Quantifying the flood resilience properties of walls in typical UK dwellings

Abstract

Building for resilience against floodwater has become increasingly important given the high demand for new houses in the UK and the need to build in flood-prone areas. There are current recommendations on the use of building materials that will minimise the impact of floods; however, these are rarely substantiated by scientific evidence and tend to relate to individual building materials rather than composite constructions. To fill this gap, a laboratory investigation was undertaken aimed at quantifying the properties of walls (and their constituents) when exposed to floodwater. Time-varying leakage rates and drying rates were determined for 13 different wall constructions subjected to 1 m water depth. Both masonry and timber frame walls were studied, incorporating common types of cavity insulation. Recommendations are given for resilient construction.

Practical application: The work described in this paper was part of a larger study commissioned by the Department for Communities & Local Government (DCLG) and EA/ DEFRA, aimed at obtaining a better understanding of how buildings behave when subjected to floodwater. The ultimate aim was to develop guidance for the construction of new buildings, focusing on domestic properties in areas at risk of flooding. This will be taken into account in the next revision of the Building Regulations, namely in Approved Document C. A guidance document on resilient and resistant construction, synthesising the findings of the overall project, will be a reference document for the new Planning Policy Statement (PPS25), which defines the requirements for resilient developments in England and Wales.