fabian nehrbass. thailand $45 billion dollars damage due to floods in the past two years australia...
TRANSCRIPT
Amphibious Homes: A Real Solution to Flooding?
Fabian Nehrbass
Sea level rise- floods
Thailand $45 billion dollars damage due to floods in the past two years
Australia $9.6 billion 1.4 million people live in Louisiana’s
coastal parishes 634,000 homes New Orleans sea level rise:
8” by 2030 19” by 2050
Possible solutions:
Levees Restoration of wetlands Sediment use form Mississippi to
rebuild land Abandon land Adapt!
Amphibious homes
Allows the home to sit close to the ground, and in the event of a flood, rise up with the rising water
Why not just elevate homes?
Increased vulnerability of the structure to wind damage
Elevations are expensive $40,000-$60,000 to elevate vs. $25,000
to retrofit existing house with floating foundation
Difficult access to living areas Loss of character
Advantages of floating homes
No loss of character Cheaper than elevating No issues with soil subsidence Less vulnerable to hurricane damage
Problems with floating homes
FEMA does not believe they are a good strategy to protect against hurricane flooding
Storm surge can still push water into such a home
Still need to evacuate Only work in areas where water rises
slowly Size and weight limitations
Problems continued
**National Flood Insurance Program will not insure floating houses because they are not considered anchored to the ground**
Chance they aren’t allowed In Lakeview, house wasn’t allowed in
“special flood hazard zone”
More susceptible to wind damage?
FEMA
Suggestions
How it works – Buoyant Foundation Project
Shotgun retrofitting Buoyancy blocks and a vertical guidance
system interconnected by a light structural frame
Utility lines have either long, coiled “umbilical” lines or self-sealing “breakaway” connections that disconnect gas and sewer lines when the house begins to rise
Examples
Netherlands Maas River Prison Greenhouses
Maldives – designed by Watersudio Raccourci Old River, Louisiana 9th Ward Lakeview UK
FLOAT House, 9th Ward
FLOAT House, 9th Ward
FLOAT House, 9th Ward
“Noah’s Ark” –Lakeview
Raccourci Old River
Maas River
$310,000 each (about 25% greater) All survived major floods in 2011
Maas River
Maas River
Floating prison- Zaandem, Netherlands
Floating prison- Zaandem, Netherlands
Maldives
Maldives
Conclusion
No flood insurance, no success Frequency of storms? Wind protection? Float them down the river to Baton
Rouge!