Special Issue

Technologies supporting the achievement of Furukawa Electric Group
Medium-term Management Plan 2022 - 2025〉〉New Products

Foldable Water Stop Plate “F-Shield”
1.

INTRODUCTION

In recent years, Japan has experienced record-breaking
torrential rains across the country due to linear rainfall
belts, etc., and inundation damage caused by river flooding and inland water flooding are expanding. Since ittakes time for local governments to implement flood
countermeasures through river improvement and sewage
system development, residents and private businesses
are required to take their own measures against inundation. As an emergency measure, it is common to installsandbags, but in addition to the work required to fill thebags with sand, they are heavy at 15 to 20 kg per bag,and there are cases where they cannot be installed intime during sudden heavy rains. On the other hand,
L-shaped resin water stop plate is commercially available
as an alternative to sandbags, but it is difficult to handle
because it is large and heavy, it cannot be transported byordinary vehicle, and it requires a large storage space. Inview of the above problems, we have developed a compact, easy-to-use, foldable water stop plate (F-Shield)that is easy to store and transport based on the design

and manufacturing technology that we have developed
over many years. This product is installed at the entranceof houses, facilities, factories, etc. to prevent water fromentering the building. By installing it on the road, it can beused to guide the flow of water in the event of a flood andsecure an evacuation route.
22.

FEATURES

2.1 Easy Installation
F-Shield can be installed in a short period of time without
construction work at the entrance of the building. By reinforcing the resin body with metal fitting, it achieves a highstrength that can withstand water pressure even though it
is a folding structure, and assembly is completed simply
by opening the body from the folded state (Figure 1). In
addition, just by placing it on the ground, it uses waterpressure to compress the packing at the bottom, demonstrating an excellent waterproofing and efficient bonding
property (Figure 2). A wide range can be covered by connecting them horizontally, and it is possible to fine-tune
the width and angle at the connection part (Figure 3).

Self-weight + Water pressure

Maximumwater stopheight50 cm

The water stop material and non-slip material installedat the bottom of the main body are compressed.

Figure 1

Appearance of an F-Shield.

Figure 3

Figure 2

Water stopping mechanism of an F-Shield.

Installation example of F-Shields.

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Foldable Water Stop Plate “F-Shield”

2.2 Long Term Durability
In the case of a general sandbag, it will deteriorate inabout three years, and even if it is stored with sand in it, it
may not be useable in an emergency. F-shield has a longservice life of 10 years or more and can be used repeatedly*. If the water stopping material or non-slip material at
the bottom is damaged, it can be replaced.
*Durability is from of our test result, and not a guaranteed value.

2.3 Space-saving storage
F-Shield can be stored on a shelf or in a small space byfolding it and standing it sideways (Figure 4). In addition,transportation by ordinary vehicle and delivery by courier
service are also possible.

Figure 4

33.

4.
4

INITIATIVES WITH LOCALGOVERNMENTS

On January 28, 2020, we signed a partnership agreement
on an industrial development with Satsumasendai city,
Kagoshima Prefecture. As part of this initiative, theSatsumasenndai City Fire Department actually used anF-Shield, and checked its performance in an actual usage
environment.
In particular, we installed an F-Shield in front of thedoor of a warehouse to stop water from entering thebuilding, and installed an F-Shield in a river to change theflow of water. In a water stop test, we were able to suppress the intrusion of water into the building, and in a running water test, we were able to change the flow of water
without being washed away by the F-Shield. Based on
the above results, we confirmed that the F-Shield candemonstrate sufficient performance in the actual usage
environment (Figure 5).

Storage example of F-Shields.

SPECIFICATION

Table 1 shows the main product specification of an
F-Shield. F-Shield is a simple installation type water-stop
product that can be installed without prior construction.
Although it is not possible to stop water completely, in ourtest, the amount of water leakage was 200 l/(hour·m2),
which is about 15 times better than sandbags.
Table 1Main product specification of F-Shield.
ItemSpecification

Product dimension

W580 × D680 × H500 mm

Storage dimension

W580 × D680 × H80 mm

Weight5.8 kg/unit

Material

Body: ABS resin,
Metal fittings: Stainless,Packing: EPDM

Width adjustment amountMaximum 50 mm

Angle adjustment amount± 5°

Water stop height

500 mmWater leakage amount

200 l/(hour・m2)** In-house test result based on JIS A 4716. The numerical value is an experimental
value when the water level is 500 mm, and not a guaranteed value.

Figure 5

Field verification in Satsumasendai City.

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Foldable Water Stop Plate “F-Shield”

55.

CONCLUSION

We have developed F-Shield, a foldable water stop platethat is light weight, compact, easy for anyone to use,
installed in a short time, and is easy to store and transport. In the near future, we will expand the application ofthis product by adding a lineup of materials that are compatible with curved parts. By developing flood prevention
products with excellent workability and water stoppage
properties like this product, we will reduce flood damage
and contribute to improving the resilience to naturaldisasters.

For more information, please contact:
Sales Section 3,
Functional Plastics Engineering & Sales Department,
AT & Functional Plastics Division
TEL: +81-3-6281-8580
Contact form:
https://www.furukawa.co.jp/srm/form/index.php?id=foam

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