Flooding - The challenges of risk and resistance

The Government pledged investment of £2.3billion by 2021 to protect families, homes and businesses affected by flood.  Some of this funding has “trickled down” and has been made available to flood affected individuals through local authorities, however many of these operate in isolation and expertise in flood resistance is sporadic, with only some of the more high profile flood affected areas effectively able to take advantage of this.

So, what can be done?

Individuals affected by flooding and those responsible for public procurement need to be better informed when it comes to identifying effective and proven quality flood resistance solutions that will work.  Easier said than done in a flood industry that is a minefield and where specifying suitable products is difficult, with price all too often the deciding factor.  Many homes and businesses; even those fortunate enough to obtain funding, may not be as well protected as they had hoped when the flood comes.

The industry is aware of the issues and there are two high profile projects underway in an effort to provide clarity and rectify this;

1. The publication of the Code of Practice and guidance for property flood resilience facilitated by the Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) is imminent.
2. British Standard BS 851188, the replacement for the current standard for flood protection products (PAS 1188) is due for publication in September this year.

There's a wide range of Kitemark flood protection products available in the UK, from flood doors and barriers designed to protect building apertures to airbrick covers and demountable flood gates.

Many of these products are designed to be deployed quickly when there is a threat of flooding.

The Kitemark provides both manufacturers and specifiers alike with assurance that products have been independently tested and proven to meet the requirements of the standard. In order to maintain the Kitemark, the quality system under which the product is manufactured is assessed annually.

Anyone can test (or claim) that they have tested a product; however only products that bear the Kitemark have been independently tested and certified that they meet the requirements of the standard.

Many manufacturers/installers state that their products exceed the requirements of either the British Standard or the Kitemark scheme and sometimes both! These will often display copious marks to suggest the quality of their products but the only product specific mark of quality for flood protection in the UK is the Kitemark.

Whilst testing a product to a greater static water depth might suggest that it would perform better under flood conditions, it’s unlikely that the structural implications of this will have been considered. Most residential properties are simply not built to withstand the hydrostatic pressure exerted by flood water above 840mm which is why the current standard, PAS 1188 was set at this level. In addition, the standard also has requirements for performance when exposed to waves and currents.

CE marking does not apply to flood protection products as the current standard is not harmonized and should not be used on products, websites or promotional literature. These claims are simply false!