Vol. 1 No.

4, 24-31, Dissertation, December 2018, School of Architecture,

KLETU

Flood resistant structures in

combination with traditional
construction materials

Ritu Habib
Student, School of Architecture, KLE Tech University
Email:rituhabib17@gmail.com

Under the Guidance of:

Prof. Gitanjali Rao

Prof. Sharangouda S. Goudar
Ritu Habib Flood Resistant Structures in combination with Traditional Construction Materials

Abstract:
Since time immemorial, floods have been a monotonous wonder in India. Floods of changing degree impact a
couple of areas of the country or the other, reliably. Unmistakable zones of the country have assorted
environments and particular precipitation structures, accordingly, while a couple of areas face pulverizing floods,
diverse parts may, experience dry season conditions, meanwhile. Tempests are a standard ponder. Reliably
assortments occur with regards to the start of the monsoon, its empowering over the Indian landmass, and the
proportion of precipitation dissemination. In a couple of years, the assortment is extremely gigantic. Regardless,
there is a focal ordinariness and reliability on the monsoon that sets the infrequent rhythms of life,
notwithstanding the way that it in like manner causes shocking adversities in view of floods transversely over a
great deal of this bit of the world.

State of West Bengal in India, is one such state which faces the problem of devastating floods and suffers from its
post effects. In this paper an effort is made to discuss the concept of traditional flood resistant materials along
with new techniques, and how the combination of both can help resisting floods and minimize the damages
caused by the same.

• Flood: The word ‘Flood’ indicates, an overflow of large amount of water beyond its normal limits and they
are the roots of huge demolition from early stages of civilization.

• Flood can also be defined as a condition in which water spills over the bank and spreads to the adjoining
land

• Flood resilient structures: They are the structures that can resist floods in flood prone areas and can
minimize the damage/havoc that can occur during the time of floods.

• Flood damage resistant material: Any development material, which includes completes, fit for
withholding brisk and put off contact with flood waters without continuing with any harm that requires
more than supportive fix.

Aim / objective : To understand the importance of traditional construction materials in case of natural calamities
such as floods and how these materials can go in combination with modern construction techniques in order to
prevent/reduce the havoc caused by floods.

Methodology :
• Identifying traditional flood resilient construction materials in India.
• Understanding the materials used in Vernacular housing typology of flood prone states in India.
• Understanding about floods in West Bengal.
• Case study/example related to sustainable flood resilient project in India (West Bengal and Orissa)
• Understanding the practical application of traditional construction materials along with new construction
techniques with the help of the above case study.

Keywords:

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Ritu Habib Flood Resistant Structures in combination with Traditional Construction Materials

Design flood elevation (DFE): The base ascent to which a strong withhold ought to be raised or floodproofed. It
is the aggregate of the Base Flood Elevation and a predefined or an explicit proportion of freeboard subject to the
building's helper class.

Fill: Materials, for instance, rock, soil or pounded stone set in an area to extend ground rises or change soil
properties in a given domain.

Floodproofing, Dry : It is a procedure that results in the building, contradicting the passageway of flood water up
to the design flood elevation, with dividers essentially impermeable to the segment of water and fundamental
parts which can restrict decided weights.

Floodproofing, Wet : This procedure is arranged with the end goal to allow parts of the structure underneath
the design flood elevation to deliberately flood, by modifying hydrostatic weights and, by relying upon the usage of
flood hurt safe materials. With this procedure, parts of the working underneath the design flood elevation are
simply to be used for ceasing, storing, building access, kayak or creep space.

Necessity /scope of the research:

• High percentage of building construction and paved surface results in less infiltration of water, which
means that the surface of the soil is not able to absorb rainwater and it flows down to join the river,
which increases the water level.
• Because of this even a small climatic change or earthquake gives rise to floods.
• As India is a Peninsula, more than 40 million hectare of the total 3290 million hectare geographical area is
flood prone i.e. more than 12% of the geographical area in India lies in flood prone areas.
• During last few decades, other than large financial losses, millions of people became homeless and about
4000 people lost their life due to flood disaster in India.
• The increase in rate of population day by day is leading to deforestation.
• Places like West Bengal, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Kerala, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and
Rajasthan and are most affected by floods.
• During the recent years, the main floods occurrences in India include North India Floods 2013, Kashmir
floods 2014, Maharashtra floods 2015, Gujarat floods 2015 and Kerala floods 2018 which was the most
devasting and dreadful of all.

Source : Water Related Statistics (2013)

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Ritu Habib Flood Resistant Structures in combination with Traditional Construction Materials

Due to heavy rain in late July 2018, and overwhelming Monsoon precipitation from 8 th August, 2018, serious of
flooding influenced the Indian province of Kerala resulting about more than 445 deaths.

Thus, efficient flood preparation in terms of construction is need of the time to minimize damage in flood prone
areas. The techniques used should be sustainable, environment-friendly and economically feasible.

