Portable ballistics barrier

1. A barrier comprising:

a freestanding body member having a first side, a second side, a front side, a rear side, an upper end, a lower end, and at least one cavity within the body member, the body member having a first opening in the upper end extending along substantially the entire length and width of the upper end and a second opening in at least one of the front side and the rear side adjacent to the lower end, the first opening and the second opening being in fluid communication with the cavity, and the first opening being in fluid communication with the second opening via the cavity, the body member having a first overlap portion and a second overlap portion, the first overlap portion extending from the first side adjacent to the front side and spaced apart from the rear side and the first overlap portion extends from the lower end to the upper end, the second overlap portion extending from the second side adjacent to the rear side and spaced apart from the front side and the second overlap portion extends from the lower end to the upper end, the second overlap portion shaped to mate in an overlapping manner with the first overlap portion of an adjacent freestanding body member;

a first cover removably positioned over the first opening; and

a second cover removably positioned over the second opening.

2. The barrier of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cavities are filled with a fill material selected from the group consisting of: sand, soil, clay, gravel, aggregate, cement, paper, polymer, alloy, paper, recycled paper, books, recycled newspaper, recycled plastics, and any combination thereof.

3. The barrier of claim 1 , further comprising:

one or more interior walls dividing the one or more cavities into one or more front cavities and one or more rear cavities, the one or more front cavities adjacent to the front surface of the barrier and spaced apart from the rear surface of the barrier, and the one or more rear cavities adjacent to the rear surface of the barrier.

4. The barrier of claim 3 , wherein the one or more interior walls are contiguous with the body member.

5. The barrier of claim 3 , wherein the one or more front cavities are filled with a deformation fill material and the one or more rear cavities are filled with an energy absorption fill material.

6. The barrier of claim 5 , wherein the deformation fill material is selected from the group consisting of: aggregate, gravel, cement, alloy, and any combination thereof.

7. The barrier of claim 5 , wherein the energy-absorption fill material is selected from the group consisting of: sand, soil, clay, cement, paper, polymer, alloy, paper, recycled paper, books, recycled newspaper, recycled plastics, and any combination thereof.

8. The barrier of claim 7 , wherein the books are stacked and substantially contained in one or more sleeves.

9. The barrier of claim 8 , wherein the books are coated in wax.

10. A barrier wall, comprising:

two or more barriers, each barrier comprising:

a freestanding body member having a first side, a second side, a front side, a rear side, a depth between the front and rear sides, and at least one cavity within the body member, the body member having a first opening in the upper end extending along substantially the entire length and width of the upper end and a second opening in at least one of the front side and the rear side adjacent to the lower end, the first opening and the second opening being in fluid communication with the cavity, and the first opening being in fluid communication with the second opening via the cavity, the body member having a first overlap portion and a second overlap portion, the first overlap portion extending from the first side adjacent to the front side and spaced apart from the rear side and the first overlap portion extends from the lower end to the upper end, the second overlap portion extending from the second side adjacent to the rear side and spaced apart from the front side and the second overlap portion extends from the lower end to the upper end;

a first cover removably positioned over the first opening; and

a second cover removably positioned over the second opening;

wherein a first one of the barriers is disposed laterally adjacent to a second one of the barriers, the first overlap portion of the first barrier overlapping the second overlap portion of the second barrier such that the overlapping first and second overlap portions have a combined depth at least as great as the depth of at least one of the laterally-adjacent barriers.

11. The barrier wall of claim 10 , wherein the one or more cavities are filled with a fill material selected from the group consisting of: sand, soil, clay, gravel, aggregate, cement, paper, polymer, alloy, paper, recycled paper, books, recycled newspaper, recycled plastics, and any combination thereof.

12. The barrier wall of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the barriers further comprises one or more interior walls dividing the one or more cavities into one or more front cavities and one or more rear cavities, the one or more front cavities adjacent to the front side of the barrier and spaced apart from the rear side of the barrier, and the one or more rear cavities adjacent to the rear side of the barrier.

13. The barrier wall of claim 12 , wherein the one or more front cavities are filled with a deformation fill material and the one or more rear cavities are filled with an energy absorption fill material.

14. The barrier wall of claim 13 , wherein the deformation fill material is selected from the group consisting of: aggregate, gravel, cement, alloy, and any combination thereof.

15. The barrier wall of claim 13 , wherein the energy-absorption fill material is selected from the group consisting of: sand, soil, clay, cement, paper, polymer, alloy, paper, recycled paper, books, recycled newspaper, recycled plastics, and any combination thereof.

16. The barrier of claim 15 , wherein the books are stacked and contained in one or more sleeves.

17. The barrier wall of claim 16 , wherein the books are coated in wax.

18. A method of constructing a barrier wall comprising the steps of:

providing two or more barriers, each of the barriers comprising:

a freestanding body member having a first side, a second side, an upper end, a lower end, a front side, a rear side, an upper end, a lower end, and at least one cavity within the body member, the body member having a first opening in the upper end extending along substantially the entire length and width of the upper end and a second opening in at least one of the front side and the rear side adjacent to the lower end, the first opening and the second opening being in fluid communication with the cavity, and the first opening being in fluid communication with the second opening via the cavity, the body member having a first overlap portion and a second overlap portion, the first overlap portion extending from the first side adjacent to the front side and spaced apart from the rear side and the first overlap portion extends from the lower end to the upper end, the second overlap portion extending from the second side adjacent to the rear side and spaced apart from the front side and the second overlap portion extends from the lower end to the upper end;

a first cover removably positioned over the first opening; and

a second cover removably positioned over the second opening;

disposing a first one of the barriers is laterally adjacent to a second one of the barriers such the first overlap portion of the first barrier overlaps the second overlap portion of the second barrier such that the overlapping first and second overlap portions have providing a combined depth at least as great as the depth of at least one of the laterally-adjacent barriers.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising the step of:

filling the one or more cavities with a fill material selected from the group consisting of: sand, soil, clay, gravel, aggregate, cement, paper, polymer, alloy, paper, recycled paper, books, recycled newspaper, recycled plastics, and any combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the barriers further comprises one or more interior walls dividing the one or more cavities into one or more front cavities and one or more rear cavities, the one or more front cavities adjacent to the front side of the barrier and spaced apart from the rear side of the barrier, and the one or more rear cavities adjacent to the rear side of the barrier.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising the steps of:

filling the one or more front cavities with a deformation fill material; and

filling the one or more rear cavities with an energy absorption fill material.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the deformation fill material is selected from the group consisting of: aggregate, gravel, cement, alloy, and any combination thereof.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the energy-absorption fill material is selected from the group consisting of: sand, soil, clay, cement, paper, polymer, alloy, paper, recycled paper, books, recycled newspaper, recycled plastics, and any combination thereof.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the books are stacked and contained in one or more sleeves.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the books are coated in wax.