The Bu Buoy oya ant Fou ound nda at i on A n al An altt er ern n at atii v e app ap p r o ac ach h t o f l o o d p r o t ec ectt i o n f o r exi xist stin ing g homes ho mes in New New Orleans Orleans and S. Lo Loui uisi sia ana Eliz li zabeth C. Eng Englilish sh,, PhD PhD As A s s o c i ate at e Pro Pr o f ess es s o r Unive niv ersity rsi ty of o f Waterloo Waterloo Ontario, Ontari o, Cana Canada da
Why Use Bu Buoy oya ant Fou ound nda ati tion ons? s?
Aer A erii al p h o t o g r aph ap h o f New Orl Or l eans ean s aft af t er Hur Hu r r i c ane an e Kat K atrr i n a
Why Use Bu Buoy oya ant Fou ound nda ati tion ons? s? In the aftermath aftermath of o f Hurri canes canes Katri na and and Rita, Rit a, homeho meowne own ers in low-lyi l ow-lying ng area areas of South out h Louisi Lou isia ana are are facing the t he issue iss ue of elevating elevating their t heir house hous es to comply com ply with wi th the new new Base Flood Elevati Elevation on (BFE) (BFE) requirements requirements.. In addi additi tion, on, many many New New Orlea Orleanians nians who are not required to elevate levate their houses hou ses remain remain concerne con cerned d about their safety safety in the th e absence of subst su bsta antia nti ally improv imp rove ed le l evees. vees. New New Orlea Orl eans ns,, 8 Sept Sept 2005 2005 phot o by E. C. English
Why Use Bu Buoy oya ant Fou ound nda ati tion ons? s? REBUILD SAFELY Permanent Permanently ly elevating a house, hou se, perhaps by as much muc h as 12-1 12-15 5 feet, feet, may may reduce the risk of flooding flood ing but b ut it creates creates new problems, prob lems, such as difficult diff icult access to li ving area reas, loss of neighborh neigh borhood ood chara c haracter cter and and an increase increase in the vulnerabili vulnerability ty of the t he struct str ucture ure to wind win d damage. damage. With permanent permanent static s tatic elevatio levation, n, even even if a house is raised to t he BFE or higher, it can still flood floo d in an extreme event event.. In the th e meant meantim ime, e, residents residents must live with da d aily inconv inc onvenie enience nce and a reduced quality of life in the hope of avoidi ng flooding floo ding in a future futu re event that is st atistic tis tica ally very rare rare inde ind eed.
http://www.streetphoto.com/images/New_Orleans_Flooded_Blue_House.jpg
Why Use Bu Buoy oya ant Fou ound nda ati tion ons? s? FLOAT WHEN IT FLOODS A l o o k at f l o ati at i n g d o c k s and an d houseboats hou seboats sugg ests that there is an alternative approach, one that allow s homes to remain remain cl ose to the ground under normal normal cond ition s but rise r ise as as much muc h as necess necessary, ary, even even above the BFE, BFE, when flood fl ooding ing occurs occ urs.. There are existin xis ting g precedents precedents of co steffective ffecti ve amphibi mph ibious ous houses, ho uses, or houses that normally normally re r est on the ground but bu t float on buoyant buoyant founda found ations tion s during a flood , both abroad in the th e Neth Netherlands erlands and at home hom e along lon g the th e rive riv ers and bayous of South Louisiana Louisiana..
Existing xisti ng buoyant buo yant foundation in So. Louisiana phot o by E. C. English
Why Use Bu Buoy oya ant Fou ound nda ati tion ons? s?
Why not n ot ca c apitalize pi talize on the th e adva dv anta nt ages of buoyant buoyant foundafoundations tions in the the rebui rebuildlding of Ne New Orle Orlea ans and flood-prone flo od-prone area reas throug thr oughout hout South out h Loui L ouisiana siana? ?
Existing xisti ng buoyant found ation in South Louis iana photo by Stuart Broussard
Prob roble lems ms wit with h Ele Eleva vate ted d Home Homes s z z z z z z
Permanent rmanent static elevatio levation n is i s much mu ch more m ore expensiv expensive e Ac A c c ess es s i s d i f f i c u l t – esp es p eci ec i all al l y f o r t h e eld el d erl er l y & d i s abl ab l ed Greater reater risk ris k of wind win d damage damage in a future fut ure hurricane hurr icane Creates reates gap-too gap-toothed thed effect effect in the neighborho neighbo rhood od Homes lose los e relati relations onship hip to the t he street street Loss of o f neighborhood neighborh ood cha c hara racter cter
Elevated Elevated homes ho mes at Racco Raccour urci ci Old River, Riv er, Pointe Point e Coupee Paris Parish, h, LA
phot os by D. D. Ewing
Is thi t his s what w hat we want want to see in New Orleans Orleans? ? There mu must st be a bett bette er way.
