Patent ID: 8662790

Claim:
A fluid-flow barrier comprising a plurality of hollow self-filling units and releasable interconnection keys, the units each having a body and openings provided in a front face to enable the units to be self-filling when fluid flows towards the front face of the units and enters the units via the openings, and the units each having a seal on the bottom surface of the respective unit, said seal being formed of a flexible material to provide a seal between the unit and the ground on which the unit is placed so that the flow of said fluid is contained by the barrier when said units are placed end-to-end such that one end of a first unit is adjacent one end of a second unit and connected at said ends by the interconnection keys that are inserted into sockets provided within end walls of the adjacent ends of the units, wherein said keys provide ballast for negative buoyancy to inhibit the barrier from being displaced by the flow of said fluid, said ballast being additional to ballast provided by fluid that enters the units via the openings in a front face of the units, said keys further including a gasket of flexible material that is formed on an outer surface of the key to provide a watertight seal within the sockets of the barrier units when the keys are inserted into the socket.