Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br />appearance and have kept the house completely dry when there was water two feet deep <br />all around it. Further details of the Stanley House are considered in Chapter V, on <br />"Programs of Flood Proofing." <br />In designing new structures, or in altering existing ones, thought should be given to <br />the use of receding flood shields (Figure 14) which are normally hidden from view, but <br />can be easily lowered or slid into place upon the receipt of a flood warning. Such shields <br />also escape the danger of being misplaced. <br />When flood shields must be mounted on the street side of an opening, the brackets <br />to which they would be bolted can be concealed with easily removed aluminum strips or <br />"skins." Figure 15 shows a department store entrance that has been modernized and <br />flood proofed at the same time. (The installation required for mounting the shield is in- <br />distinguishable from the building trim.) <br />While flood proofing measures must be functionally able to protect against a selected <br />flood condition, such measures need not detract from the appearance of the structures. <br />When the Pittsburgh Press Building was flood proofed, as an aftermath of the 1936 flood, <br />the alterations transformed the outer appearance of the building. The large plate glass <br />windows were replaced with many small windows of "unbreakable" glass that were em- <br />bedded in reinforced frames. However, a recent face lifting of the building has made the <br />flood proofing measures much less evident. Figure 16 shows how the initial flood proof- <br />ing looked and how its appearance was subsequently altered. <br /> <br />Internal Flood Proofing Measures <br />Owners of buildings which are subject to flood but cannot be easily altered to keep <br />the water out, can consider the use of water resistant construction materials to reduce <br />flood damage. Even owners of flood proofed structures generally able to withstand flood- <br />ing would also be well advised to consider the use of such materials to reduce losses <br />when flooding exceeds the protection level. <br />The property owner and his architect can substantially reduce the potential flood <br />damage to a building through the careful selection 01 water resistant materials. Many such <br />materials are priced in the same range with the more vulnerable materials, but may be <br />worth considering even when their use would mean higher material costs. <br />Examples are exterior grade plywoods and tempered hard boards in lieu of ordinary <br />construction grade plywood and hard board. These materials can be utilized at a reason- <br />able additional cost and under some conditions substantially reduce water damage. Also, <br />in flood plains a waterproof plaster on galvanized wire lath could prove to be a more pru- <br />dent long-term investment than gypsum board products which would have to be replaced <br />after a flood. Metal windows, doors and door jambs which would not deform or warp when <br />soaked may also be economical for buildings in flood plains. <br />In structures subject to flooding, all adhesives used to fasten floor tiles, wall panels <br />and ceiling tiles, should be waterproof so that lhe adhesive will not fail when wet. Car~ <br />peting should be used which can be cleaned without any appreciable damage or evidence of <br />mildew after inundation. Wall and floor surfaces should be finished in a manner permit- <br />ting cleaning or hosing after a flood with a minimum of damage and deterioration. <br /> <br />21 <br />