Concrete and Flooding

THE CONCRETE CONTRIBUTION TO FLOOD PROTECTION,

RESISTANCE AND RESILIENCE
2 Concrete & Flooding

Contents

Flood:
Introduction 3

Protecting our built environment 4

Government: legislation & regulation 5

an overflowing or influx
of water beyond its normal
Concrete solutions
for flood avoidance 6 confines, especially over
Sustainable Drainage land; an inundation.
Systems (SUDS) 8 - Oxford Concise English Dictionary

Concrete solutions
for flood resilience 9

Case studies 10

Summary 11

References and further reading 11

About this
publication
Flooding and flood risk has become increasingly common
in the UK. As an island with a mild climate, the UK has always
experienced high rainfall, coastal erosion, and fast flowing rivers,
all of which can cause flooding. With the impact of climate
change, flooding and the risk of flooding is expected to increase
significantly.

This publication aims to give designers an understanding of

the issues of flooding, how to assess the risk, how to design
appropriately and how to specify the correct materials to meet the
challenge.

This publication provides a background to the causes of flooding;

the regulatory and government drivers that influence design
and construction in flood risk areas and examines the concrete
solutions to flood avoidance, resistance and resilience.

The further reading section provides a useful list of publications

which support design strategies and solutions to mitigate the
effects of flooding.
Cover images
Main image: Man made concrete water barrier
Top insert: Effects of flooding, courtesy of Aggregate Industries
Bottom insert: SUDS paving solution, courtesy of Interpave
This page: Flooded road in rural England
 Concrete & Flooding 3

Introduction
Flooding is one of the key challenges of the 21st Flood risk
century. Addressing flood risk is a high priority The Environment Agency calculates flood risk. The risk of a specific level
for government at a national and local level. of flood (figure 1) is usually described in two ways:
Flooding is not only a major threat to future land
development and civil infrastructure, but also for 1) The likelihood of a particular flood happening, best expressed as a
building owners and their design and construction chance or probability over a period of one year. For example ‘there is a 1
teams. With increasing water levels, flood risk areas in 100 chance of flooding in any given year in this location’ [1].
are expanding and growing in number.
2) As a percentage chance per year. For example, a 1 in 100 year risk = 1.0
According to the 2005 Financial Risks of Climate Change report from % chance of the 1 in 100 year flood level occurring in a particular year.
the Association of British Insurers (ABI), climate change could increase
the costs of flooding 15-fold by the 2080s. The increased risk of flooding
is being attributed to the increase in rainfall due to climate change, as
well as continued urban expansion. Flooding can arise from a number of
different sources: 1 in 200 year flood level - 0.5% chance
1 in 100 year flood level - 1% chance

Natural watercourses (rivers and streams) 1 in 50 year flood level - 2% chance

This type of flooding is linked to extreme rainfall, melted snow or hail.

Rivers have a limited hydraulic capacity. During heavy rainfall, water
levels can overtop the banks and flow on to the low-lying areas on either
side of a river (flood plains). Flash floods, up to now, have been rare in the
UK, and is often attributable to the drainage and topography of a site as
well as the weather. Figure 1: Diagram showing flood levels associated with different levels of risk

Surface water run-off

Flooding from this source is normally associated with heavy rain in areas
where the capacity of the surface water drainage system is unable to
cope with a sudden influx of water. The result can be localised flooding.
Coastal flooding
Flooding of low-lying coastal areas is normally prevented by sea
defences, but estuaries can have surges of water caused by wind, high
tides and changes in atmospheric pressure. The Thames Barrier is used
to protect the City of London from tidal surges, and similar defences may
be required elsewhere in the future.
The Environment Agency maintains a map of the UK which shows if
a property or locality would be affected by a 1 in 100 year river flood
or a 1 in 200 year sea level flood. The map also indicates the extent
of a 1 in 1000 year flood event. This information is available at
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/flood.
Climate change predictions have an impact on the flood risk because
of predicted consequential sea level rises. For example, how a 13 metre
rise above sea levels could affect the shape of the UK can be seen from
figure 2.