Traditional Flood Resilient construction materials in India:

Some of the traditional construction materials that are used as flood resilient materials in India are as follows:

• BAMBOO
• JUTE
• CANE
• REED
• WOOD
• MUD
• BRICKS

Also plants such as banana (Musa acuminata ), hogla (Typha elephantina), kolmi (Ipomoea aquatica) and more
such thirsty plants are planted in order that they absorb flood water and clutch the dirt, helping the entire
property remain flawless.

Vernacular housing typologies for Flood Resilience in India:

1] ASSAM :

In villages of Assam, bamboo houses are constructed. These kind of houses are bare essential out to fight the
significant tempests. The house floor is a bamboo weave that empowers the water to stream out, rather than
storing it. It's a basic rule of sensible progression. In the midst of this time, the tenants of the houses get into the
kayak that each house stores in the stilt domain underneath the bamboo floor. Exactly when the flood water dies
down, the Assamese people may include their home yet again. The things are anchored by placing them on the
bamboo hang. The highest point of the house is made of neighbourhood grass and has a life limit to 10 years
before replacement.

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Ritu Habib Flood Resistant Structures in combination with Traditional Construction Materials

The strained piece of the house shown above is for assurance aginst a delicate flood. In such type of houses , earth
plastering is often done over an affectionate bamboo divider for further security. Also the bamboo allows the walls
to breathe and serves the process of cross ventilation.

Thus, the above images indicate the usage and importance of bamboo in the traditional/vernacular architecture of
Assam as an important measure for resisting and surviving the situation of floods.

2] TRIPURA:

I) TYPE 1. (BAMBOO HOUSE)

• The structure, shown top is developed by flat individuals tied with jute ropes over bamboo posts.
• The stilt height is 1.5m to 2.00m from the ground level.
• The strained houses are intended to keep out the impacts of overwhelming monsoons.
• House wall and floor decorates are for the most part bamboo weaves which allow water floods and
substantial downpours to pass as opposed to getting away.
• House roof are constructed by settling bamboo supports over the posts, over which neighbourhood grass
laid.
• The rooftop tallness of the weaved floor is around 3.50 meters.
• Since bamboo is a bad conductor of heat, it keeps within cool and satisfactory airing along the porous
floor and walls keeps the dampness soothe inmost in the house..

II) TYPE 2. (MUD HOUSE)

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Ritu Habib Flood Resistant Structures in combination with Traditional Construction Materials

Mud house with bamboo panels, bamboo flooring and thatched roof.

From the above examples we now know that traditional materials like bamboo, and mud have a major role to play
in the vernacular housing typologies for flood resistance in Indian context.

Introduction to West Bengal:

South-eastern bit of India/Indian Peninsula rivers are monsoonal in nature. The conduits are presented to
extraordinary floods in the midst of the monsoon season. Over the latest couple of decades, different broad size
floods (top floods some place in the scope of 10,000 and 80,000 m3/s) have been absorbed and recorded. At the
point when all is said in done, floods caused by from Bay of Bengal precipitation, debilitations join the apex flood
record. Floods in the peninsular locale are accountable for human death, property and yields. The Region of West
Bengal has flood of 37,660 sq. km slanted zone spread in excess of 111 blocks whereas, total geographical district of
the state is 88,752 sq. km. An examination of the flood bits of knowledge that occurred in the midst of latest 41
years (from 1960 - 2000) exhibits that the total smashed zone passed over 20,000 sq. km in 4 changed years and
flood of medium degree (2,000 to 10,000 sq. km) occurred on 10 particular aspects.

Location :
West Bengal is situated in the eastern part of India, which grants its overall edge to Bangladesh, beside Nepal and
Bhutan, which reaches out from the Himalayas in the north to the Bay of Bengal in the south. West Bengal stands
enveloped by Sikkim and Assam in the upper east, the area of Orissa in the southwest and the states of Jharkhand
and Bihar in the west. The total geographical zone of the West Bengal is 88,752 sq. km (34,267 sq. mi) among
which 22% is slanted to flood every year..

Types of floods:

i. River flooding : The occurrence of land–borne floods or river floods is when the stream channels limit to
direct water is surpassed and water floods banks.

ii. Coastal flooding : It can be depicted as a strange ascent in ocean water level related with typhoons and
different tempests adrift. Water levels is controlled by wind , natural weight, existing astronomical tide,
waves and swell, adjacent shoreline front topography and the storm's proximity to the float.

Main causes of floods in Bengal:

• Primary reason being the low-lying zone, the plain districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, are immersed
where Ganga River gets its tributaries.

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Ritu Habib Flood Resistant Structures in combination with Traditional Construction Materials

• Near the gathering purpose of Ganga River with its headwater, release stream of the water is hindered
when Ganga River itself in floods.
• As a consequence of the blockage of the water in these tributaries, the water level raises now and again
causing surges.
• Southern part of the state of West Bengal also suffers heavy floods that are caused by poor drainage
system and heavy rains.
• Overwhelming floods that are caused by poor seepage framework and substantial downpours caused
heavy floods in the region of Southern Part of West Bengal.
• Issues of the flood, of each state, are of various essence in various regions. Such as the rivers like Torsa,
Raidak-I, Raidak-II and many more, which flows through regions of Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri starts in
the territory of Sikkim and Bhutan and flows to Bangladesh to join Bramhaputra at various areas.
• The results or origination of floods are a normal wonder in the beach front swamps of Orissa.
All altogether, we can outline to state that northern India is inclined to flooding because of the essence of
the River Ganga and its tributaries. That, as well as the monsoon, gives plentiful rain to this locale which
helps the icily encouraged and lasting Ganga to create floods amid stormy season. The location of the
flood-prone region of West Bengal is to the North Eastern Part of vast Ganges flood region.

