INTODUCTION

Disaster Resistant construction practices are as

important as disaster resistant structrual designs.
Infact the methodology for construction also should
be designed for disaster resistance. We should have
proper implemenation of the structural details so as
to let the structure behave as envisiged.
The quality and methodology of construction is equally
important. For example we use cover blocks. If the
cover blocks are not cast properly in good quality
concrete then they facilitate concrete deterioration.
Ultimately this affects durability and serviceablity of
the structure.
The Durability and serviceablity are the key elements
of any structure. Ensuring Quality in construction will
enable achieving durability and serviceablity as a
desired end result.

TheEffectonbuildingsduetofloodsare:
a)Waterunderhighstreamvelocitywashesawaythehouses.b)
Risingwatersmaycauseinflotationofhousesfromtheir
foundations.c)Eventhoughhousesremainintactontheir
foundation,floodsmaycauseseveredamagetomaterials.d)
Velocityofwatermayerodethfoundationofthehousewhich
mayresultinthecollapseofthehouse.e)Massivefloating

objectsliketrees,electricpoles,etc.,mayeffectthestanding
housesandcausesignificantdamage.f)Otherformsofdamage
arewallerosion,cracksandbulgingdamagetowatersupply,
sanitationandelectricalsystems.
Protectionmeasuresagainstfloodsare:
a)Residingonriverbanksandslopesonriverbanksshouldbe
avoided.b)Buildingsshouldbebuiltat250metersawayfromthe
seacoast/riverbanks.c)Tobuildproperdrainagesystemsinall
floodpronearea.d)Toconstructthewholevillageorsettlement
onaraisedplatformhigherthanthehighfloodlevel.e)To
constructthebuildingwithaplinthlevelhigherthantheknown
highfloodlevel.
Theeffectsofcyclonesonbuildingsare:
i)Punchingandblowingoffofcorrugatedironroofingsheets
attachedtosteeltrusses.ii)Brittlefailureofasbestoscement
sheetingoftheroofsofindustrialsheds;failureofthesesheetsis
generallyridgesandgableends.iii)Failureoflargeindustrial
buildingswithlightweightroofcoveringsandlong/tallwallsdue
tocombinationofinternalandexternalpressures.
iv)Failureofroofingelementsandwallsalongthegableends
particularlyduetohighinternalpressures.v)Overturning
failuresofcompoundwallsofvarioustypes.vi)Failuresof
improperlyattachedorconstructedparapets.
vii)Damagetoroof/lintelprojections.viii)Damagetoimproperly
attachedwindowsorwindowframes.

Thebeststrategytoavoidflooddamageiscertainlytoavoid
floodproneareas(Hooijeretal.,2004;Royetal.,2003).Set
tlingandaccumulatingvaluesininundationareasisalwaysa
risk,sinceabsolutefloodprotectionisimpossible.Technical
protectionmeasureslikedykesorfloodretentionbasinscanfail
orbeovertoppedduringextremeevents.Wherevillagesor
townsalreadyexist,flooddamagemustbekeptassmallas
possible.Combinedstructuralandnonstructuralflood
mitigationplansseemmostpromisingandareexpectedtoresult
insignificanteconomicbenefit(Hayes,2004).Anonstructural
optiontoreducetheremainingriskintheshorttermandfora
sustainedperiodoftimearebuildingprecautionarymeasures
(LAWA,1995).Itisbelievedthatthesemeasuresarevery
effectiveespeciallyinareaswithfrequentfloodeventsandlow
floodwaterlevels(ICPR,2002),butdataabouttheireffectsare
rare.AnexceptionisthereportNonStructuralFloodPlain
ManagementMeasuresandtheirEffectivenessbythe
InternationalCommissionfortheProtectionoftheRhine
(ICPR,2002).Itevaluatestheeffectivenessofvariousmeasures
dependingontheircapabilitytoreducetheexistentdamage
potentialortheincreaseindamagepotentialandgivesanidea
oftheirimportanceconcerningfloodsofdifferentfrequency
andintensity.Thedamagereductionpotentialofvarious
measuresisgiveninabsolutemonetaryvaluesandinpercentage
classes.Unfortunately,itremainsunclearonwhichdatabasis
theseestimatesrelyon.Thus,afterthe2002floodinGermanya
surveywasundertakentoimprovethelimitedknowledgeabout
damagemitigationmeasures.Althoughitisacknowledgedthat

thepreventionofdamagetopeople(lossoflife,adversehealth
effects)ismostimportant,thepresentstudyislimitedtothe
mitigationeffectsondirectmonetaryflooddamagetoresi
dentialbuildingstructureandcontents.

