Timber frame design for flood-prone sites
It is apparent that the rapid expansion of development on river flood plains over recent years has placed more people at risk of flooding, while reducing the ability of the natural flood plain to absorb rising water levels.
Land available for housing is increasingly at risk of flooding due to several factors including storm water runoff from paved surfaces and the more extreme weather events the UK is experiencing.
The increased risk, combined with pressure for more housing, is causing local authorities to reassess the criteria by which land is deemed suitable for development.
The measures described in this Wood Information Sheet (WIS) summarise the many practical steps that can be taken - often for little extra cost - to make timber frame construction flood resistant and resilient, and likely to comply with the evolving building regulations.
The content has been revised to include minor amendments to the text and to provide some updated guidance on specifying timber for enhanced flood resilience.
- Designing a timber frame building to avoid flooding
- Designing a timber frame building to resist flooding
- Designing a timber frame building to be flood resilient
- Selecting materials for enhanced flood resilience
This Wood Information Sheet was reviewed in March 2020. Minimal amendments have been made to update the references section.
Timber is a surprisingly adaptable material when floods occur, explains Philip O'Leary.
Article from the TRADA Timber Industry Yearbook 2014
This document contains a fully comprehensive list of all the most up to date Wood Information Sheets (WIS) published by TRADA. Available to members for free or non-members for £12.00, these Wood Information Sheets provide technical guidance related to almost every timber topic under the sun.
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