1 Introduction – protect and survive 2 Basic construction guidelines 3 Design of Concertainer structures 4 Fill selection and characteristics 5 Preconfigured structures 6 Improvised structures 7 Maintenance and repair 8 Product technical information 9 Trial information 10 Packing and shipping 11 Conversion tables 12 Contacts 1 Introduction – protect and survive Introduction – protect and survive 1.01 HESCO® Concertainer® has Delivered flat-packed on standard been a key component in timber skids or pallets, units providing Force Protection since can be joined and extended the 1991 Gulf War. using the provided joining pins and filled using minimal Concertainer units are used manpower and commonly extensively in the protection of available equipment. personnel, vehicles, equipment and facilities in military, Concertainer units can be peacekeeping, humanitarian installed in various configurations and civilian operations. to provide effective and economical structures, tailored They are used by all major to the specific threat and level military organisations around of protection required. Protective the world, including the UK structures will normally be MOD and the US Military. designed to protect against ballistic penetration of direct fire It is a prefabricated, multi- projectiles, shaped charge cellular system, made of warheads and fragmentation. Alu-Zinc coated steel welded HESCO Guide Construction for Engineers mesh and lined with non-woven polypropylene geotextile. Introduction – protect and survive 1.02 Protection is afforded by the fill In constructing protective material of the structure as a structures, consideration must consequence of its mass and be given to normal structural physical properties, allied with design parameters. the proven dynamic properties of Concertainer units. The information included in this guide is given in good faith, Users must be aware that the however local conditions may protection afforded may vary affect the performance of HESCO Guide Construction for Engineers with different fill materials, and structures. HESCO Bastion Limited may be further varied by cannot be held responsible for moisture content. This guide will failures of structures beyond the provide general guidance, with existing material warranty against an emphasis on the design and manufacturing defects. construction practices applicable to structures built As with any structure, from Concertainer units. More maintenance may be required detailed reference material may to ensure continued effective be required for information on long-term service. weapon-effects data and comparison of fill material. HESCO Bastion Ltd can provide design, training, supervisory and consultancy services. Introduction – protect and survive 1.03 A 10m long wall can be built from a Mil® 1 Concertainer unit by two men with suitable material-handling equipment, in less than 20 minutes. An equivalent wall of 1,500 sandbags would take 10 men seven hours to build. HESCO Guide Construction for Engineers Introduction – protect and survive 1.04 The Mil range HESCO Guide Construction for Engineers Introduction – protect and survive 1.05 Using this manual Warning This guide was published in 2010; it replaces all previous Statements presented in this style warn of the danger versions of the HESCO of a particular action or lack Construction Guide for Engineers of action. These statements and the HESCO Bastion should be followed, as Technical Information booklet. failure to do so could result in injury or death. Amendments to this guide will be issued from time to time. Please see the next page for instructions. Safety Statements presented in This guide includes statements this style advise certain on safety issues and information actions or approaches to tasks. Failure to follow the on correct procedure. Examples advice could result in a of how these statements failure of the product appear and what they constitute and/or danger to users. are shown to the right. HESCO Guide Construction for Engineers Note: Statements that provide general information about an issue or that draw attention to a point of detail are presented in this style, as emboldened text preceded by ‘Note:’. Introduction – protect and survive 1.06 Amendments Amendments to this guide will be posted at: www.hesco.com/amends Please ensure that once amendments are incorporated into this document they are recorded as such in the table below. Amendment record Amendment number By whom amended Date of insertion HESCO Guide Construction for Engineers Introduction – protect and survive 1.07 Notes 5mm HESCO Guide Construction for Engineers 2 Basic construction guidelines Basic construction guidelines 2.01 Health and safety - A minimum number of persons Task commanders must ensure should be employed when that all relevant and practical carrying out tasks at height. health and safety precautions are - Keep good site organisation. taken. The main risks to health and safety during the building of - Ensure personnel only lift the Concertainer structures, in weight that they are safely addition to any tactical risks able to. that may be present, are: - Provide a properly briefed and competent banksman for the - working at height. loading equipment. He is to - personnel working in close ensure correct employment of proximity to plant equipment. the loading equipment, correct placement of the fill material - manual handling injuries, back and that working areas for the strain, cut hands etc. loading equipment are free - risk of injuries from the elements, from personnel. cold or heat injuries. All personnel should be fully - collision between personnel briefed on the task, including: HESCO Guide Construction for Engineers and loading equipment/ - safe methods of work. crushing injury. - safety around moving loading Simple precautions should be equipment. taken to ensure a safe build, - manual handling techniques. such as: - work positions when working - Only qualified and properly above ground level. trained equipment operators should operate the loading Site supervisors must ensure equipment, when used. that they have sufficient control - Ladders, when used, should measures in place to protect be secured at the top and their personnel from the risks bottom and be fit for purpose. that may be present on the site. Basic construction guidelines 2.02 Basic equipment There is little need for special tools when building structures and walls from Concertainer units. The following list shows basic items which are either required or are useful: - shovels (must have) - multi-tool (desirable) - tape measure (desirable) - string line (desirable) - small jemmy bar (desirable) - bolt croppers (desirable) - knife (must have, supplied on pallet) HESCO Guide Construction for Engineers Basic construction guidelines 2.03 General Warning A Concertainer unit is a simple product that is used to create Structures built in a hasty manner due to operational effective and economical circumstances must be protective structures. The routinely inspected to ensure guidelines contained in this that they are structurally publication will refer to “normal” sound and do not present a conditions of expected use in hazard to those working or living around them. operational situations. The tactical and operational a number of simple steps are situation may however dictate followed during the construction: that speed of build is more important than properly prepared - firm level foundations foundations and the use of a - adequate drainage carefully selected fill. In this case the life of the structure may be - use of appropriate fill reduced. The use of a poor fill - Concertainer units laid out, material may require the line and level checked structure to be wider to ensure HESCO Guide Construction for Engineers that it provides the level of - correct joining of units protection required. - tucking in geotextile flaps Once erected the service life of - bottom centre of the units structures built from Concertainer pulled out after the first units depends upon how well they 150mm of fill is placed were built, local environmental - fill material placed in layers conditions and the maintenance of 150mm max depth for first regime implemented. layer and 300mm max for subsequent layers The building of Concertainer walls is a relatively simplistic operation. - fill material is spread and However, to get the best from compacted before placing the material it is imperative that further layers Basic construction guidelines 2.04 Site considerations, An improved foundation may be foundations and drainage required when: The location where the structure will be built will - the planned structure is large. normally be dictated by - the structure is to be in place operational requirements in for more than six months. response to the nature of the threat and the position of - the soil to be built on is weak assets to be protected. and is unlikely to support the weight of the wall to be built. In most cases site preparation will be required. The level will depend The strength of the ground can on local conditions, wall design be confirmed by using a cone and/or time that the wall is penetrometer to ascertain the expected to be in service. CBR1. The most basic requirement is 1 CBR, or California Bearing a relatively level surface with a Ratio – measure of the ground’s base of sufficient strength to ability to support loads. support the structure. Where HESCO Guide Construction for Engineers ground preparation is required the minimum procedure would be to strip