What is Flood Proofing?
Flood proofing consists of structural and non-structural modifications to a building to reduce or eliminate flood damages. FEMA floodproofing standards are based on the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and outline two main approaches to flood proofing: dry and wet.
Dry flood proofing seals a structure to keep water out. Wet flood proofing allows floodwaters in but uses flood-resistant materials and anchors the structure to minimize damage.
Dry flood proofing is typically the preferred method because it is cost-effective and protects both the structure and its contents from damage. Additionally, dry flood proofing doesn't require additional land or floodwalls.
At Flood Control America, we offer dry floodproofing solutions and removable flood walls as a core solution that provides structures with safety, prevents extensive property damage, and reduces unnecessary disruptions to business operations.
Why Flood Proofing Matters for Critical Infrastructure
Flood proofing is essential for critical infrastructure because it ultimately safeguards vital services and systems that are depended upon daily. It ensures the continuity of services, protects public safety and health, and prevents severe and costly flood damages.
For Facility Managers
Flood proofing is a top, hands-on priority. Managers are responsible for ensuring occupant safety by maintaining the infrastructure daily. Flood protection measures reduce detrimental risks, such as drowning, electrocution, and exposure to contaminants, by ensuring safe evacuation routes are maintained and protected.
For Facility Planners
Planners focus on the long-term, strategic decisions that affect a facility’s design and location. There are many considerations that planners will take into account in terms of flood proofing, including site selection and risk assessment, durable design and materials, ensuring regulatory compliance, and more.
Planners must also consider whether facilities are in flood hazard zones, as these areas face higher flood risk and require elevated flood protection level standards to be met.
Flood events lead to a host of problems that can be challenging to recover from. For starters, flood events cause direct physical damage that affects the structural integrity of the facility. Common issues related to flood events are structural failures, buried utilities, and debris.
Additionally, flood events lead to disruption and downtime as key facilities are temporarily out of service. Moreover, there are economic consequences, such as high repair costs and replacements, service interruptions, and economic slowdown.
Many companies rely on reactive methods to flood events, such as temporary barriers like sandbags or mobilizing emergency response service during a flood. However, this is a costly method that only addresses the consequences and not the cause.
Flood proofing is a proactive approach that modifies infrastructure to withstand a flood event. Proactive floodproofing solutions are typically more effective, help protect the structural integrity of a facility, reduce costs associated with a flood event, and promote public safety.
With that said, effective flood proofing requires regulatory compliance, a solid business continuity plan, and key insurance considerations, such as how mitigation efforts affect insurance premiums and what is covered by the policy.
Our Flood Proofing Systems
Enjoy the confidence of flood proofing done right with Flood Control America. Our company has been making demountable flood walls for over 27 years, providing companies with removable flood walls and barriers to proactively plan for flood events.
The Invisible Flood Control Wall (IFCW™) is an engineered system with a removable flood wall that is erected before the flood event happens. After the flood, the wall is easily demounted and safely stored. This system is designed for fast deployment and minimal disruption to the facility.
The IFCW is reusable, providing companies with optimal return on investment. We have hundreds of installations coast-to-coast for various municipalities, data centers, and transportation hubs. Some installations include the University of Iowa's Art Building West, Iowa City, Iowa, Louisville Slugger Field, Louisville, Kentucky; Quaker Oats, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and St. Paul Downtown Airport, St. Paul, Minnesota.
How it Works
The IFCW has three main components: base plate embeds cast into a reinforced concrete foundation, galvanized steel posts, and aluminum planks. The only component that remains when the river levels are normal and the wall is stored is the concrete foundation with embeds.
When the water rises, the rest of the wall is erected. The IFCW is seamless and easy to implement. When a flood event occurs, a working crew of three people can install 1200 feet of the IFCW in just 2 hours.
After the flood event is over, the IFCW is easily demounted and stored. Additionally, since the IFCW is stored with its aluminum planks stacked neatly on top of each other, little storage space is needed. Its design supports long-term flood resilience while minimizing operational disruptions.
Engineering of the IFCW
During the initial construction, reinforced galvanized steel plates are joined with the concrete foundation and laced with reinforcing bars. The steel bolts visible above are the headed bolts used to anchor the vertical posts to the plates and foundation.
