Tech and flood: How recent developments can help with natural disasters

Flooding and hurricanes are part and parcel of life for many that live in disaster-prone areas. America alone has suffered through Imelda and Barry in 2019 alone. Not only is it devastating to your home, possessions, must like any other natural disaster, it also puts human life at risk. You can simply go online to know more about cyber liability insurance here: https://www.iselect.com.au/business-insurance/, although there is no insurance that can stop your house from flooding. Therefore, researchers have been slaving away to try and make the world a safer place through technology, creative architecture and innovative storm prediction. Perhaps one day, we will be able to fight nature and prevent storms before they are even formed. Flooding is usually caused by a leak in the house, but if it is leak-proof and enforced against the incoming tide of water, perhaps we can stay dry in our homes even as the storm is raging outside. In the Netherlands, engineers have taken to adding watertight flood doors and waterproof paneling in the house. While this would not be able to completely keep water from coming in through the windows and other crevices, engineers are also routing electrical cables much higher - rather than running it underground or on ground-level - and replacing easily sodden wooden floorboards with synthetic ones that can stand the test of water. However, the best method of building a flood-proof house is basically to lift it off the ground on stilts. The downside to this is that you cannot be completely sure of how high the waters will reach and you can only eyeball an estimation. The latest technology allows us to build houses that float. According to The Guardian, “Ingenious Dutch architects have designed houses that have a buoyant, air-filled concrete base instead of conventional foundations anchoring them to the ground” but these technological wonders come 20% more expensive than their less technologically advanced counterparts. But think about it: replacing your home and water damaged items might just cost you as much, if not more. If the 20% increase in price is not feasible, another architect halfway across the world has built a home on the shoreline and would be half submerged in high-tide when it comes. What he has done is created a drainage system that allows the water to rush into his water-proofed areas and drain out back into the ocean. If we are able to implement a similar construct to our modern homes, it could also save us the heartache of coming home to a flooded home. Imagine having a house that is waterproofed on the ground level and a drainage system that feeds directly to the water mains or underground pools. The garage can sit on the second floor, along with all other electrical appliances. However, similar to the concept of building a house on stilts, you will have to make sure that the flood does not reach your home at its peak. While this is difficult to assess, it is not impossible, with the flood predicting technology we now have on the market.对于许多生活在灾害频发地区的居民而言，洪水与飓风早已是日常生活的常态。仅美国一国，2019年就经历了飓风伊梅尔达（Imelda）与巴里（Barry）的侵袭。与其他自然灾害一样，洪水与飓风不仅会摧毁房屋与个人财物，更会直接威胁人类生命安全。你只需登录以下链接即可了解更多关于网络责任险（cyber liability insurance）的信息：https://www.iselect.com.au/business-insurance/，不过没有任何保险能够阻止房屋被洪水淹没。为此，研究者们一直潜心钻研，试图通过科技手段、创新性建筑设计与先进的风暴预测技术，为世界构筑更安全的防线。或许未来某一天，我们能够与自然抗衡，在风暴形成之初就将其遏制。 房屋进水通常源于墙体渗漏，但如果房屋具备防漏性能且可抵御来势汹汹的洪水，即便屋外风暴肆虐，屋内也能保持干燥。荷兰的工程师们已在房屋中加装防水防洪门与防水护墙板。尽管这类设计仍无法完全阻挡从窗户与其他缝隙渗入的水流，工程师们还将电缆架设于更高位置，而非埋入地下或铺设在地面层，并将易被水泡坏的木质地板更换为耐水合成地板。 不过，建造防洪房屋的最优方案，本质上是利用桩柱将房屋抬离地面。但该方案的弊端在于，无法精准预判洪水的最高水位，只能依靠经验进行估算。而最新的技术已能打造可漂浮的房屋。据《卫报（The Guardian）》报道：“荷兰极具创意的建筑师们设计出一种房屋，摒弃了将房屋固定于地面的传统地基，转而采用充气式浮体混凝土基座”，但这类科技化住宅的造价比常规住宅高出20%。但不妨细想：即便不算更多损失，重建被洪水损毁的房屋与财物所需的花费，可能已与这20%的溢价不相上下。 若20%的造价增幅难以承受，全球另一端的另一位建筑师则在海岸线上建造了一栋房屋，涨潮时房屋将被半淹没。他设计的排水系统可让海水涌入房屋的防水区域后，再排回海洋。若能将此类设计应用于现代住宅，便能让人们免受归家时发现房屋被淹的痛心与困扰。 不妨设想这样一栋房屋：一楼地面做了防水处理，配套的排水系统可直接接入市政水管或地下储水池；车库与所有电器设备均设于二楼。不过，与桩柱抬升房屋的思路类似，仍需确保洪水峰值不会漫过房屋。尽管这一评估难度不小，但依托当前市面上已有的洪水预测技术，实现这一目标并非不可能。