Hoesch sheet piles are used in a variety of ways, for example, to secure excavation pits or in harbor and canal construction. In addition, the use of our sheet piles in the field of flood protection has been gaining increasing interest for some time now.
Reports of flood disasters all over the world are becoming more and more frequent – they are no longer rare events. The smallest streams and rivers can turn into raging floods overnight, flooding basements, submerging entire villages, and sweeping away cars, houses, people, and animals. The related death toll and material damages are becoming increasingly devastating and frightening. In the Federal Republic of Germany alone, people look back with concern on the dramatic Elbe flood in 2002 and the flood disasters in 2005, 2013, 2021, 2023, and, most recently, in June 2024.
The flood situation is still incredibly tense at the moment. A slow-moving low-pressure wave continues to bring enormous amounts of rain from the Mediterranean to Germany and neighboring countries. In the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Romania, and Italy, entire areas are already under water. Dams and dykes have broken, bridges have collapsed, and several people have drowned in the floodwaters.
The floodwaters are now reaching into Germany. The Neisse, Spree, and Oder have already burst their banks, and the Elbe is on the verge of doing so. Although Germany is keeping a close eye on the water levels of its rivers, one thing is still certain: The floods in neighboring countries will hit Germany, but it is unclear how bad the flooding will be.
These dramatic developments clearly show that much more needs to be done in the field of flood protection.