3)
5. Stagger the
second layer of
bags, stomping each
bag into place
before placing the
next. The second
layer of bags should
be perpendicular to
the fist layer, then
alternate direction
of the bags to the
top of the dike.
6. Stomp each
succeeding layer of
bags.
7. Limit your stack
to three layers of
sandbags, unless you
are sure you need
more. Remember the
bottom layer should
be at least one and
a half (1.5) times
as wide as the dike
is high. Following
the rainy season,
empty the sand into
your garden and save
the bags for next
year.
Emergency Storm
Preparation |
