CAPACITY BUILDING FOR FLOOD AWARE DESIGNS IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS

Abubakar Usman Karofi

Department of Architecture, Federal University of Technology Minna

Email: abubakar.u@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

This is an examination of building for flood aware designs in flood prone areas, flood is a form
of natural disaster which is prominent in water ways or canals, what this means is that areas
located along river banks and areas with low gradients, areas prone to flooding usually have
some sort of tell-tale signs of flood even during non-flood seasons. Flood has been a major
hindrance to man from the beginning of time, be it destruction of farm lands, damage to houses
and so on, this is a study to show how to counter the effects of flooding on buildings in flood
prone areas. The research will contain analysis of what causes flood, how flood occurs, when
flood occurs and why it occurs, it will also contain an analysis of how flood affects buildings and
how to counter the effects identified. And finally the findings will allow for guiding a framework
for building houses resilient to flood in flood prone areas.

Keywords: flood, disaster, gradients, banks.

INTRODUCTION

Flood has been plaguing human beings since the beginning of time, flood is among the primary
causes of loss of property and life, followed closely by other natural disasters such as
earthquakes, fires and landslides. A significant amount of literature spanning the insurance
industry can testify to these accusations. (MUNICH Re, 1998; International humanitarian and
development agencies)

Flooding can occur due to various environmental factors, be it natural or man influenced, some
natural causes include a sudden change in climate which results in significant increase in a
rainfall, high tides in the ocean causing flooding of coastal regions and shift in tectonic plates
which causes shockwaves that can cause irregular movement of water bodies that can cause
overflow of banks or rupture of embankments.

Flooding caused by man made acts can include sudden release of large amounts of withheld
water from an example of dams and canals, this was the case with the large scale flooding of
various parts of Nigeria in 2012 , flood water from lagdo dam in Cameroun was opened up and
this as a result caused an increase in water quantity which causes wreckage and havoc on
settlements along the river bank and its tributaries (ANUNOBI 2015)

PROBLEM STATEMENT

The common and most prominent type of flooding is called river flooding, river flooding is a
form of flooding which is caused by heavy rains and consequent bursting of river banks. This is
primarily just an effect caused by climate change (Okafor 2013).

Some of the reasons that attract man to build near rivers and water bodies (flood prone areas)
include views; these areas provide for very scenic views of the water bodies, agriculture is also a
major factor as these water bodies provide a very good and healthy means of living through
fishing and irrigation, settlements also develop around river areas as a result of the area being a
strategic location for water transport, these settlement provide a drop off point for the sailors,
trade markets and temporary lodges

It is clear that man will not leave these flood prone areas due to his resilient nature and added
benefits of area as mentioned above, and it is also clear that flooding is not a problem which has
a solution or a cure, therefore the challenge now is how to build in these prone areas in such a
way that these buildings can withstand the effects of flooding in these areas.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study is to develop flood aware designs in flood prone areas, through a careful
study of the following points

-What are the kind of buildings situated in the area at the moment

-How does flood affect these buildings currently

-What means of protection do they have against flood at the moment

Then we determine

-How to create flood aware designs in terms of construction

-How to assign building types with respect to flood areas and function of buildings

LITERATURE REVIEW

Flood can be defined as as an overflow of water that submerges land (Oyegbile 2008).

Methods of detection

These are strategies utilized for detecting of catastrophes. Discovering disasters, for example,
floods, entirely perplexing in earlier days and scope of recognition is unseeming. In any case, it
came to conceivable outcomes through utilizing Multi temporal visualization of Synthetic
Aperture Radar (SAR)images. However, getting great SAR pictures flawless, 3-D enlistment and
extremely exact adjustment remain important to indicate changes which happened. Adjustment
of SAR is exceptionally difficult, furthermore a sensitive issue. Conceivably blunders may
happen after alignment that includes information combination and perception process.
Conventional picture pre-preparing can't be utilized here because of the on-Gaussian of radar
back dispersing, however a handling strategy called "cross alignment/standardization" is utilized
to take care of this issue. The application creates a solitary fiasco picture called "quick prepared
debacle map" from multitemporal SAR pictures. These maps are produced without client
cooperation and aides in giving quick emergency treatment to the general population. This
procedure likewise gives picture improvement and correlation between various pictures utilizing
information combination and representation process. This proposed preparing incorporates
sifting, histogram truncation and balance steps. The procedure likewise helps in recognizing the
lasting waters and different classes by joined piece of pre-fiasco and post-calamity pictures into a
shading picture for better identity. (IJERT 2014)