B UO UOYA YANT NT FOU FOUND NDA A TI TION ONS S Cre rea ate home hom es th tha at fl floa oatt in a fl floo ood d
Ad A d v an antt ag ages es z z z
z z z z
House ou se rema remains ins close clo se to the ground grou nd Less Less susc s usce eptibl pt ible e to hurr h urricane icane wind win d damage damage Elevate levates s hou h ouse se to exactly wha wh at is i s re r equir qu ire ed to to sta st ay above bo ve water, water, even even if i f above bo ve BFE BFE Al A l l evi ev i ates at es p r o b l em o f s o i l s u b s i d enc en c e Look Lo oks s ess esse entia nt ialllly y the t he same as be b efore fo re Katr Katrin ina a Origi ri ginal nal tra tr aditi di tion ona al arc archi hitectu tecture re is pre pr eserved served Neighbo igh borho rhood od reta retains ins origin ori gina al cha c hara racter cter
Precedents The Net he herr la land nds s bui b uild lds s new ne w amp amphi hibi biou ous s home ho mes s (At less than t han 5% 5% incr in cre ease in cos c ostt over o ver the cost of conve co nvention ntiona al constructi const ruction) on)
New homes hom es in the Netherlands Netherlands
New amp amphi hibi biou ous s hom h ome es in in Maas b o m m el , Net h er l an d s
photos pho tos b y Hans Hans van Beek
An A n d h er ere e at h o m e in i n L o u i s i an ana a --
Buoyant Buo yant homes h omes at Racco Raccourc urcii Old River, Poin Pointe te Coup Coupee ee Paris Parish, h, LA
phot os by D. D. Ewing
Louisi Lou isia ana ing inge enui nuity ty at work w ork!! Av A v er erag age e co c o s t o f b u o y an anc c y s y s t em i s ar aro o u n d $5,000
Buoyant Buo yant homes h omes at Racco Raccourc urcii Old River, Poin Pointe te Coup Coupee ee Parish, LA
Whe hen n the t he Miss Mississ issipp ippii River River rise ris es in i n the t he spring, it floods Old Old Rive Riverr --- this ha h appe ppens ns alm lmos ostt every every yea year, r, sometim so metime es se s evera verall times.
Dry in Se Sept ptember ember
Flooded Floo ded in Fe Febru bruary ary
For ov ove er 30 yea years rs,, amp mphi hibi biou ous s hou h ouses ses at at Raccou ccourci rci Old Rive iverr ha h ave be bee en risin r ising g and and falling fa lling re relia liably bly with the leve levell of o f flood f looding ing of the th e Miss ississ issipp ippii River. River. Buoya Buo yant nt foun fo unda datio tions ns are are no nott new! new!
Dry in Se Sept ptember ember
Flooded Floo ded in Fe Febru bruary ary
So why w hy fi figh ghtt flo f lood odwa wate ter r whe wh en you y ou ca can n flo f loa at on it it? ?
Ho w It Wo Wo r k s It basically works like a floating dock. A steel fram frame e that holds the flotat flotation ion blocks blocks is is attached attached to the und underside erside of the the house. house. The There are four “vertical guidance” poles not far from the corne corners rs of the house. house. The tops ops of the poles poles are are att attached ached to the steel steel fram frame. e. The poles poles telescop elescope e out out of the gr groun ound, allow allowing ing the house to mo move up up and do down. Util Utilit ity y lin lines have have either either self-sealing self-sealing “break breakaw away ay” ” connect connections ions or long, co coiled “umbilical” lines. When flooding occurs, the flotat flotation ion blocks lift the house, house, with ith the the steel steel frame frame tra ransfer nsferrin ring g the the forces forces betw between the the house house and and the blocks. blocks. The vertical ertical guidan guidance ce poles poles keep ke ep the house house fro from m goin going g any anywhere here excep exceptt straight up and down down on top of the the water. water.
Figure Created Created by Ben Morvant
Ho w It Wo Wo r k s Section ctio n drawing of of a shotgun house with a buoyant foundation installed, installed, showing showin g buoyancy buoyancy blocks under und er the house and and vertical vertical guidance posts that telescope telescope out of th e ground
Ho w It Wo Wo r k s A s t eel f r ame am e attaches attaches to the th e underside of the house and and holds ho lds the buoyancy blocks off the ground. The house hou se remains remains sitting on its origi nal nal piers after after the th e buoyant founda foun dation tion h as been been inst i nsta alled.
