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John Cruet
Joined: 30 Apr 2004
Posts: 290
Location: Guilford, CT
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 Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2005 7:10 am Post subject: FloodSmart- Real Solution or Sham? |
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You be the judge
This system is patented, too!
Of course, once the house is jacked up, there are site access issues to deal with. The site conveniently ignores them.
Hmmmm........
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John Cruet
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www.johncruet.com |
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jewel93983
Joined: 08 Dec 2005
Posts: 2
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JWmHarmon
Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Posts: 112
Location: Ohio
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| Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 4:32 pm Post subject: Raising structures above flood level - not a new idea |
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From the historical section of my book shelf is a copy of Audels Mason and Building Guide (1971 Printing) (Original copyright 1924), pp. 375-378 that shows illustrations of using through-wall needles to support masonry walls with jacks, and shoring to support a building while the underlying soil is removed and deeper footings constructed when an adjacent building is going to be built with deeper footings.
It would be possible to use those jacks and shoring to raise the level of the entire structure above expected flood level and construct new foundations and piers as needed.
In my community we had a house that was in the way of a highway widening project. A local company raised it on jacks and shoring, placed it on steel beams and raised the house about 20 feet higher up the hill side and moved it about 50 feet back from its previous location. A second house was moved back about 75 feet from another new road and built on a new foundation.
Also in my community are businesses on "the strip" that were built in the flood plain. About every 10 years some of these business flood. Millions were spent on a flood control levee. This has reduced, but not eliminated the flooding. If those millions had been spent to elevate the businees five feet higher, they would not flood. All of the fill used to build the levee would have been sufficient to raise every building in the flood plain above the predicted flood level.
The company cited above has apparently developed a process for tunnelling under and hydraulically raising structures. If they have created a unique way for doing this, they have every right to patent the process.
The rest of us can use our own methods for raising structures above flood level.
Why not enact and enforce a code that requires that no one build in a predicted flood plain without raising the structure above the predicted flood level? Would that be any more expensive than paying flood insurance premiums and periodically rebuilding flooded businesses and residences? Flood maps have been in existence for at least 30 years, maybe longer.
There may be no way to prevent the destruction from the storm surge of a hurricane, but every structure beyond the reach of the strom surge should be built to tougher codes and definitely built above the predictable flood level. |
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