Groundwater No data
Below current sea level
Water is stored in underground aquifers (permeable rock e.g. chalk 0 - 13
or sandstone), and occasionally, after prolonged periods of rainfall, 13 -150
150 - 200
underground water can rise above ground level and cause flooding. 200 - 300
Areas prone to groundwater flooding tend to be low-lying over 300 - 350
Edinburgh 350 - 400
permeable rocks or ground surfaces. Groundwater flooding typically
400 - 450
takes longer to subside than other types of flooding. 450 - 500
500 - 600
600 - 800
Failure of man-made drainage infrastructure Newcastle
800 - 1400
Usually in the UK this will be related to service infrastructure, such as:
Scunthorpe

• Storm-water gullies, drainage systems and sewer flooding. Manchester Boston

This failure can be caused by blockages e.g. tree roots, or failure
of a pumping station. Birmingham Peterborough
Norwich
• Overloading caused by greater volumes of water than the system
Bristol
was originally designed to cope with. London
• Access shafts for service infrastructure can be a conduit
Bournemouth
for floodwater and can cause unexpected damage.

Figure 2: Extent of flooding due to sea level rises. Courtesy of DisasterMan Ltd.
4 Concrete & Flooding

Protecting our built environment

Many parts of the UK with established housing and infrastructure face increased flooding problems, such
as the Severn Valley and parts of Yorkshire; including Sheffield, Hull and York, all of which have been badly
affected by floods in recent years. The evidence of climate change linked to flooding to date has proved
compelling enough for the international community, the UK Government through building regulations, the
Environment Agency and the Association of British Insurers to plan and implement new measures based on
predictions of future impacts.

The prime reasons to protect against flooding are to prevent human

suffering, property and infrastructure damage, the spread of disease and
financial distress caused by future large insurance excesses and high
premiums. The UK Government has pledged to spend approximately
£800m annually on flood defences by 2011 but the insurance industry
believes this is not enough and may lead to the review of insurance
provision for flooding in the UK. In its guidance document Strategic
Planning for Flood Risk in the Growth Areas, the ABI points out that unless
sufficient precautions are taken to minimise potential flood damage
many homes may become uninsurable.

Flood plains
Building on flood plains may have to continue to take place, especially
in areas where there is high demand for housing, but where space for
development is limited. The current Communities and Local Government
(CLG) guidance (PPS25 [2] and its predecessor, PPG25 [3]) has tried to
ensure over the last five years that building on flood plains is avoided
wherever possible. The ABI has also called for a new flood resilience
kite mark for housing developments planned for flood plains. This is to
ensure house buyers and insurers are better placed to make an informed
decision on the flood resilience and risks to their home.

Image courtesy of Aggregate Industries

 Concrete & Flooding 5

Government:
legislation and regulation
The threat of flooding is second only to terrorism in the UK Government’s National Risk Register. [4]

