Nonstructural Floodproofing

Nonstructural Floodproofing

Vision

Provide homeowners, business owners and government entities responsible for providing services prior to, during, and after flood events the educational information necessary to assist in the reduction of damages during future flood events.

Purpose

This ASFPM committee advocates for the implementation of nonstructural measures to reduce flood risk, decrease flood damage and eliminate life-loss. The purpose and intent of this committee is to educate residents, as well as local, regional and state governments on the effectiveness of reducing flood risk through engineered application of nonstructural measures.

Nonstructural Floodproofing
Committee Co-Chairs

Manny Perotin, P.E., CFM CDM Smith
Manny Perotin, P.E., CFM
CDM Smith
Randall Behm, P.E., CFM Behm Hazard Mitigation, LLC USACE (retired)
Michelle Gonzales, CFM
Jefferson Parish, LA

Committee Information

Nonstructural Measures Defined: Those physical and nonphysical measures, which when applied to structures vulnerable to flooding, or those measures incorporated as programmatic floodplain management actions, result in a reduction in life loss and property damage. These measures generally cause no adverse effects on flood stages, velocities, flood duration or the environment in which the measures are implemented. The most common nonstructural measures are:

Physical Nonstructural Measures

Acquisition: removal or demolition of the entire at-risk structure(s) from the floodplain.

Relocation: the physical removal and preservation of the at-risk structure(s) to a location outside of the floodplain.

Elevation: raising the first floor and associated ductwork of the existing building(s) to an elevation which is at or greater than the identified flood stage.

Basement/Crawlspace Abandonment: the removal of the basement/crawlspace by filling, while relocating vulnerable utilities/appliances to an addition or to a higher elevation within the existing building.

Wet Floodproofing: through the use of water-resistant materials, allow floodwaters to enter a building without resulting in significant damage.

Dry Floodproofing: typically relegated to nonresidential building, this measure utilizes flood resistant materials to create an impenetrable barrier to prevent floodwaters from entering the building. Generally limited to three or four feet in height.

Non-physical Nonstructural Measures

Land Use and Zoning: regulations that prohibit the development or placement of potentially vulnerable buildings within the floodplain.

Floodplain Mapping: the illustrative identification of flood risk through the portrayal of flood boundaries or inundation depths.

Flood Insurance: the opportunity for homeowners, business owners and renters in participating NFIP communities, to purchase federally-backed insurance coverage for recovery from flooding.

Emergency Action Plans: a detailed document which identifies flood hazards, risks and vulnerabilities, and encourages the development of local mitigation. The plan should identify the specific roles and responsibilities of officials for responding to a flood event.

Flood Warning and Evacuation Planning: the identification of at-risk population and the development of public alerts, evacuation routing and reunification centers.

Floodproofing: What it is, and how we approach it as a committee

Floodproofing, for purposes of this committee’s work, includes methods that protect buildings
from flood damage,
• for new construction and substantial improvements, by incorporating flood resistant design and materials, and
• for retrofitting, altering the building or property so as to prevent or reduce exposure to floodwater or reduce damage caused by the entry of floodwater

In general, we deal with methods that would be credited under Activity 530 (2017 edition) of the Community Rating System (for retrofit) and with methods that would be considered as making new buildings compliant with NFIP development standards.

We approach floodproofing from every angle: technical, tools, policy, and education.
Successful application of floodproofing requires knowledge of
• Measures and materials
• Code requirements
• Engineering Design
• Certification (for elevation and non-residential dry floodproofing)
• Accurate risk estimation (mapping)

Floodproofing, and the degree to which it is employed, is also affected by
• Policy that facilitates, encourages and rewards floodproofing
• Availability of funding and/or financing
• Inspiration (access to completed floodproofing installations)
• Justification (quantification of damages avoided)

Flood Mitigation Certification Program

The ASFPM Nonstructural Floodproofing Committee and ASFPM Executive Office staff have been working in partnership with FM Approvals (a division of FM Global, formerly known as Factory Mutual insurance), the US Army Corps of Engineers Army Engineer Research and Development Center (USACE ERDC located in Vicksburg, MS), and the USACE National Nonstructural Committee to conduct testing of flood-fighting products for meeting specific standards for quality and performance. Significant work to establish a testing and certification program began at the 2002 ASFPM National Floodproofing Conference, in Tampa, when representatives of ASFPM had discussions with United Kingdom manufacturers about an European testing program and the need for similar testing in the United States. During spring 2005, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) was engaged and requested to conduct a fact-finding investigation in which they observed ERDC water tests of a few products before committing to developing a certification program for temporary barriers. Much of the progress that was made between 2004 and 2006 is credited to P.J. de Sousa Costa of FloodMaster Barriers, who chaired a subcommittee of flood protection products and services subcommittee of the ASFPM Nonstructural Floodproofing Committee during that time. Management of the test development of the testing program for ASFPM transferred from the committee to ASFPM Executive Office in the fall of 2005.

During the course of the testing program development, FM Approvals became a program partner and created its “FM Approval Standard 2510; Flood Abatement Equipment, for temporary perimeter flood barriers. During 2014 the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) adopted the testing protocol, commonly referred to as ANSI/FM Approval 2510.

Current water testing requirements are for self-supporting, temporary flood barriers. The ERDC laboratory can be adapted to allow for testing of panel closures and demountable barriers. Numerous products have been tested, with many achieving certification. It is anticipated that additional flood abatement products will be developed and tested as commercial business owners and homeowners
continue to consider their options for decreasing flood damage.

National Flood Barrier Testing and Certification Program