Methods of controlling floods

Dams

Numerous embankments and their related reservoirs are composed totally or partly to help in
flood insurance and regulation. Numerous expansive dams possess flood regulation measures in
which the gauge of a resavoir must be maintained beneath a specific rise in anticipation of a
storm or heavy rainfall to permit a specific measure of containment for floodwaters. Dry dams
are dams which have one singular purpose and that is flood control.
Figure 1: view of a dam in west kansas

Water-Gate

The Water-Gate Flood obstruction refers to a quick reaction boundary that can be deployed in a
matter of minutes. It is special in that it is self operational, utilizing the pressure of water to keep
it down. The item has been FM Approved after prototyping by the US Army. It is utilized as a
part of 30 nations around the globe, and recommended by Environment Agencies

Figure 2:detail of a water gate Figure 3: water gate in deployment

Preoccupation canals

Surges can be regulated by diverting surplus water to specific made fabricated waterways or
floodways, which thus redirect the water to interim collection lakes or different waterways where
there is less hazard or effect to flooding. Illustrations of surge control stations incorporate the and
the Manggahan Floodway that ensures the City of Manila (Philippines).

Figure 4: a view of the Manggahan Floodway

Self-closing flood barrier

The self-shutting surge hindrance (SCFB) is a surge safeguard framework intended to shield
individuals and property from inland conduit surges brought on by substantial precipitation,
hurricanes or quick liquefying snow. The SCFB can be worked to ensure private properties and
entire groups, and modern or other vital ranges. The boundary framework is continually prepared
to convey in a surge circumstance, it could be introduced in any stretch and utilized during the
increasing flood water to engage. Obstruction frameworks as of now have been assembled and
introduced in Brussels, Rome, Ireland, Holland, Thailand, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Australia,
Russia and the United States. A large number of reports at the National Archives working in
Washington DC are secured by two SCFBs.
 Figure 5: a view of a kevlar flood gate

River defenses
In numerous nations, waterways are inclined to floods and are regularly painstakingly overseen.
Safeguards, for example, embankments, walls, and reservoirs are utilized to keep waterways
from blasting their embankments. At the point when these protections come up short, crisis
measures, for example, sandbags, water sacks or compact inflatable tubes are utilized.
 Figure 6: view of deployed sand bags Figure 7: water bags

Coastal defenses

Coastal flooding is being tended to in America and Europe with seaside guards, for example,
ocean dividers, shoreline sustenance, and boundary islands.

Tide entryways are utilized as a part of meeting with dykes and courses. They can be set at the
beginning of streams or little waterways, at the point an estuary starts or tributary streams, or
seepage trench associate with bogs. Tide entryways close amid approaching waves to keep tidal
waters from coming upland, and open amid active waves to permit waters to deplete out by
means of the course and into the estuary side of the dam. The opening and shutting of the doors
is driven by a distinction in water gauges on both ends of the entrance. (Guillermo 2004).

Transitory edge barrier

In 1988, a technique for utilizing water to regulate was found. This was done by putting 2
parallel tubes inside another external tube. Whenever saturated, this barrier framed a non-moving
surge of water that can regulate more than 80 percent of its stature in outside water profoundly,
with dry ground behind it. 8 foot tall water saturated barriers were utilized to encompass Fort
Calhoun Nuclear Generating Station amid the 2011 Missouri River Flooding. Rather than
moving in sandbag material for a surge, pilling it, then moving it out to a hazardous materials
transfer site, surge regulation can be expert by utilizing the on location water. Be that as it may,
these are not trick evident. An 8 feet (2.4 m) high 2,000 feet (610 m) long water filled elastic
surge berm that encompassed bits of the plant was pierced by a slide steer loader and it caved in
flooding a part of the structure. (Wald, Matthew L. 2011). Use of road tunnels as flood gates

In some countries, embarked roads and tunnels can be used as flood routes, these rounds are
roads located strategically on flood routes and when its flood season, they are closed and used as
water ways and when flood subsides, they resume their functions as roads.