Flood risk management has been a key priority for government and
planners in recent years. This has been addressed by a combination of
investment in permanent flood defences in areas known to be prone to
flooding, and in temporary defences (used by local authorities and the
emergency services) in the event of a severe inland flooding prediction.
Other measures such as planning restrictions and enhanced flood
warning systems have also been used.
The Environment Agency estimated that two thirds of the 57,000 homes
affected by the floods in 2007 were flooded from surface water run-off
from overloaded drainage systems, many of which are operating at or
near their design capacity. The cost of the combined damage from these
floods estimated by ABI was around £3bn.
Sir Michael Pitt’s interim report of the summer 2007 floods, published in
June 2008, highlighted the continued risk of surface water flooding. One
of his key recommendations was that more attention should be paid to
incorporating resilience measures in future. He believes that this should
be part of a multi-agency, government led strategy to reduce the chance
of such severe damage occurring again.
Planning Building Regulations
PP25 - Development Parts C* and H* are
and Flood Risk subject to amendment
SUDS
Future
Amendment to Climate Change legislation
permitted development to promote adaption
* Part C - Site preparation and resistance to contaminates and moisture (2004).
* Part H - Drainage and Waste Disposal (2002).
These are available on www.planningportal.gov.uk
Government Policy
The Government’s 2008 water strategy, Future Water, sets out a vision for
more effective management of surface water. It aimed to ensure that, by
the 2030s, surface water will be managed by:
• Increasing the capture, storage and re-use of water;
• Making use of natural drainage mechanisms, absorbing water slowly
through the ground;
• Routing surface water drainage separately, away from the foul sewer
where appropriate.
The strategy also announced changes to household permitted
development rights, so that planning permission is not required for
paving front gardens, provided porous construction solutions are used.
This came into effect from 1 October 2008.
The Code for Sustainable Homes
The Code for Sustainable Homes (published in December 2006) is a
Government-backed Code to encourage all new homes to be built to
sustainable standards. It awards points under a number of categories
which combine to achieve an overall rating between level 1 (least
sustainable) and level 6. Since April 2007, all new homes funded by the
Homes and Communities Agency† have been built to Code level 3. This is
expected to increase to Code level 5/6 by 2013.
As part of the Code the ’Surface Water Run Off’ category has an
allowance for flood risk management of a maximum of two credits.
Details of the credits available and the assessment criteria are
accessible in the technical guidance to accompany the Code, which
is updated regularly at www.communities.gov.uk/publications/
planningandbuilding/codeguide.
Concrete and the Code for Sustainable Homes is available at
www.concretecentre.com/publications.

Figure 3: The main drivers for flood resilience

In 2004, the UK Government’s Foresight [5] report estimated that 80,000

properties are at very high risk (at least a 10% annual chance) of surface
water flooding which would cause approximately £270m of damage
a year.

The Pitt report [6] also highlighted further issues which are still
to be resolved, in terms of how surface water is managed. Defra
recently consulted on a Draft Flooding and Water Management Bill,
which proposed that sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) would be
mandatory on all new developments within two years. SUDS is a design
philosophy which uses a range of techniques to manage surface water
by attenuation and filtration with the aim of replicating as closely as
possible, natural drainage (see page 8). Image courtesy of Aggregate Industries
† Formerly the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships.
6 Concrete & Flooding
Concrete solutions for flood avoidance
Flood avoidance can be explained in two ways; protection, to keep water away from the building and
resistance, which is to keep water out of the building.
Flood Protection
Flood protection can either be permanent or temporary and is
predominantly used to protect infrastructure. The main types of
temporary structure include:
• Barriers. These include barriers for blocking air bricks, window
openings, doorway openings etc. Systems can be designed to
blend with existing structures (including historic buildings).
• Skirt-type flood protection. This type of system can be attached
to the building, rising with the flood water and lifting a continuous
membrane to exclude flood water.
• Free-standing flood protection. This relies on the weight of flood
water for stability but requires time and expertise to erect.
• Interlocking precast concrete units. These systems tend to be
used for large-scale protection schemes (e.g. power stations and
other installations) but take time and resources to be deployed.
Large scale permanent flood protection schemes are generally designed,
installed and maintained in the UK by one of the major government
agencies. In England and Wales, the responsibility for flood defence
rests with Defra and is managed by the Environment Agency. There is,
however, provision for asking developers to contribute to part or all
of a flood defence scheme if it is required to provide adequate flood
defences for a new development. The principle that ‘user pays’ is stated
in most planning policy documents such as PPS25 – Development and
Flood Risk [2]. The principle of contribution may allow a development to
proceed that otherwise might be refused on planning grounds, due to
the risk of flooding.
Sea defences, Blackpool, courtesy of Birse Coastal
Flood Resistance
Flood resistance means that flood water is excluded from the buildings
and therefore significant damage and disruption is avoided. This strategy
may allow flooding below ground floor level but would generally
seek to stop flooding reaching above ground floor level where major
damage generally occurs. Flood resistance is best achieved in most
cases by elevating the ground floor, ensuring that the most sensitive
parts of a building are above the flood level to a standard of risk which is
appropriate to meet at least 1 in 200 year return period. An appropriate
solution is suitably designed solid concrete floors with an effective
damp proof membrane.
Elevation
There are a number of design options for raising the occupied parts of a
development above an appropriate flood risk level. They include:
• Increasing the floor level of a property to above the level of risk.
This involves raising the building. This will increase costs, but may
be worthwhile where a property is expected to flood on a
regular basis.
• Add another storey to the existing structure and to effectively
abandon the ground floor as habitable living space. In addition
to the loads of the new storey, a full structural assessment of the
loads expected from a flood should always be made before
adopting this solution.
• For new build, a half-basement or structural podium underneath
the living area may be an option. This could be used as a garage or
as a utility area, meaning less severe consequences (and risk to
safety) if there is a flood.
It is important to bear in mind that providing elevation in the structure
may not be enough on its own to address all flood risk. Transport
links, proximity to local community services such as shops etc. may be
adversely affected during a flood, so developments in high risk areas
should also be placed at the edge of a flood plain so that transport links
remain accessible. Means of escape from buildings and accessibility for
disabled people are also issues that need to be considered.
 Concrete & Flooding 7

