Flash Flood-Resilient House Design: A Step towards Climate Adaptation

Abstract

Traditional and amphibious houses situate their foundation on the ground or at a certain height and commonly do not anticipate the rapid increase in water level during flash floods, which can damage the structure. The study aims to design a flash flood-resilient house and estimate the construction cost. Archimedes' buoyancy principle is applied to allow the structure to float in times of flash flood. The buoyant component, EPS Geofoam, is attached to each of the structure's columns, encased by a retaining wall and lightweight materials such as bamboo panels are used for the structural parts carried by the buoyant component. With this, the flash flood-resilient house design can elevate from its stationary position, 1.5 m above the ground up to 3 m, making it a credible design based on the National Structural Code of the Philippines (NSCP) 2015 and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Moreover, the flash flood-resilient house design is 47% more expensive than the traditional housing cost, although the future expense from house reconstruction after flash floods makes it an economical approach. Thus, implementing the flash flood-resilient house design advances climate adaptation as it caters to the threat of flash floods and ensures safety.