Figure 6: underground tunnel used for flood figure 7: highway used for flood

Local building solutions to flooding a case study of Bangladesh

Methods to secure safe house rely on upon the danger postured by flood and erosion. Some
studies led in flood inclined zones, for example, Bangladesh underline how villagers constructed
their homes on raised lands or on earthen platforms so water can't reach the plinth level in a low
magnitude flood (Clark 2008). In any case, this study finds that apart from the typical routine of
raising homes on raised land and platform, group individuals avoid the utilization of materials
that are powerless to splitting rather they favor their conventional cabins and houses which skim
amid flooding occasions. Furthermore some group individuals sow coach grass (Cynodon
dactylon) around their homes to guard against erosion. Around 60 percent of respondents in
Chadereka said that the sowing of coach grass (C. dactylon) around the houses was a typical
system to shield it from erosion, where as in Damba-kurima just 33 percent reported utilizing this
strategy. Individuals said that they had raised essentially the floor of their rooms because of
changing statures of surge waters every year. (Paul 2010)

Advanced building solutions to flooding, a case study of the Netherlands

The low-lying Netherlands has been battling back water for over 1,000 years, when farmers
fabricated the first dykes. Windmills have been pumping water off the area since the fourteenth
century and the Overdiepse Polder hill abodes depend on what the soonest occupants built here
in 500BC. A standout amongst the most thickly populated nations on the planet, 60% of the
Netherlands is helpless against flooding, and its peat-rich horticultural soil is dying down even as
environmental change is raising ocean levels. The nation's colleges are delivering a percentage of
the world's best water designers and engineers and it is trading its aptitude abroad; the Dutch
government has prompted on water administration ventures in China, Africa and Australia.

The Netherlands has additionally gained from past oversights – a 1977 report cautioning about
the shortcoming of the waterway dykes was overlooked on the grounds that it included wrecking
houses. It took surges in 1993 and again in 1995, when more than 200,000 individuals had to be
moved and many domestic animals died. (Guardian 2014)

How flooding Affects buildings

The effects of flooding on buildings can be categorized into 3:

- Structural effects
- Economic effects
- Health effects

In structural effects buildings can be affected by in a multiply number of ways, some of which
include:

-buildings can be completely washed away beyond recognition just by the share force of
the flood water
 -gradual or sudden rise in water levels can cause an unanchored or partially anchored
building to float away, which generally affects structural integrity of the building

-flooding can also affect the bearing capacity on which buildings are placed, there by
constitution a form of accelerated erosion, which can cause disability in buildings.

-floating debree carried by flood can cause serious damage to building when collision
occurs

-constant water stream during flood can cause a form of gradual exfoliation of a building
surface, usually the foundation which cause dilapidation of building and eventually
collapse

METHODOLOGY

Selected countries which serve as the study areas were researched upon, visual observations and
further research was carried out in set areas. The selected areas were analyzed based on their
physical components such as the presence, sizes and present conditions

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

This study has been able to the effects and devastation which flood can and imposes on buildings
around the world, flood is an unavoidable catastrophe which constantly plagues man in his
natural environment and as such man has a resilient nature when it comes to reorienting his life
style to avoiding such catastrophe. Since this is the case, it goes without saying that there is a
pressing need for the adjustment and improvement of the way man tackles building construction
as a whole in flood prone areas.

It was noted in the literature review that many countries have succeeded in drastically reducing
casualty numbers of flood victims and have succeeded in producing innovative solutions to
design and construction in flood prone areas, and we can clearly deduce from the research that
there is no full-proof solution to this phenomena and as such we can only do so much to counter
its effect and produce counter measures.
Recommendations

Planning

- In planning of urban areas which have close proximities to flood prone areas, functions
which require little or no maintenance after flood events should be placed closer to focal
point of the flood and functions which are very sensitive to flood should be taken further
inland, for instance, open plan site structures such as recreational parks, field for sporting
events and other recreational activities can be placed very close to the flood critical points
as these functions are not affected by flood as much as if you have residential buildings
placed in this areas.

Also the prescence of these open spaces closer to the flood prone areas will allow for
easier installation of flood control measures such as sand bags to protect againt flood

- In some countries road tunnels and embarked highways can be used as flood routes,
where tunnels and embarked highways near flood routes are used as drainage routes for
flood, and after the flood subsides they can resume normal functionality.

Construction

- The use of pillers to suspend buildings as high as possible using small research data of
highest and lowest water level can cause a significant reduction of flood casualties in
buildings, these can be well constructed concrete piles in cases of large structures or
reinforced wooden planks for shanties and less pronounced communities
- In coummunities where you have their entire functions such as homes and business
located entirely in the water, emergency air bags can be placed beneath, so as to allow
building to move with rising water levels
- The use of light weight building materials can also help to reduce drag in buildings
during flooding
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