Ideas for Riverside Flood Defences

FCI GUIDES

Climate change is causing more extreme weather events, which will lead to increased risk from river flooding. Aside from more traditional forms of flood defences like solid walls or levees, there are several other engineered solutions to prevent river flooding from affecting your property or business.

Glass Floodwalls

These are ideal where people need a permanent / passive flood defence, still want to see the water and do not need to get through the line of defence apart from at designated points where floodgates can be integrated into the flood barrier. If correctly designed, glass floodwalls can enhance an area, provide edge protection and raise flood defence levels.

Ideas for Riverside Flood Defences

Glass floodwalls

Glass floodwalls are often mounted on a half-height solid wall – where visibility is not an issue – to make them even more cost effective.

Float-up flood barriers

Float up flood barriers or Self Closing Flood Barriers have many of the same benefits of glass floodwalls, but they can allow access through them when not flooding. These barriers use the floodwater itself to activate (raise), which means that they will operate independently without any human interface. Issues such as the potential to trap people on the ‘wet’ side, and deep excavation depths can be problematic, and this barrier solution is overall quite costly to buy and maintain.

Ideas for Riverside Flood Defences

Check impact load requirements

Check any impact load requirements before specifying river flood defences

Demountable or Temporary Flood barriers

Many main rivers have good flood warning timescales meaning that temporary flood barriers can be installed in advance of a flood. Ideally these should be be stored close to the area they are to be deployed, with responsible personnel trained in their deployment. These barriers are lowest cost, but do require manpower and adequate time before a flood.

Ideas for Riverside Flood Defences

sliding floodgate

This sliding floodgate incorporates floodproof glass in its top section to maintain a view of the river even when fully closed.

Floodgates

These are used where you require an opening in solid or glass floodwalls. Manually operated floodgates can often be opened or closed in less than one minute per gate for one operative. Several types of floodgate exist such as sliding gates, personnel gates that need a step, or swing gates with level thresholds/sills.