2Reviewanddefinitionsofbuildingprecautionarymeasures
Thefollowingbuildingprecautionarymeasuresmaymitigate
lossesinfloodproneareas(Fig.1):
elevatedconfiguration,shieldingwithwaterbarriers,
waterproofsealing,fortification,floodadapteduse,flood
adaptedinteriorfitting,safeguardingofhazardoussubstances.
Buildingafloodadaptedhousestructure,e.g.usinganes
peciallystablebuildingfoundationorwaterproofsealthecel
lar,isgenerallyquiteexpensiveandcanfailespeciallyduring
extremefloods(MURL,2000).However,steelframeandbrick
buildingstendtobelesssusceptibletocollapsethanother
material,andwaterproofdrywallwillholdupforlongperiodsof
inundation(USACE,1996).Generally,theimprovementofthe
stabilityofabuildingcountersthedamagecausedbybuoyancy,
waterpressure,erosionandwashingoutoffreestanding
elements.Whengroundwaterrisesabovethefoundationofthe
building,thewallsandthebasisofthebuildingaresubjectedto
buoyancyforcesandwaterpressure.Countermeasuresthatcan
beundertakenincludeanchoringthebuildingorensuringthat
thebuildingitselfisheavyenough.Onlyifthebuoyancyforces

surpasstheeffectofthesemeasures,thebuildinghastobe
flooded.
Topreventpenetrationofsurfacewaterandgroundwater,any
openingsinthebuildingmustberaisedorsealingmeasures
mustbeimplemented.Backwatervalvesstopthewaterfrom
enteringthebuildingviasanitationincasesofbackwaterinthe
sewagenetwork(DTLR,2002).Buildingsaresealedbyusing
bitumenorstripsofplastic(EnvironmentAgency,2003a)orby
constructingthebasisandwallsofbuildingsoutofconcretethat
isalmostnonpermeable(BMVBW,2002).However,water
shouldonlybekeptoutofthebuildingsaslongastheyare
stable.Asageneralrule,themaximumheightofwaterproofing
shouldbeapproximatelyonemeterabovetheground,unless
furtherstructuralbuildingimprovementswereundertaken

5Conclusions
Buildingprecautionarymeasureshaveasignificantpotentialto
reduceflooddamageofresidentialbuildingsandcontents.
Althoughthesemeasuresaremainlyeffectiveduringsmall
floods,theyevenledtosignificantmeandamagereductionsof
upto53%forbuildingsandcontentsduringtheextremeflood
eventin2002.Thefloodmotivatedarelativelylargenumberof
peopletoimplementprivateriskreductionmeasures.Afterthe
flood,oneormorebuildingprecautionarymeasureswere
undertakenby42%ofthehouseholds.Thismotivationshould
furtherbestimulatedwiththehelpofinformationcampaigns
andfinancialincentives.Therewith,preparednesshastobekept
overtime.

Acknowledgements.ThesurveywasundertakenwithintheGer
manResearchNetworkNaturalDisasters(DFNK),in
cooperationbetweentheSectionEngineeringHydrologyatthe
GFZPotsdamandtheDeutscheRu ckversicherungAG.We
thanktheDeutscheRu ckversicherungAGandtheGerman
MinistryforEducationandResearch(BMBF)(No.
01SFR9969/5)forthefinancialsupport.DataAnalysiswaspart
oftheinterdisciplinaryLessonsLearnedProcessinitiatedbythe
GermanCommitteefordisasterreduction(DKKV)aftertheflood
in2002,whichwasfinancedbytheGermanRedCross.