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3. FLOOD DISASTER CONTROL …

First of all, we must comment on the causes for which floods occur and the main consequences they cause. We could also consider the forms of appearance of the flood according to its speed.

Main causes:

Floods are normally produced by high intensity rains, storms, storms, in addition to those caused by thaws, which in turn together with the rains in many cases produce overflowing of rivers, canals, ravines, ditches, etc. In addition, all this can be caused by meteorological phenomena such as «damage», «cold drop», hurricanes, tsunamis, etc.

Consequences:

Among the most important we will name the following: Deaths and injuries to people and animals, destruction of transport and other infrastructures, landslides on slopes or slopes, disasters in the fields, loss of crops, crops, etc., destruction of cities or urbanized areas, appearance of diseases due to lack of sanitation, etc.

Speed:

Slow appearance, it is the case that the water level rises with enough time to forecast it, for weeks or months.

Rapid appearance, in this case its appearance occurs in a short space of time so that it is much more destructive than the previous one.

Lightning appearance, is the one that produces the most damage, because you can hardly react. It usually occurs due to a rapid flood of a river, ravine, boulevard or any riverbed.

EXAMPLE OF THE LAYOUT OF FLEXIBLE GAVION BARRIERS CONTFLEXDIQUE FORMING DEFENSES FOR FLOODS OR OTHERS

In this exposition the procedures to be applied will be summarized. We are aware that there will be many specific points that will have a particular application, but basically all the solutions will be based on the same, regulating the waters so that they do not cause damage and where possible, letting it flow through its natural course.

We must be aware that what is «done», «is done» and although urban correction policies and others are being generated, we must protect what currently exists and especially with the natural disasters that occur more and more often.

So, let’s imagine a city on the coast that has to withstand its own torrential water that falls directly on it, the waters that rush with great speed over the general perimeter of it. In addition, we find that the natural drainage boulevards are completely full and are overflowing, of course the sewer does not give more than itself to fulfill its function, and even water begins to enter the houses through it. This situation that we raise is totally chaotic, but we say that it has a solution, without making great works and pharaonic investments, without building great infrastructures, etc. Yes indeed, we must have the will on the part of all our political representatives and of the people who have enough power to make decisions to want to apply the solutions once and for all and to stop being dizzy, as is commonly said. Every year that passes the destruction is repeated, the serious problem is not made aware, and therefore serious measures are not taken to correct these disasters as much as possible.

In the first place, we must ensure that all these effects do not reach the city or urban area, or at least, all at the same time.

The only one that in principle cannot be controlled is the torrential water itself that falls within the population’s enclosure.

EXAMPLE OF UNCONTROLLED WATER IN FLOODS

The Contflexdique proposals that are presented here are common sense and generic, but they can serve as a basis for analyzing the possible defense to have in the face of foreseeable floods. We believe that any technician or interested person will understand them, being aware of the real application difficulties that will logically exist in each case, but that does not mean that they will not have an appropriate solution to the case.

So, we move on to comment on this proposed solution.

A small natural defense of approximately 1.20 m high or the height that by levels is necessary will be placed around the perimeter that borders the town to the coast area. This is to ensure that direct runoff waters do not easily enter the urban area. It may be necessary to place several lines of defense in parallel, spaced enough from each other to divide the accumulation of waters. These defenses are placed in the rural area, adapting to the terrain relief, to the steps, set apart at a reasonable distance, depending on the case, from the first urban line that we wish to protect. These natural defenses would be imperceptible to the eye, since the function is to divert water to the sides of the urban area, they would be in the field as one more bank.

In the defenses there will be open areas, either due to the need for communications, unevenness, etc. In addition to controlling the inflows and outflows of water, which logically will have to be foreseen after the possible flooding, so water collection regattas with the necessary unevenness must be taken into account for the expulsion of the possible accumulated or retained water after the avenues of waters. Likewise, there will be opening systems in the areas considered, to be able to open or close as appropriate.

In the boulevards or channels that cross the population, the lateral levels should be raised around 1 m or a little more according to the experience observed in previous floods, to try to control the overflow of the waters on their way.

In addition to this, long before reaching the urban area, it would be convenient to generate, in the upper level of the overflow of the boulevard or riverbed or about 50 cm below it, derivations or branches, formed as walls of natural defenses that would be small channels of surface drainage that would direct the waters to the coast without entering the urban area, thus achieving that the water level of the riverbeds, boulevards or other channels in the city is much lower and therefore these drags will be largely avoided of vehicles and destruction that we are seeing occur in flood after flood. That is, we are doing what we would call overflows, which collect the overflowing water and, in the case that concerns us, takes it to the sea. It could also be collected for later use. Possibly applying this type of solutions the water would flow with heights of 50 cm except in areas of boulevards or important channels, in addition it would be regulated and directed to convenience. It is necessary to avoid the maximum amount of water entering the urban area, ensuring that the boulevards carry a controlled water level, and this must be regulated before the waters enter the urban area.

In the ravines of the area that direct the torrential waters towards the ramblas, or other channels, depending on the case, it might be convenient to regulate the amount of water that they contribute, at least in time. For this, it may be convenient to put natural water containment systems with small dams so that we laminate the water that will reach the final collection channels, which are the ones that usually overflow in the city.

SCHEME OF DEFENSE ACTIONS AGAINST FLOODS IN A CITY – CONTFLEXDIQUE PROPOSALS

NATURAL DEFENSE POSITIONING-CONTFLEXDIQUE PROPOSALS

All these solutions (containments, defenses, diversions, water storage, etc.) can be done with the contflexdique flexible gabion barriers, since they act as the skeleton or main support of the small or large defense of vegetated lands, since without it the small or great containment would disappear with the force of the waters.

Finally, for the collection of the torrential waters that fall within the urban area, and considering that the sewerage network is not enough, once the route of the waters has been studied and the ones with the greatest collection of waters, as well as the corresponding study of levels, we consider that a valid solution would be the installation in the streets of interest of an independent network of large section for the collection of rainwater, which being clean water could drain directly where it was most convenient, yes, never in the current existing network.

With this article we have claimed that floods and natural disasters caused by water, although we cannot control them completely, in a small part if we can correct them and in many cases this would be enough to avoid such accidents, at least as much as possible. We also want all people, Environmental Technicians, Engineers, Architects and all those professionals who at some point need to design or project in anticipation of flood situations to know that they have a very useful item such as contflexdique flexible gabion barriers. Of course we also want it to serve for information to all Town Halls, Municipalities, Communities, Autonomous Bodies, etc. who know that this type of problem affects you,

Our greatest wish is that measures are taken now, so that this autumn and winter the disasters of previous years do not repeat themselves, and we urge all the organizations involved to act before this happens.

Author: Contflexdique sl-Contflexdique Flexible Gabion Barriers

Web: www.gavionesflexibles.com Email: contflexdique@gmail.com