FAQ's - SCFB®
Q. Is it possible for the barrier to raise only 6 inches and create a trip hazard?
No, once the flood waters reach the trigger level the SCFB® will deploy completely.
Q. Do you have a standard warning system for when the barrier rises?
The SCFB® is fitted with a telemetry system that will accommodate numerous warning systems including SMS Text, email, visual and audio and video if required.
Q. Is it possible for the barrier to become stuck in the down position?
No, the design of the SCFB® will not allow the barrier to get stuck in the down position.
Q. Is the barrier susceptible to warping due to heat/sun?
No; As the SCFB® is stored underground the barrier is not effected by UV or excessive heat.
Q. Is the barrier designed to take a vehicle impact at 30 mph?
The SCFB® is designed for a maximum side-ways pressure of 10 times the maximum water pressure. The material is flexible and reinforced with Kevlar which gives it superior impact strength. It is possible for the SCFB® to have yellow and black chevrons applied to the flood wall as a visual warning, when the SCFB® is deployed.
Q. What happens if the inlet structure blocks and prevents water from entering the system?
The inlet is designed to deploy the SCFB® even if the inlet is blocked by 75% of the inlet area.
Q. What testing has the SCFB® undergone?
From 1995 to 1997 the SCFB® underwent in excess of 70 tests inHolland; these tests included static load, dynamic load, buoyancy force, sand and gravel tests, duration tests (35 days), extreme cold temperature tests, and obstruction tests. These tests concluded that the SCFB® deployed in every situation. The SCFB® remained watertight in all tests. The SCFB® has been in operational use in a wide variety of terrain locations since 1998 and has never failed to deploy.
Q. What’s the residual life of the barrier?
The system has a design life of 50 to 100 years and requires minimal maintenance.
Q. What would the availability of spares be? (Lead times, guaranteed availability in the future)
This is dependent on Service level agreements, which are project specific to the client’s requirements.
Q. How do you get debris out of the unit if it enters?
No debris can enter the unit itself, the inlet within the inspection pit is at high level in order to minimise the potential for this. The basin can hold about 5 cmof debris before it will impact the barrier. If debris does get in to the system it can be washed out by simply hosing out the basin. However in an estuary location in Ireland 2 SCFB® have been in use for 9 years and deploy 170 plus times a year and have never been affected by debris entering the system.
Q. What if debris enters the main unit as the barrier rises and prevents the barrier fully rising, would a waterproof seal still be created?
When the wall deploys a seal on both sides of the SCFB® closes the space between the SCFB® wall and the basin. So no debris can enter the SCFB® when it is deploying, the barrier comes up unimpeded.
Q. How do you get two units to butt up against each other? Do you need a permanent post/column between each unit?
A single SCFB® can be up to 50 metres in length, if you require a change of direction then a column is built to accommodate this.
Q. Can heavy rain fill the inspection chamber and falsely trigger the barrier?
No. The drain pipe in the inspection pit will always drain the system in this case; however a pump can be installed with a float switch if required.
Q. Is the product yet kite marked or ABI approved?
The SCFB® is fabricated under: TCVN ISO 9001:2000 / ISO 9001:2000 and is approved by many institutes, universities and engineering companies. To date it has not been possible to obtain the Kite Mark as a specific PAS does not yet exist for this barrier. UK Flood Barriers are in ongoing discussions with BSI with regards to this. The barrier can be seen in operational test conditions at UK Flood Barriers test facility in Droitwich for demonstration purposes.
Q . How does the product deal with silt infiltrating the system?
The silt will stay in the pit and will not enter the barrier. The system needs an annual check according to a maintenance schedule. If there is silt, it can easily be removed.
Q. What is the life expectancy of the seals?
The seals have a life time expectancy of over 50 years. They are protected underground and are not affected by UV.
Q. How are the seals replaced when they perish?
The support block is removed for this operation, this allows the wall to be lifted out and the seals replaced. This takes less than 4 hours and would not leave the area protected at risk.
Q. If the seals fail while the barrier is in operation what is the effect?
This is all but impossible but if it did, then the barrier would have a minimal leakage rate.