Existing Shotgun House Shotgun House Elevated to 6ft Shotgun House on a Buoyant Foundation
The addition of a The buoyant foundation has minimal visual impact
Even less with bushes!
Com ompa pari riso son n of 3 Con ondi diti tion ons s
Exi Existing Co Con ndition
House Ele Elevated to 6 feet
House on Buoyant Fou Foundation
Existing House
House Elevated to 6ft
House on Buoyant Foundation Foundation
No w ad d w at er . . .
Existing House
House Elevated to 6ft
House on Buoyant Foundation Foundation
Whic hich h hous h ouse e wou would ld you cho choose ose? ?
E xist xisting ing House House Elevated to 6ft
House on Buoy Buoyant ant Found Foundation ation
Fiv ive e LSU Mech cha an ic ica al Engin Eng ine eeri rin ng stude stud ents built b uilt a pla platfor tform m with a buoya buo yant nt fou founda ndation tion to te test st the t he de design sign for flota f lotation tion and sta st abili bility: ty: Scott cot t Schr Schroth oth Dusti us tin n Hus Husser ser Dustin ust in Ewing Matt Guidr ui dry y Ben Mor Morvant vant
Stu tudents dents fro f rom m the th e LS LSU U Hur urri ricane cane Cent nte er adde add ed a house hou se frame and bu buililtt the floo flood d tank tank to t o run ru n the th e te tests: sts: Stuart Brous Br oussa sard rd Ezra Boyd Bo yd
Sett ttin ing g the t he pi pie ers
Ad A d d i n g t h e pl p l at atff o r m
Att t ac A ach h i n g t h e met m etal al f r am ame e
Sett ttin ing g the t he ve vert rtic ica al gui g uida danc nce e po pole les s (Note pole pol e desig design n has since si nce been been cha ch anged to tele telesco scopin ping g poles) po les)
The bu buoy oya anc ncy y bloc bl ocks ks
Slid lidin ing g sle sl eeve ves s go aro roun und d the th e po post sts s
Com ompl ple ete ted d buoy bu oya ant fou f ound nda ati tion on
Ad A d d i n g t h e ho h o u s e fr f r am ame e and an d f l o o d t an ank k
Hou ouse se fr fra ame alm lmos ostt comp co mple lete te
Movi oving ng the pla platfo tform rm to put p ut dow down n a lin line er
Ins nsta talllla ati tion on of ta tank nk liline ner r
A l ay ayer er o f s an and d h o l d s d o w n t h e lil i n er
No w ad d w at er . . .
LIFT-OFF!
Now we we'r 're e fl floatin oating g
Ad A d d m o r e wat w ater er an and d t h e pi p i er ers s g o u n d er
Rest stin ing g on th the e wa wate ter r
Aer A erii al v i ew
Water ba b arr rre els and sand sandbags bags are add adde ed to to simula simu late te we weight ight of house and conte contents nts
Movi oving ng the sa sandb ndba ags to tilt the hou house se
Test stin ing g comp co mple lete te!!
In t h e n ew s
L SU Fac u l t y Team Dr. Eliz li zabeth abeth Engli ng lish sh
[email protected]
LSU Hurri ur ricane cane Cente nt er, As A s s o c i ate at e Pro Pr o f ess es s o r - Resear Res earc ch
Dr. Marc Levita Levit an
[email protected]
LSU Hurri ur ricane cane Cente nt er, Dire ir ector ct or Dept of Civil ivi l Engine Engin eering, ri ng, As A s s o c i ate at e Pro Pr o f ess es s o r
Dr . L es l i e Ro s s o
[email protected]
Dep t o f Co n s t r u c t i o n Man ag em en t , As A s s o c i ate at e Pro Pr o f ess es s o r
Dr . War r en Wag g en s p ac k
[email protected]
Co l l eg e o f En g i n eer i n g , As A s s o c i ate at e Dean
L SU St u d en t Team s Mechanical Engineering Scott cot t Schr Schroth oth Dusti us tin n Hus Husser ser Dustin ust in Ewing Matt Guidr ui dry y Ben Mor Morvant vant Hur urri ricane cane Ce Cent nte er Stuart Brous Br oussa sard rd Ezra Boyd Bo yd
Cor orpo pora rate te Spo pons nsor ors s
Weidlinger Associates Inc. z Innovative Technology Group Inc. Bank z J P Morgan C hase Ban z Capitol Steel z
Let' Le t's s be b e su sure re this thi s ne n eve verr ha h app ppe ens aga gain in
Tha hank nk you yo u for fo r visiti vis iting ng our ou r websi website te www.buoyantfoundation.org