CASE STUDIES - COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

Property A

A Grade II Listed Restaurant(The Fig Tree) in South Wales within a small village on the flood plain of the main river which has suffered from river flooding up to 600mm deep internally on several occasions over last ten years. Due to the topography the property is protected by the railway line but this is surpassed higher upstream.

• The property was converted into a top-class restaurant and the owners cannot afford to loose the business due to regular flooding.
• Property floods through the doors and up though the drains when the river banks are overtopped upstream and flows down an old lane to flood the area around the restaurant.
• Generally the walls are 600mm thick stone but the service block is just rendered blockwork.
• Many existing openings had been ‘blocked’ using concrete blocks with a timber cladding and ventilation ducts had been taken through at low level.
• A detailed Survey revealed that there is a clay layer on average some 750mm below GL.
• EA want to maintain the flood plain therefore a bund or wall around the property not acceptable and would not meet the cost benefit analysis criteria in any case.
• The Owners live on the site and wanted a system which they could easily deploy themselves.
• The property has limited notice of flood warnings about 2 hrs.
• Flodef ‘s system was chosen after a full cost benefit analysis as the most cost effective and practical solution under the WAG grant system.

The Solution required a Flodef system completely isolating the service block with an impervious membrane down to the clay layer.  The blocked up openings were protected with a one layer membrane system and the ventilation ducts altered to exhaust above the anticipated flood levels.

The doorways within the stonework were protected with the Flodef system with demountable posts to accommodate the wider openings of this commercial property. Drains were fitted with appropriate non-return vales and a sump with pumps was fitted in the food store room for good measure. Listed Consent was obtained by Flodef Limited. The installation was completed in two weeks despite the loss of three days due to weather and working in with the clients business.

Client: Carmarthenshire CC & Mr. & Mrs. French.