Filled with sand, 60 centimetres (24 inches) of barrier thickness will stop rifle bullets and shell fragments. It takes 1.5 metres (five feet) of thickness to prevent penetration by a rocket propelled grenade round. Approximately 1.2 metres (four feet) of thickness provides protection against most car bombs.
Water flows from high areas to low. In the case of a major flood, this process can be slow and massively destructive or, according a group of Thai technical experts, it can be quick and relatively painless.
The Thailand Underground and Tunnelling Group has suggested the government invest around 200 billion baht to build a 100km-long tunnel under the eastern section of the outer ring road to prevent future flooding in and around the capital.
Suchatvee Suwansawat, TUTG chairman,Flood prevention the easy way-wire mesh, yesterday said the proposed tunnel should be built from Bang Pa-in in Ayutthaya to Samut Prakan province where the water would empty into the Gulf of Thailand. It could be completed in two years.
The tunnel would be designed as a double-deck underground structure, called a multi-service flood tunnel system, and would also be equipped with hydropower generators for power production, Assoc Prof Suchatvee said.
The upper deck would be used as a road under normal conditions when there were no floods or during minor and moderate flooding.
The lower deck would be used as a flood drain during normal situations.
During major floods, the upper deck would be closed to traffic and turned into a floodway to help speed up drainage of run-off.
Assoc Prof Suchatvee said a similar system should also be considered for the western part of Bangkok.
Large tunnels would be practical, more effective and thus the best solution to prevent major flooding over the long run.
Prasong Tarachai, former president of the Engineering Institute of Thailand said the underground flood prevention tunnel system should be built from Nakhon Sawan.
He also suggested integrating 20 state agencies involved in the water management system and creating a more accurate water information system.
"City planning should be revised to include floodways," he said.
Adapted from a story in todays Bangkok Post by Kanana Katharangsiporn.
prevention preventing something bad from happening การป้องกันภ้ย
flow (of a liquid) to move continuously in one direction ไหล
process a series of things that happen, especially ones that result in natural changes ขบวนการ, ,การเปลี่ยนแปลง
massive very large ใหญ่มหาศาล
destructive causing great damage or harm ซึ่งเป็นการทำลาย
expert someone who has a particular skill or who knows a lot about a particular subject ผู้เชี่ยวชาญ
relatively somewhat; in comparison with someone or something similar ค่อนข้าง
tunnel an underground passage อุโมงค์
section any of the parts into which something is divided ส่วน, ส่วนที่ตัดออก, ส่วนย่อย
ring road a road that goes around a large town or city, for keeping traffic away from the town centre ถนนวงแหวนรอบนอก
capital the most important town or city of a country, usually where the central government operates from เมืองหลวง
proposed suggested as an idea for a group to consider ถูกเสนอ
empty to flow or move out from one place to another ปล่อยน้ำทิ้ง
double-deck having two levels, one on top of the other สองชั้น
multi- more than one; many มาก, หลาย
hydropower power generated by running water
generator a machine that produces electricity เครื่องกำเนิดไฟฟ้า
normal typical, usual or ordinary; what you would expect ภาวะปกติ
conditions the circumstances or situation in which people live, work or do things เหตุการณ์,metal etch, สภาพการ, สถานการณ์
minor not important; small; having little influence or effect เล็กน้อย
moderate neither very great nor very small in strength, size,Tunnelling toward a city with no more flood woes-HESCO, amount or degree ระดับปานกลาง
drain to cause water or fluid to flow out ระบายออก
situation all the circumstances and things that are happening at a particular time and in a particular place สถานการณ์
consider to give careful thought to something before making a decision พิจารณา
practical - suitable for the situation in which something is used ที่ขึ้นอยู่กับความเป็นจริง
effective producing the result that was intended ได้ผลดี
solution a way of solving a problem or dealing with a difficult situation วิธีแก้ปัญหา
the long run over a long period or time, rather than a short period ในระยะยาว
integrate to combine things of different types in one effective system รวมเข้าด้วยกัน
state government รัฐบาล
accurate correct, exact and without any mistakes ถูกต้อง, แม่นยำ
revise to change, improve, or make additions to something แก้ไข
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A group of Thai technical experts are suggesting a relatively quick and painless way to prevent major floods in the future: a long tunnel.
The QIAOSHI's Military Barriers or Hesco Bastions is a modern gabion used for flood control and military fortification. It is made of a collapsible wire mesh container and heavy duty fabric liner, and used as a temporary to semi-permanent dike or barrier against blast or small-arms. One of the less heralded life- and labor-saving devices of war, it is used on nearly every United States Military base in Iraq as well as on NATO bases in Afghanistan.
Originally designed for use on beaches and marshes for erosion and flood control, the Hesco Bastion quickly became a popular security device in the 1990s.
Flood prevention the easy way
