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<br />Flood <br />proofing <br />techniq ues <br /> <br /> <br />Selecting the best method offload proofing for a given <br />situation should be based on knowledge of local soil conditions. <br />topography. flood characteristics, local building codes. the <br />availability of materials. type of structure, and cost. The most <br />common and often the best way to flood proof is to raise the <br />structure above the flood hazard. The second most common <br />way is through the use of levees and flood walls. <br /> <br />Selected examples of flood proofing described in this report <br />are categorized as follows: <br /> <br />Continuous wall or <br /> <br />block foundation <br /> <br />Continuous concrete wall foundations are used for many <br />different applications. Residential structures with above-ground <br />basements are often constructed in this manner, as are many <br />ind ustrial and commercial esta blishments where docking <br />facilities are incorporated into the design. Also. it is fairly <br />common to find structures raised on concrete blocks to various <br />heights depending upon the depth of flooding. Great care must <br />be taken in this technique to prevent differential water pressure <br />from damaging the foundation. If the foundation is not specifi- <br />cally designed to carry this loading. intentional flooding can be <br />used to balance internal and external water pressures. Using <br />potable water for this can minimize cleanup after the flood. <br /> <br />Fill <br /> <br />This is a fairly common method in subdivision development <br />and siting of individual houses. Often. the shaping of areas to be <br />developed in such a manner as to fill the house sites, in <br />combination with use of a conventional foundation. will raise <br />the first-floor level above the design flood level. Significant <br />amounts of material hauled into a flood plain for this purpose <br />may obstruct the natural flow of water or result in a loss of <br />floodwater storage capacity. Either condition can cause higher <br />and more frequent flooding. Before a structure is placed on fill. <br />state and local land use regulations should be checked to <br />determine if such action is permitted. The materials used for fill <br />vary widely from one region to the next, but generally the <br />material must be grassed or otherwise protected against erosion <br />or slippage. <br /> <br />6 <br />