Retaining walls
Where a higher level of flood defence is necessary, concrete retaining
walls can be utilised to create a barrier to stop flood water, or to be
part of a solution to channel and divert flood water away from the
infrastructure requiring protection.

Sea and river defences

Coastal and river flood defences can include concrete for breakwaters,
barriers, slope stabilisation, erosion control and water dispersion.

London Thames Barrier Concrete harbour barrier, Laupahoehoe Point, Hawaii

Concrete flood barriers

Concrete flood barriers are often used to prevent large scale coastal
or riverine flooding in areas of high risk. They can be both in-situ or
precast solutions.
Slip formed concrete barriers offer a rapid low cost solution
for the protection of critical infrastructure installations
against flooding. They have a design life in excess of 50 years,
are aesthetically pleasing and can easily be cast with gentle
sweeping horizontal curves to fit in with their environment. The
concrete can be finished in a variety of ways, imprinted, coloured,
exposed aggregate or clad with local materials to blend in with
any urban, rural or coastal landscape.
These barriers are maintenance free, are not damaged by burrowing
animals and sufficiently robust to resist the attentions of vandals.
Barriers can easily be connected into existing flood defences and
when used in rural areas, access ramps may be located to suit the
needs of both farmers and ramblers.
The water resistant slip formed structure can be built up to heights
of about 1.5m. Slipforming is an efficient process that can deliver
up to 200m of barrier per day, and can be cast either onto new
foundations or added to existing structures.

Figure 4: Constructing the concrete flood barrier. Courtesy of Britpave

8 Concrete & Flooding

Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS)

Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS) ‘aim to mimic as closely as possible the natural drainage of a site in
order to reduce the impact of development on flooding and water pollution’. *

The use of SUDS can:

• Reduce surface run-off volume;
• Increase water storage in the landscape and reduce peak
surface run off flows;
• Increase recharging water flow to aquifers.
SUDS have a number of components which can be used together, as
appropriate to a particular site or development. These are:
Concrete Paving Options
One of the UK Government’s main policies to deal with the increased
risk of flooding includes the use of sustainable approaches to drainage
wherever possible. Alongside traditional vegetative solutions such as reed
beds, detention ponds and grass swales, concrete paving can provide
additional absorption for areas of hard surfacing.
There are two forms of concrete paving that can work as part of SUDS;
pervious and permeable. They can work together or as separate solutions.

