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<br /> <br />PART III: TESTS OF WALLS, CLOSURES, AND MATERIALS FOR <br />RESISTANCE TO FLOODWATERS <br /> <br />Experimental Test Plans <br /> <br />For laboratory testing, it was best to have the test walls as simple as <br /> <br />possible but adequate for evaluating the penetration of water through the <br /> <br />walls and the closures: <br /> <br />The test plans were as follows: <br /> <br />. Five sets of short walls were constructed (Figure 31). <br /> <br />. A standard door space was left between each pair of walls for the <br />placement of a closure. <br /> <br />o A restraining frame (Figure 32) was installed in the door opening and <br />from each side the closure could be pulled by springs (Figure 33) to <br />seal it against the brick as could be done on an ordinary house. <br /> <br />. A bulkhead constructed of plywood and 2- by 4-in. boards (Figures 34 <br />and 35) was placed across the walls and closures and sealed to the <br />flood and the outer edges of the walls to contain the water. Different <br />wall coatings and closure constructions were tested with this system. <br /> <br />. The deflected shape of the wall was measured as the water depth was <br />increased. <br /> <br />The bulkhead was sealed to the ends of the brick wall and floor for vari- <br /> <br /> <br />ous tests by means of rubber gasket material and one of the following <br /> <br /> <br />compounds. <br /> <br />o Latex caulking. <br /> <br /> <br />. Weatherstrip adhesive. <br /> <br /> <br />If the latex caulking was not allowed to dry, it tended to become soluble. <br /> <br /> <br />Even when the caulking was allowed to dry, the weather-stripping compound <br /> <br /> <br />created the best seal. <br /> <br />37 <br />