Q. What are the annual maintenance procedures/costs likely to be?
It is essential to have a Maintenance Plan for any SCFB® system. The recommended frequency for maintenance is once a year. For a fifty metre length of SCFB® the maintenance time required is between 2 and 4 hours.
Q. Where has the barrier been installed and used in anger the most? Who owns these units and how old are they?
Projects
The first barriers were built at Yamanouchi in Meppel in the Netherlands in 1998 and 2000. Heavy traffic has been crossing this barrier daily for 12 years without any adverse effect on the barrier construction. The barrier has not required any repairs in that period. The barriers are tested once a year. A third Barrier was installed by the same customer in 2005.
The second barriers were installed in 2002 at Carrick on Suir in Ireland. The barrier deploys between 150-175 times each year and has required minimal maintenance, to the satisfaction of the authorities.
Several barriers were built from 2003 for Boulder in Coloradoand in Pennsylvania in the US, to the great satisfaction of the authorities. In Boulder where the onset of flooding happens very rapidly the SCFB® is listed as the only applicable flood barrier for the Boulder community.
In Australia the SCFB® technology has been widely accepted, with approvals obtained from Woollahra, Sydney, Newcastle, Marrickville, and Pittwater Councils in New South Wales as well as Melbourne Water in Victoria and Gold Coast City Council in Queensland. Five separate SCFB® units have now been built, making Australia a world leader in adoption of this technology. Installations have been individually designed to respond to critical flood events, whether this involves slower lake and river flooding or very rapid flash flooding, with response times as low as 1 minute.
In May 2009 two SCFB® 2500mm high x 8m wide were installed to protect the National Archives Building in Washington D.C. This building contains millions of priceless archive documents.
In May 2010 two SCFB® were installed in Cardiff for Quotient Bio Research Ltd to protect radio active storage areas adjacent to Cardiff Docks.
In February 2010 planning permission was granted for a housing development in Cowbridge using 17 SCFB® as specified by the Environment Agency in the 106 agreement.
In 2010 a number of quayside SCFB® have been installed in Antwerp, as a pilot scheme for a potential 1.4km section in a riverside location.
In January 2011 an SCFB® 1m high x 2m wide was installed inFreuchie, Scotland, to protect the driveway entrance to a nursing home.
Q. Is it possible to operate the system as a test?
Yes; by manually filling the inspection pit and closing of the outlet the SCFB® will deploy.
Q. Is it possible to integrate the drainage into the system?
It is possible to integrate a draining system to the outside of the land-side of the basin
Q. What type of foundation is most commonly used with the system?
A concrete foundation with a thickness of 250 mm is sufficient in most scenarios.
Q. If people are trapped on the wrong side of the barrier as water levels rise, how do they get back over the defence - especially if they are disabled?
A telemetry system can be installed which would warn of rising water levels at an early stage, and the area can be evacuated promptly ahead of the flood situation.
Q. How wide are the pre-cast units?
Units come in lengths of 1000mm up to 6000mm and then connected on site.
Q. Is it possible to prevent automatic operation (manual catch)?
For manual operation the service pit is connected to the mains water.
Q. Is the barrier prone to vandalism?
In its closed position the barrier is protected underground and therefore not prone to vandalism.
Q. Will the barrier still work when there is a power break cut?
The barrier is not energy driven and therefore still operates in case of a power black out.
Q. Are there any kind of procedures/costs in closing the barrier?
No. The barrier is self activating and needs no service staff, hydraulics, mechanics or electric devices to operate. Therefore there is no additional cost involved in the closing of the barrier. This makes it a highly cost effective choice for the authorities, and gives clarity of pricing when choosing the most optimal barrier system which is designed to last a number of decades.
Q. What is the maximum time that the barrier can withhold flood water without leakage?
There is no time limit. In a duration test the barrier was loaded with a maximum water pressure for over 32 days without any leakage.
Q. Is the barrier resistant to cold weather with a hard frost?
In areas prone to severe frosts the barrier would require an extra protective layer of concrete at the sides of the basin.
Q. Is it possible to drive over the barrier with heavy goods vehicles?
Yes; in this case the barrier would need a heavy duty basin and concrete loading elimination plates.