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<br /> <br />PART V: SYSTEMS TESTS ON A BRICK CUBE <br /> <br />The structural integrity tests of brick and concrete-block walls <br />indicated that house walls will not withstand more than about 3 ft of water <br />without structural damage. This result provided a baseline for systems tests <br />to determine methods which would keep shallow-depth floodwaters out of homes <br />and buildings. <br />Such structures can be strengthened in various ways; however, systems <br />tests were performed for normally constructed homes in which the walls had not <br />been strengthened. The systems tested would be used primarily for protecting <br />homes in high risk, shallow-depth, flood-prone areas. Expedient membrane <br />systems with a snap-type sealing strip at the base of the wall will be tested. <br />Systems tests which were performed using the block wall (Part III) and <br />the walls of the test house at Allenville, Arizona (Part VI), indicated that <br />details are critically important. In particular, the sealing strip at the <br />base of the building has many potential problems, and if extreme care is not <br />taken in installing and activating the system, it will leak. <br />The systems tests on the brick cube had several advantages over testing <br />prototype walls: <br />. Tests were less costly and less time-consuming. <br />. The four corners of the cube allowed adequate testing of seal strips at <br />corners. <br /> <br />. Outside and inside corners could be tested. <br /> <br />. Sealing of vertical seams in the waterproof membrane could be tested. <br /> <br />. Systems set up on the inside of the cube did not require a bulkhead to <br />retain the waterhead. <br /> <br />Test Setup <br /> <br />Inside corners <br />The system tested was an expedient snap-type sealing strip at the base of <br />the wall and a plastic sheet which would be pulled up the wall to the desired <br />height of protection. Commercial extrusions which could be used as a seal <br />strip were difficult to locate; therefore, a seal strip was designed and a <br />manufacturer was paid to extrude it (Figure 48). <br />Five tests were made with the system using the specially designed seal <br />strip. Figures 49 and 50 show details of the tests. It was found that care <br /> <br />60 <br /> <br />