Property Level Resilience (PLR) is a new strategy that aims to address the whole concept of flood mitigation and management
We have had a glorious summer in the UK – the best for over 40 years – and we have seen some really high temperatures across Europe to match.
Of late, we have also seen the impacts of torrential downpours with huge flooding in Spain, Turkey, Germany and parts of Africa, plus some minor flash flooding in the UK.
All of this should be a reminder that winter is coming, and we should be planning to make our homes and business ready for what Mother Nature is going to bring us.
The flood protection industry in the UK has been working on the production of a Code of Practice that will improve the quality of surveys and installations for property level flood mitigation solutions.
We have also been discussing how we can communicate better with our customers – and potential customers – to make the jargon in our industry more understandable and to highlight how people can protect their homes from flooding within all budget constraints.
One of these changes is to refer to the whole concept of flood mitigation as Property Level Resilience (PLR).
The term RESILIENCE refers to both flood resistance (keeping the water out) and flood recoverability (allowing the water in, while ensuring a quick and economic recovery and reoccupation of the property).
This new terminology should help people to understand that there are many ways to protect your home or business and maybe these will occur when homeowners and business owners/developers are doing normal maintenance, upgrades and redecoration cycles.
While most people will want to keep the water out of their property, this is not always possible, especially in high level floods. The recognised flood maximum flood protection for a modern brick and cavity-built house is 600mm, while older, stone-built properties can withstand up to 900mm or higher if proven by a structural engineer.
A lot of modern commercial properties can’t even withstand these water pressures, though, and we are seeing a lot of metal framed and clad properties, as well as glass and aluminium buildings, being erected in flood zones that have very little chance of keeping any water out.
This hazard should be designed out with the initial planning, though, quite simply and easily by using plinth walls, for example.
Where that is not possible then other solutions within the PLR portfolio may be considered. These may include perimeter defences such as walls and gates, temporary barriers such as Rapidam Flexi and Rapidam Rigid or, depending on the flood type, a range of SuDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Solutions).
SuDS
A very important part of Aquobex’s PLR strategy that makes us stand out from the crowd is the breadth and range of our solutions, which embrace:
- Resilience (resistance and recovery).
- Perimeter defences.
- Temporary barriers.
- SuDS.
A unique range of products with an outstanding and innovative solution in EGRP.
EGRP (Energy-passive Groundwater Replenishment Pump) is a unique SuDS solution that addresses all the issues around space, planning, pollution and maintenance in a simple, below-ground solution that effectively manages surface water flooding while replenishing aquifers and groundwater supplies.
The application below highlights a property that had a permanent water issue in its basement that was solved completely (and maintenance-free) by the installation of EGRP in specific areas around the property.
So, when you are contemplating how to manage the flooding in and around your property, whether it be your home, your business, your school or your retail outfit then considering a company that is not just focused on the fabric of your building might be a good place to start.
Please note: this is a commercial profile
John Alexander
Managing Director
Aquobex Ltd
Tel: 01923 518582