State wise geographical area under flood.

Source : flood and floodplains of West Bengal

Source : flood and floodplains of West Bengal

From the above image we understand that in India, among the flood prone areas, West Bengal is also one of the
region which is affected by floods in the country, by Bay of Bengal. Midnapore and Murshidabad, among the

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Ritu Habib Flood Resistant Structures in combination with Traditional Construction Materials

generally influenced regions, are conspicuous because of their powerlessness and area. Each and consistently
every year these area experience floods and makes landforms basic to flood inclined districts.

Examples related to Sustainable Flood Resilient projects in India:

1)Flood - Resistant Shelter Pilot Project in India (West Bengal and Orissa) :

New Shelters Offer Buffer Against India's Floodwaters-Flooding is a lifestyle in a lot of rustic India, where yearly
monsoon downpours swell the waterway frameworks that jumble huge regions of the country's immense scene.
Long stretches of deforestation, coupled alongside poor land arranging and congestion inside specific staying
territories, has left a large number of India's provincial poor confronting intermittent catastrophe, as surge waters
wash away their vocations, their material belongings and their homes, the greater part of which are worked of a
straightforward mud development that is exceptionally defenceless or inclined to the peril of flooding.

- Fighting Back

• Countless occupants in eastern India are battling back and they give their gratitude to a catastrophe hazard
decrease venture propelled by Catholic Relief Services in the fiasco inclined conditions of West Bengal and Orissa.

• The outcome is an imaginative plan to construct houses more impervious to floodwaters. The plan utilizes
reasonable, locally accessible materials like solid blend and chicken wire for an enhanced establishment and wall
development and a breeze safe rooftop structure.

• CRS' crisis shield master worked with networks to distinguish their vulnerabilities towards calamities and to
decide need activities to build their flexibility and shield lives and jobs from future disasters.

• Many villages have been helped by the CRS since they have constructed 157 flood-resistant shelters in four
networks in Orissa and West Bengal utilizing this creative structure.

• Along with the neighbourhood accomplice offices, the CRS shelter master has likewise prepared nearby
craftsmen how to build their homes on cement covered earth hills known as raised plinths, making undeniably
more impervious to the long haul water submersion that goes with broad flooding.

• Hence, the model is reliable that it will move others to reproduce the plan, indulging the administration, as the
requirement for flood-safe lodging is so incredible in India.

- Member of the CRS project, Sukanti Dalai utilizes an enhanced blend of straw and mud to finish the walls of her
house utilizing methods to be more flood safe in the village of Raipur in Orissa.

They have figured out how to do likewise alongside the assistance of traditional materials such as bamboo and
mud that advance supportability, and thusly the association has effectively succeeded and figured out how to
endure the harms caused by surges.

Conclusion:
Beachfront urban areas confront the danger of flooding as ocean levels rise. The obligation of engineers,
organizers, and pioneers is to assemble flexible urban communities with a sustainable framework that can
confront the powers of catastrophic events. The amphibious foundation is an economical option for poor rural
areas. A lot of work is going on for flood resistant houses in different parts of the country and the world, and it is
found to be sustainable in its nature. In India, there is much need of an efficient and exclusive research in this
direction as the annual losses due to floods are very high.

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Ritu Habib Flood Resistant Structures in combination with Traditional Construction Materials

Bibliography:
National disaster management authority, government of India National Disaster Management Authority

(NDMA) January 2008.

Jennifer J. Krischer FP Facts 09_Flood_Resistant_Design.doc

Government of India Water related statistics 2013.

Mohammad Kamil Khan and Subhan Ahma , Flood Resistant Buildings: a Requirement for Sustainable

Development in Flood Prone Areas.

Concerned citizen’s Mumbai-Marooned-An-Enquiry-into-Mum bais-Floods-2005

Construction Of Buildings In Flood Hazard Areas 2012 .pdf

West Bengal Disaster Management Policy, Flood and flood plains of West Bengal, India

Government of West Bengal Irrigation and waterways

Disaster risk reduction in shelter and settlements. India 2008

Department of homeland security, FEMA, Dry floodproofed mixed-use building, United states of America.

Department of city planning ,Coastal climate resiliency Retrofitting Buildings for Flood Risk, October 2014,

New York.

Ethical Indian , Floods in India and its Economic Consequences – Ethical Post February 2015

Catholic relief Services Organisation Flood-Resistant Shelter Pilot Project in India | ALNAP. 2008, India.

Irina Vinnitskaya , Archdaily publications : The Threat of Coastal Flooding.

Elizabeth C English , Amphibious foundations and the buoyant foundation project: innovative strategies for
flood-resilient housing , University of Waterloo, November 2009.

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