Why is sand used for sandbagging?

Question

What are some of the properties of sand that make it so effective at stopping water in floods?

Answer 1

sand is plentiful and easy to get, and easy to work with.  It has enough weight in a standard moveable bag size that the current has trouble moving it to the side.  The somewhat malleable properties of sand make it easy to build stacked barriers that are relatively water tight (water still seeps through, but it doesn't flow through).  The sand packs together pretty tightly, which is why it is somewhat water tight but not perfectly so.

I think the most important reasons are ease of use and widespread availability of sand.

Answer 2

It is heavy, and it will form to irregularities on the ground and other sandbags, thus making it a sturdy, and watertight solution.  It is also cheap and readily accessible and can be disposed of easily after a flood.

Answer 3

It is heavy and won't get pushed away by the floods and the sand stops mud and lets through cleaner water so there is a smaller mess... thats also why hay stacks are sometimes used

Answer 4

because it is dense, it can be molded, and when the need is over, the bags degrade and the sand is allowed to lay or is shoveled and moved.

Answer 5

Its ability to absorb the water and be able to hold the water for a long time.