The finished plate above is embedded in the concrete foundation. Headless storage bolts are used to keep the holes clean and to remain unobtrusive to traffic. During IFCW™ erection, vertical parting supports are aligned, and anchor bolts are loosely installed into anchors in the foundation.
The bolts pass through the embeds and tie into the anchors located in the concrete foundation. Next, a unique base plank is installed. The base plank features a specialized gasket that fully seals with the concrete foundation, creating a watertight seal.
Extruded hollow aluminum planks with interlocking mating surfaces are stacked on top of the base plank. Each plank weighs approximately five pounds per foot, so two workers can easily handle any IFCW™ plank (max. 20'). The planks fill with water as flood height increases, creating further stability and integrity by resisting flood load.
For more details on the engineering of the IFCW, visit here.
IFCW System Components
- Planks (stop logs),
- Parting support posts,
- Intermediate support posts
- Struts and tension rods (if necessary)
- Hold down clamps and rods
- Gaskets
- Hardware
Why Choose Flood Control America
At Flood Control America, we've been making American-made removable flood walls since 1997. Our 27+ years in the industry have paved the way for us to become pioneers in U.S. demountable flood barriers.
We align with ASFPM, FEMA, and NFIP to implement robust and compliant flood proofing solutions to companies coast-to-coast. FCA is proud to have a national footprint while ensuring the use of U.S.-made materials for each project.
Our team consists of expert engineering staff who are committed to providing optimal flood protection with our removable flood barrier system. If you're ready to protect the structural integrity of your property and invest in your IFCW system, contact us today to learn more.
Our team consists of expert engineering staff who are committed to providing optimal flood protection with our removable flood barrier system. If you're ready to protect the structural integrity of your property and invest in your IFCW system, contact us today to learn more.
Contact UsFAQs
What’s the difference between wet and dry flood proofing?
Buildings and their contents are a major investment – and one flood event can wipe out these assets. If your building is used for business, a flood can also halt operations or damage critical inventory. A flood barrier helps you protect your investment, keep businesses operational, and reduce the risk of severe floodwater damage
Is a removable flood wall right for my property?
- We embed or cast base plates into a reinforced concrete foundation. These remain in place and are level-set into the ground.
- Galvanized steel posts attach to the base plates when there is a risk of flood.
- Patented aluminum planks slide into the steel posts, creating a flood barrier wall.
How long does it take to install and remove the barriers?
Our flood control systems meet FEMA and NFIP flood compliance requirements. While local building codes vary by municipality, we haven’t run across a code yet that we can’t meet or exceed!
Are FCA systems FEMA and NFIP compliant?
Any low-lying or open areas. This includes below-grade spaces, doors and windows, and loading docks. We can walk your property or review building plans and assess areas that pose the greatest risk.
What types of properties or facilities benefit most from flood proofing?
We suggest looking at historical data for your area as well as updated FEMA maps for hurricane, coastal flood and riverine flood zones. For many communities, these zones have gotten larger. If your building was considered “safe” in the past, it’s important to check these zones regularly.
How do I know if my building needs flood protection?
Removable flood barriers can be installed at a rate of 100 to 200 square feet per man hour. For example, an 8-foot by 200-foot long (1,600 square foot) flood barrier system could be set by a crew of four workers in about four hours. We also recommend an annual installation drill, where your maintenance team will install a portion of the flood gates to ensure readiness.
What maintenance is required for removable flood walls?
Removable flood barriers can be installed at a rate of 100 to 200 square feet per man hour. For example, an 8-foot by 200-foot long (1,600 square foot) flood barrier system could be set by a crew of four workers in about four hours. We also recommend an annual installation drill, where your maintenance team will install a portion of the flood gates to ensure readiness.
How does Flood Control America support the planning and engineering process?
Removable flood barriers can be installed at a rate of 100 to 200 square feet per man hour. For example, an 8-foot by 200-foot long (1,600 square foot) flood barrier system could be set by a crew of four workers in about four hours. We also recommend an annual installation drill, where your maintenance team will install a portion of the flood gates to ensure readiness.