• Source control – allowing surface water to enter drainage systems

(including paved areas). Examples of source control techniques
include permeable paving, green roofs, vegetative solutions such as
swales etc. Concrete pervious and/or permeable paving also gives a
level of basic treatment to reduce concentrations of pollutants.
• Attenuation of flows – using devices such as storage tanks, swales
and storage capacity underneath permeable paving to reduce the
total storm flow and peak flows, and to provide treatment benefits.
• Passive treatment – to treat water at the end of the pipe before
discharge into a watercourse or aquifer. These methods can range
from ponds that allow settlement, to wetlands or underground
filtration tanks.
When a whole system is designed with some or all of these elements,
it can be used to provide a whole water treatment system. This has
considerable benefits in terms of cost, preventing overloading of surface
water drainage systems and reduction in carbon emissions associated
with water treatment, pumping and storage.
Many forms of concrete paving are available, both as in-situ and precast
solutions. Pervious concrete is generally achieved by using in-situ concrete
without fines, so the more granulated structure of the material allows
water to pass through it, without sacrificing strength or durability. Some
concretes may have chemical admixtures included to aid porosity.
Permeable concrete often refers to paving using concrete pavers which
allow drainage through their structure into a free-draining sub-base.
Other permeable solutions include concrete units which have a precast
void which can be filled with other material e.g. gravel, or be used to allow
grass to grow through. This grass paving is a widely used application
particularly for hardstanding areas.
Concrete paving can be used in most locations and for most general
purposes, it is an attractive way of meeting client specifications and is very
cost-effective. Concrete block pavements are also effective at removing
pollution from surface water run-off, by flushing them to the underlying
ground where pollutants are trapped, filtered or will naturally degrade
over time.

The use of a well-designed SUDS scheme can minimise the impact of

a development on local drainage and may even replace traditional
drainage systems completely. However, they are not a solution to large
scale river flooding, but part of the overall management of surface water
run-off, helping to reduce flood risk.

SUDS reduces the rate and volume of stormwater run-off and may
reduce the need for detention ponds (ponds and other features
designed to hold water back and prevent it from flowing downstream),
which take up space and may not be suitable in all locations.

SUDS allows groundwater aquifers to `recharge’ i.e. replenish themselves

for future use. This is important in many parts of England where Concrete pervious paving using in-situ concrete. Courtesy of Portland Cement Association
groundwater is used for drinking water abstraction.

SUDS can reduce or prevent the risk of immediate discharge of surface

water pollutants, including sediment, to nearby streams and rivers
where they may have a serious impact on aquatic ecosystems and hence
biodiversity.

CIRIA [7] guidance reports good long term performance of permeable

concrete surfacing.

Concrete permeable paving using precast concrete pavers

* www.ciria.org.uk/suds
 Concrete & Flooding 9

Concrete solutions for flood resilience

Even accepting that avoidance techniques can be used to lower the risk of flooding, on some sites flood risks
will remain. In these cases the risk can be managed by maximising flood resilience strategies.

A flood resilience strategy to manage flood risk accepts the likelihood Upgrading of existing floors
that property and structures might flood occasionally, using a flood The replacement of existing timber floors with more flood resilient
return period that is appropriate for the location. concrete floors is an option that is recommended by insurers. This
could become a condition of providing continued insurance cover
Building resilience is a term which requires construction of buildings for a property that has already been flooded. The insulation level of
which are easy, straightforward and quick to clean up when damaged in a the new floor will also need to meet current requirements of Code for
flood. The main ways that buildings can be made more flood resilient are: Sustainable Homes. This can be easily achieved with concrete and is an
additional driver for upgrading to concrete.
•  y designing them to dry out quicker and be easier to repair,
B
thereby reducing the length of time the occupants have to stay out
of their homes following a flood event. Walls
• Using materials resistant to water damage.
There are a wide range of concrete solutions for wall construction. The
dense structure and relative impermeability mean that concrete walls
Modern property can be more vulnerable to flood damage. The use of absorb water relatively slowly and immersion in water poses concrete no
chipboard, dry wall plasterboard, certain types of cavity wall insulation, inherent durability concerns. Design points to note include the role of
low thresholds for disabled access, all mean that increased flood damage renders, cavities and density of blockwork selected. Further information
is now expected in recently built properties. A CLG/ RIBA publication [8] on concrete and masonry walls is available in ‘Concrete and Masonry
gives guidance to developers and designers on improving the resilience Housing’ publication www.concretecentre.com/publications.
of buildings in low or residual risk areas. This includes results from an
extensive programme of laboratory tests carried out for CIRIA in 2006, Key
which produced for the first time quantitative baseline information on
1200 gauge Ceramic tiles
the behaviour of building materials and composites. [9] Insulation
damp proof course on screed
30 mm sand : 100 mm Hardcore bed
cement screed blinding layer
For house construction in flood risk areas, the choice of building
materials and finishes should maximise flood resilience by minimising
potential damage and refurbishment time. A high level of flood
External render Aircrete blocks
resilience is provided by concrete and masonry homes. When used as proprietary
reinforced Internal render 1 : 6 : 1
part of a flood resilience design strategy, concrete and masonry does not
absorb significant amounts of water and, depending upon the design,
may not require any finishes, which would need to be stripped off 150 mm
following a flood. Nor will they rot or warp as a result of water damage. unreinforced
concrete floor
The absorption and drying properties of a material are important in
determining how suitable it is for use in buildings where it might flood.
Concrete, if designed for the appropriate exposure condition (to BS
EN206 and BS 8500), can withstand periodic wetting and drying for
50 years or more. If designed correctly, reinforced concrete can also
be expected to remain serviceable for periods in excess of 100 years.
a: block wall with external insulation.
Modern systems such as Insulating Concrete Formwork (ICF) often
perform well in flood conditions.

