How to Build a Flood-Proof House https://s3da-design.com/how-build-flood-proof-house/
Though very common, flooding is one of the most expensive weather disasters experienced in the U.S., as reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It costs American citizens over $260 billion from 1980 to 2013, and this figure does not include the effect of hurricanes Andrea, Barry, Chantal, Humberto, Erin, Gabrielle, and Dorian in 2019. It is complicated if not impossible, to entirely flood-proof a home, but there are many steps you can take to reduce the effects of flood damage. Maybe you are doing repairs after a recent flood or moving into a flood-proof area and want to ensure your refurbish project uses the most up-to-date measures. Here are some great ideas to get you started. What is Flood-Proofing? Flood-proofing is any measure (whether structural or nonstructural) intended to prevent the damaging effects of flooding to a building. It requires that homeowners, builders, architects, engineers, and planners, take a detailed assessment of the viability of erecting a building in high-risk flood-prone areas. Apart from structural measures, flood-proofing also takes into consideration the preparation of plans to implement standby or emergency measures in anticipation of a flood, such as sandbagging, moving furniture and valuables to high floors, blocking openings or safely evacuating the premises, and others.
Flood-proofing is not a complete solution to every flood issues. It is rather one of the many available flood damage reduction options. Factors to Consider When Building a Flood-Proof House You need to consider the following factors before attempting to flood-proof your home as they are essential and can either mar or complement your efforts towards flood control: Flood Factors Flood characteristics consider the following: Height of optimum flood level – It is more natural to flood-proof a building or other structures when the depth of floodwaters is lower. The velocity of water flow during flood peaks - Lower flow velocity makes it easier to design a building that resists floodwaters. Frequency of floods and its duration - The susceptibility to flooding of a given area makes flood-proofing more painful and expensive. Structural Features When floodwaters surround a building, they impose both uplift (vertical) and lateral (horizontal) loads on the structure and sub-structure. The pressures exerted by these loads must be determined beforehand to design adequate flood-proofing. Most buildings, especially the industrial and commercial ones, have enough support and connections and are big enough to withstand lateral forces produced by floodwaters. In the other hand, residential homes usually require specific design changes as they do not have the necessary anchorage nor the strength in most cases to resist lateral forces. Vertical and horizontal forces acting against a foundation slab and walls, which are caused by the infiltration of floodwaters through the foundation backfill, are especially important in building construction.