One of the main responsibilities of a geo-environmental engineer is accounting for extreme weather and the effect it can have on our buildings and infrastructure. Floods are one of the most common types of natural disasters, and their impact can be devastating. This means that flood risk management is important, potentially life-saving work.
Eradicating the risk
As is often the case, the best way to deal with the damage and various other issues caused by flooding is to minimise the risk of it occurring in the first place. This can be done in a variety of ways – for example, the construction of dams and reservoirs to manage the flow of water. It is also useful to carry out regular evaluations of existing drainage and water management systems. One such survey is a Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) assessment, which can reveal vulnerabilities and areas for improvement both at existing sites and areas earmarked for development.
Reducing the impact
Part of the role of a geo-environmental engineer is planning for every scenario. It is also often necessary to put into place systems that can help to reduce the risk to people and infrastructure in circumstances where preventing flooding altogether is impossible.
This may take the form of additional defences such as deployable barriers and gates, early warning and information systems as well as temporary defences that can be transported to areas of need.
Managing the risk
At Paul Waite Associates, we use cutting-edge technology to accurately model flood scenarios, allowing us to assess potential impacts and plan accordingly. We undertake in-house flood risk and SuDS assessments and have extensive experience working with a variety of drainage systems. To find out more about our flood risk management or any of our other services, please get in touch today by calling 01535 633350 or emailing us at info@pwaite.co.uk.