Hesco Barrier

Hesco Barrier was the main material used for protection for incoming mortars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As I was looking at some news clips, I came across the following clip about the floods in North Dakota:

About 3/4 of the way through the story they show some National Guardsmen standing on top of Hesco Barriers or as we would call them, just plain Hesco.

The Hesco has been the main product used to protect our troops and civilian contractors working in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are miles and miles of Hesco running all over Iraq.

It is made of a collapsible wire mesh container and heavy duty fabric liner, and used as a temporary blast or small-arms barrier. The Hesco comes in various heights, width's and lengths.

The Hesco is composed of cells. These cells are filled with rock or sand. In Iraq they are used to form defense perimeters and safety zones around bases and camps.

The patented design of HESCO Concertainer® is available in nine different sizes, developed to provide the best solution for a wide range of protective and structural requirements.

All Weldmesh used in the HESCO Military Concertainer® product range is coated using the Galfan process. The units are lined with non-woven polypropylene Geotextile. The welded mesh used is either 8 gauge (4mm) or 6 gauge (5mm). In the picture below we see a base camp in Iraq protected by Hescos.

These units can be used for many applications. I have seen some people grow flowers or vegetables in the top of the Hescos filled with sand.

Visit Hesco USA for more information.

The main company for Hescos is in the UK.

There are two main disadvantages with the Hesco Barrier:

1. Once in place, it cannot be moved without destroying it. There is no way to pick it up and let the sand drain out of it to refold it and reuse.

2. It lasts for about three to four years and then the fabric inside deteriorates. In places where I have seen the fabric deteriorate, the sand was still staying in place since it had been compacted in there for over three years.

But the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Many lives in Iraq and Afghanistan have been saved by the Hescos.

They also serve as a nice wind break.

And some people even use them to grow flowers on.

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