Military Sandbags vs. Defencell™

Military sandbags provided effective force protection barricades during the Revolutionary War, WWII, and Vietnam, but are cumbersome and time-consuming compared to modern force protection solutions. Defencell systems provide armed forces with an efficient alternative to sandbag barricades that can be constructed in a fraction of the time.

Instead of the labor-intensive process of filling plastic or burlap bags, Defencell barriers can be filled rapidly using standard loaders in tandem with manual labor. Even the smallest Defencell unit, the 9.5 lbs DT1, offers the same coverages as 219 sandbags. The DT1 can be filled in about 20 minutes using automated loaders compared to 5.5 hours with two soldiers working at 40 military sandbags per hour.

Defencell Force Protection Systems can quickly be placed to provide ballistics protection, as well as to absorb shrapnel and blast shock waves. Defencell features 100% nonwoven geotextile technology, making it lightweight, compact, easily deployable, and durable in even the harshest environments.

Download the Military Sandbags vs. Defencell PDF.

Military Sandbag Disadvantages

Sandbags are highly labor intensive, requiring soldiers to manually fill each individual unit. Sandbags are also limited to sand and dirt due to the small fill area and are time-consuming to disassemble -- each unit must be emptied individually. 

Uncompacted and unstable when stacked, sandbags require many additional layers to provide comparable protection to Defencell barriers. Defencell units can be compacted simply by stomping down on the internal fill, providing increased structural strength and integrity.

Sandbag construction can also be a problem. Sandbags made of burlap and plastic deteriorate easily and can be difficult to replace when damaged. Some sandbag materials are also susceptible to mildew, which is not a concern with Defencell products' geotextile construction. Defencell systems stand up under rugged environmental stresses including harsh weather and intense UV rays. 

Sandbags vs. Defencell Chart

	Sandbags	Defencell (DT1, DC2, DC3, DC4)
Container Weight	45,150 lbs (42 pallets x 1075)	15,600 lbs, 14,800 lbs, 15,000 lbs, 14,000 lbs
Pallet Weight	1,075 lbs (2,500 bags)	783 lbs
Setup Time	40 bags per hour	About 20 minutes per unit
Assembly Requirements	Manually build by hand	Can be built manually or with engineering equipment
Secondary Fragmentation	No inherent secondary fragmentation	No inherent secondary fragmentation
Capacity	1 bag = 50 lbs capacity	DT1 = 219 sandbags DC2 = 358 sandbags DC3 = 511 sandbags DC4 = 672 sandbags
Crash Certification	NA	U.S. State Department K12/M50 Barrier
Delivery Options	Sling load, air drop, truck or man portable	Sling load, air drop, truck or man portable
Foundational Requirements	Can be built on any surface	Can be built on any surface
Cargo Footprint 1 20ft Mil Container	42 pallets	20 pallets
Ballistics Capability	Small arms, cannon, mortar, artillery, & fragmenting weapons	Small arms, cannon, mortar, artillery, VBIED, & fragmenting weapons
Manufacturing Origin	Various global manufacturers	Made in the US (Berry Amendment compliant)
Maximum Height	Between 5 and 6 ft	Up to 15 ft
Material	Burlap, polypropelyne Or nylon	100% polypropelyne geotextile & granular fill
UV resistance	1600 Hours Uvi Rating	2 year guarantee
Available widths	10 in	24 in, 43 in, 65 in, 87 in
Man portability	Requires 100 lbs of sandbags to match one DT1	DT1 = 9.5 lbs
Disposability	Easily disposable	Easily disposable