The key to this versatility lies in the simplicity of the patented design.
Hesco Concertainer units have a Galfan coated steel mesh framework, lined with non-woven polypropylene material, with integrated cells to provide internal structural integrity. The vertical joints are made from helical coils, to form 360 degree hinges. As a result the units fold flat when empty, so that several can be carried on a standard pallet or skid, making transportation efficient and rapid. On site, Concertainer units can be quickly installed, since they are fully assembled during manufacturing. They can be filled with locally available material, with minimal manpower and using standard backhoe loaders or similar equipment.

Each consignment of Concertainer units is supplied with joining pins to enable the individual units to be connected. When they are filled, the cellular structure and mesh framework create walls of exceptional strength and structural integrity.

Within the United States, sandbags have traditionally been the product of choice for temporary flood barriers. Sandbags are readily available and very familiar to the general public but are labor-intensive and time consuming to construct. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has long been aware of the need to develop more rapidly deployable, cost effective, temporary flood fighting technologies. 

Since 2004, The USACE continues to test the innovative, HESCO Concertainer® products in hopes to decrease long-term costs and increase the effectiveness of flood fighting.

Laboratory testing of Hesco Concertainer® units and sandbag structures was conducted in a wave research basin at ERDC. The products were tested in a controlled laboratory setting but under conditions that emulate real world flood fighting. The structures were tested consecutively under identical conditions.  Stringent construction, testing, and removal protocols were developed for the laboratory. The protocol for the laboratory testing included both performance parameters (hydrostatic testing, hydrodynamic testing with waves and overtopping, and structural debris impact testing with a floating log) and laboratory setting operational parameters (time, manpower, and equipment to construct and disassemble, suitability for construction and disassembly by unskilled labor, fill requirements, ability to construct around corners, disposal of fill material, damage, repair, and reusability).

HESCO Concertainer® units proved, through USACE testing, to be the best solution in emergency flood control. Although the USACE was thorough in testing numerous flood fighting products, it was the Concertainer® units that were called upon in the real-life emergencies generated by Hurricane Katrina.

When Hurricane Katrina devastated the New Orleans area, the USACE was forced into engineering decisions with little time to spare. One decision that had to be made quickly was how to secure the numerous breached levees. With Hurricane Rita entering the Gulf of Mexico just days after Katrina’s landfall, the USACE deployed HESCO Concertainer® units into major levee breaches as an emergency flood control installation.

The USACE has continued to test the Concertainer® units and recently decided to develop a strategic plan dedicated to stockpiling units across the United States. This new program will offer rapid flood protection to residents in a state of emergency.