Project Profile
Strategic Flood Vulnerability Review for Major UK Industrial Company
Learn how we helped a major industrial client in the UK improve their external hazards resilience by performing a strategic flood vulnerability review at existing facilities while providing cost-effective engineered solutions to improve resilience.
Project Objectives
#1
Establish vulnerabilities of existing facility buildings and equipment to provide appropriate strengthening measures for on-site conditions
#2
Perform independent technical reviews of third-party flood barrier designs being implemented on-site
#3
Provide structural foundation designs to support flood barrier installations
Project Overview
Following a number of major flooding events across the UK, a major industrial company wanted to review the resilience of their operations as it pertained to flood hazards. The purpose of the review was to identify where improvements were required to safeguard facility buildings and equipment that could have major regional consequences should flooding occur.
ABS Group provided support to the client by reviewing facility locations and identifying vulnerabilities specific to each site. The solutions provided by ABS Group supported the client in ensuring engineered enhancements were installed across the client’s facilities to improve overall resilience while minimizing potential disruption to normal on-site operations. This resulted in cost-effective mitigation across the client’s UK portfolio for potential flood hazards.
Client Needs
- Launch a detailed review of facility buildings and equipment to identify potential flood vulnerabilities
- Design appropriate engineered solutions to improve the resilience at each facility
- Establish the potential impacts should measures not be implemented
- Assure third-party solutions implemented at facilities were coordinated with the level of risk through independent technical reviews
Our Solution
1- On-Site Assessments and Vulnerability Identification
An important element of the project was the review of the client’s facilities and familiarization with the functions of individual buildings and internal equipment so that vulnerabilities could be identified, and proposed solutions could be readily implemented. To enable a systematic review of the buildings and equipment on-site, a two-staged approach was adopted to collect the necessary information and provide a detailed understanding of the existing facilities.
The first stage included a desktop review. This allowed us to review existing as-built drawings and supporting documentation and engage with the client to understand site-specific functions and any dependencies that existed, both internally and externally. This was followed by a series of on-site assessments, which enabled ABS Group to ascertain in-situ conditions, permitting the identification of potential vulnerabilities and areas that could be readily modified to improve overall resilience, reducing the requirement for more in-depth, complex modifications.
The completion of the two-staged approached enabled ABS Group to propose suitable enhancements with an accompanied scope of works that could be undertaken to mitigate the identified vulnerabilities.
2- Flood Barrier Design Review
ABS Group completed independent technical reviews for proposed demountable flood barrier systems that were to be installed as part of the resilience works being undertaken at the client’s locations. ABS Group was able to review the technical designs ensuring that they were appropriate and fit for use. We were able to provide input into the design of the flood barriers during the review, eliminating unnecessary complexities and reducing the need for major engineering works to be undertaken on-site. All of this helped the client to save not only money but also time and disruption during the installation works.
3- Flood Barrier Foundation Design
ABS Group also provided direct support to the client by delivering structural foundation and reinforced concrete flood barrier designs in-line with appropriate building codes. These solutions could be successfully installed on-site without major disruption to normal day-to-day operations. This was achieved by liaising with the individual site locations to ensure that specific on-site conditions and restrictions imposed due to existing layouts and site operations could be planned for and accommodated.
Value Delivered
ABS Group was able to help the client identify the vulnerabilities across their facilities concerning flooding hazards. We provided the client with greater insight and understanding into the possible exposures associated with future flooding events at each facility.
As a result of the identified vulnerabilities, ABS Group utilized its experienced engineering team to ensure that appropriate mitigation measures were recommended in response. These were then followed by solutions that were designed to account for on-site conditions to reduce the impact on normal operations at the individual locations.