Amphibious Homes: A Real Solution to Flooding?

Fabian Nehrbass

Sea level rise- floods

Thailand $45 billion dollars damage due to floods in the past two years

Australia $9.6 billion 1.4 million people live in Louisiana’s

coastal parishes 634,000 homes New Orleans sea level rise:

8” by 2030 19” by 2050

Possible solutions:

Levees Restoration of wetlands Sediment use form Mississippi to

rebuild land Abandon land Adapt!

Amphibious homes

Allows the home to sit close to the ground, and in the event of a flood, rise up with the rising water

Why not just elevate homes?

Increased vulnerability of the structure to wind damage

Elevations are expensive $40,000-$60,000 to elevate vs. $25,000

to retrofit existing house with floating foundation

Difficult access to living areas Loss of character

Advantages of floating homes No loss of character Cheaper than elevating No issues with soil subsidence Less vulnerable to hurricane damage

Problems with floating homes

FEMA does not believe they are a good strategy to protect against hurricane flooding

Storm surge can still push water into such a home

Still need to evacuate Only work in areas where water rises

slowly Size and weight limitations

Problems continued

**National Flood Insurance Program will not insure floating houses because they are not considered anchored to the ground**

Chance they aren’t allowed In Lakeview, house wasn’t allowed in

“special flood hazard zone”

More susceptible to wind damage?

FEMA

Suggestions

How it works – Buoyant Foundation Project Shotgun retrofitting

Buoyancy blocks and a vertical guidance system interconnected by a light structural frame

Utility lines have either long, coiled “umbilical” lines or self-sealing “breakaway” connections that disconnect gas and sewer lines when the house begins to rise

Examples

Netherlands Maas River Prison Greenhouses

Maldives – designed by Watersudio Raccourci Old River, Louisiana 9th Ward Lakeview UK

FLOAT House, 9th Ward

FLOAT House, 9th Ward

FLOAT House, 9th Ward

“Noah’s Ark” –Lakeview

Raccourci Old River

Maas River

$310,000 each (about 25% greater) All survived major floods in 2011

Maas River

Maas River

Floating prison- Zaandem, Netherlands

Floating prison- Zaandem, Netherlands

Maldives

Maldives

Conclusion

No flood insurance, no success Frequency of storms? Wind protection? Float them down the river to Baton

Rouge!