Floods and water supplies
that we subsequently installed used a variety of products to create multiple layers of protection around the premises, which also aesthetically blended into the store. In particular, we wrapped the store in a unique panel system to act as a barrier around the perimeter of the building. In public areas, glass flood barriers were used to keep the aesthetic look of the building, and Buffalo flood barriers were installed at the main entrances. The use of panels, glass and barriers
created a system of which the general public were unaware. Because the barriers require no U-channel and only a flush surface to seal against, no trip hazard was present where the public would enter the store.
Supermarkets have large loading bays
for deliveries, which provide a major weak point for water to enter. To protect the store in the loading bays, we installed a demountable Buffalo HD aluminium flood wall, which could be erected within an hour to protect the loading bays.
Sump pumps were also installed to act as a secondary line of defence. The pumps would automatically start if water entered the building and would regulate the water level within the building for 48 hours. By combining a mixture of passive and reactive systems, The Flood Company was able to design a solution that minimised the reaction time during a flood event
To work around this, we recommend scheduling the works during annual down time.
Insurer mitigation
In many cases, installing flood prevention measures can be a condition of insurers, who are increasingly requesting that mitigation measures are installed and expressing a preference for passive flood protection over reactive. The reason for this is that passive flood protection requires no human intervention, reducing the risk of error and automatically protecting buildings from flooding. In a flood event, the availability of resources to deploy reactive flood protection is a key consideration, highlighted by the Boxing Day floods in 2015, when many people were on holiday. Examples of passive products are Buffalo steel flood doors, or the self closing flood barrier. In summary, if your premises is located in a flood risk area it is crucial to carry out a flood mitigation survey, to put together a business flood plan that is shared throughout the business and, where necessary, to install flood mitigation products. In addition, arm yourself with good advice and practical tips on how you can reduce flood damage should your commercial property be hit, and ensure that this is communicated to all staff in the company
James Ruddiman is director of The Flood Company. For more information, view page 5
FOCUS
www.frmjournal.com SEPTEMBER 2018
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