Brick

Floors external wall Aircrete block

internal wall
External Internal render 1 : 6 : 1
Solid concrete floors, with damp proof membranes (DPMs) are render 1 : 4 : 1/2
often recommended as being the most flood resilient form of floor
Engineering
construction. These floors are also more flood resilient because they do 150 mm
bricks up to
unreinforced
not have sub floor voids, which may need to be dried and pumped out. design flood
concrete floor
level
Suspended floors using concrete materials (beam and block flooring,
150 mm
planks etc.) can be formed by using a mixture of in-situ and precast minimum Internal render to u/s slab
concrete products. The systems used often have a DPM laid above the
precast concrete floor. These are preferred over alternatives because b: brick and block wall, cavity
they are dimensionally stable, do not have a high rate of absorption and insulation.
are not subject to rot.

Figure 5 a & b: Water exclusion strategy

10 Concrete & Flooding

Case studies
SUDS system is part of the
regeneration of M inehead, Somerset
The county council led redevelopment includes modern workspaces for business, retail
opportunities, a 110-space car park and a viewing area for the new West Somerset Railway turntable
and used 6,500 m2 of concrete block permeable paving.

Sustainability and protecting the environment were key issues for Somerset County council
and environmentally friendly and economically viable paving solutions were required for the
development. “It was essential that the paving on this project looked good and was ‘in keeping’ with
the area but it was equally important that it provided a permeable paving and SUDS solution as it is
in a low lying flood risk area,” said Adam Burgess, architect at Aedas.

The paving captures rainwater, filters it - making it PH neutral, and stores it in an underground
tank. The cleaned water is then released into watercourses at a controlled rate in order to avoid
overloading sewers and drains and prevent flooding. Courtesy of Hanson

Sea Defences, Blackpool

The 100 year old sea defences of the famous resort town were reaching the end of their
serviceable life, with the wall being increasingly overtopped causing flooding of houses
and the seafront tramway. Blackpool Borough Council awarded a contract to replace
3.3km stretch of defences over four years. As well as meeting the requirement to protect
the town from the sea, the council was eager that the new defences should enhance the
visitors’ experience of the resort.

Five new headlands have been created, along with five hectares of open space. The
solution adopted involved the placing of 65,000m3 of ready-mix concrete with 44,000m3
of precast concrete elements.

The new defences generally comprise two rows of sheet piles with a sloping revetment
between them. The revetment is formed of a fill material placed at 1:3 slope, capped with
a concrete blinding layer. Precast concrete step elements are laid on top and lock together
to form a concrete apron. The steps not only act as a barrier to the sea, but also a seating
area for holiday makers. Behind the revetment there is a cast in-situ beam, a precast wave
wall and then a coloured concrete paving promenade.
Courtesy of Birse Coastal

Farnham housing development

The Crest Nicholson scheme is a mixed use development with retail, residential and leisure and is on a
flood plain adjacent to the River Wey.

The flood plain compensation scheme selected involved lowering the external ground floor of the
main building on one side and gradually sloping the ground towards a flattened, planted area at the
front of the building. Instead of a balancing pond, an underground attenuation tank was chosen in
order to keep the site hydrologically free-flowing, ensuring natural movement of floodwater between
the river channel and the flood plain; this option required no artificial pumping mechanisms.

Throughout the scheme concrete products will create drainage and subterranean voids that can
provide flood compensation and aid the flow of flood waters between the river and the flood plain.

Diagram courtesy of: Scott Browning Architects

Engineers: Thomasons
 Concrete & Flooding 11

Summary
Flooding and flood risk is a very real threat, which has increased significantly with the changes in
climate, increased development and population. The flooding in July 2007 brought the threat to the
fore front of policy makers.

The Government and environmental regulators are looking for new and sustainable solutions to address the risk, working on better preventative
measures and exploring options which allow further building and development to continue, without jeopardising the current urban, rural and
coastal landscape and infrastructure.

Concrete products can play an important role in helping to prevent and overcome flooding issues through a number of varied solutions.

References and Further Reading

1. www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/31658.aspx
2. Planning Policy Statement No 25 - Development and Flood Risk CLG, 2006 (www.planningportal.gov.uk)
3. Planning Policy Guidance Note No 25 – Development and Flood Risk ODPM 2001 (now withdrawn)
4. www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/reports/national_risk_register.aspx
5. Future Flooding Report, Foresight, 2004 (www.foresight.gov.uk)
6. Sir Michael Pitt, Learning lessons from the 2007 floods: An independent review issues call to action on flood risk, The Pitt Review 2007
7. www.ciria.org/acatalog/C609.html
8. Improving the flood performance of new buildings – flood resilient construction, DCLG/RIBA Publishing 2007
9. M Escaramela, A Karanxha & A Tagg, WP5C Final report - laboratory tests, CIRIA 2006

Making Space for Water - Taking forward a new Government strategy for flood and coastal erosion risk management in England. First Government response
to the autumn 2004 Making Space for Water consultation. Defra, 2005
Interpave – precast concrete paving and kerb association (www.paving.org.uk)
`Improving Surface Water Drainage’, Defra (www.defra.gov.uk/environ/fcd/policy.surfacewaterdrainage.htm)
The Building Regulations 2000, Part H. Approved Document, 2002 edition; Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2002
Improving surface water drainage: Consultation to accompany proposals set out in the Government’s Water Strategy, Future Water. Defra, 2008
Building Knowledge for a Changing Climate: Collaborative research to understand and adapt to the impacts of climate change on infrastructure,
the built environment and utilities. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council/UKCIP/Newcastle University 2007.
BRE Client Report No. 232-260 `Floods and Flooding: Building in Concrete” 2006
National Risk Register, Chapter 2: Natural Events. The Cabinet Office
Technical guide Improving the Flood Performance of New Buildings: Flood Resilient Construction, RIBA Publishing, 2007
(www.plannningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/flood_performance.pdf )
`Standards for the repair of buildings following flooding’ CIRIA C623, (www.ciria.org/acatalog/C623.html)
The National Flood Forum Blue Pages – directory of flood protection products and services
(www.floodforum.org.uk/flood_forum/NFF_BluePages_Master.pdf )
ABI pages on flooding and insurance: www.abi.org.uk/flooding and www.abi.org.uk/floodinfo
RICS Flood guidance: www.rics.org/Practiceareas/Environmentandland/Ruralandnaturalassets/Water/flood_guidance.htm
RIBA Flooding Conference, 2008: www.ajfloodplains.co.uk/Programme.aspx?m_pid=24647&m_nid=24643.
CIRIA: www.ciria.org.uk

For further reading ‘How to build flood resilient homes using concrete and masonry’ is available to download from The Concrete Centre
www.concretecentre.com/publications
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www.mineralproducts.org

www.concretecentre.com

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and take responsibility for its use and application. No liability (including that for negligence) for any loss resulting from such advice or information is accepted by Mineral
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time to time and should therefore ensure that they are in possession of the latest version.

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