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| DOI | Resolve DOI: https://doi.org/10.4224/40003478 |
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| Author | Search for: Poirier, Louis1ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7186-0284; Search for: Stolle, Jacob1ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0902-9339; Search for: Knox, Paul1ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4238-9347 |
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| Affiliation | - National Research Council Canada. Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering
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| Funder | Search for: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation; Search for: Architecture Sans Frontières Québec |
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| Format | Text, Technical Report |
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| Physical description | 78 p.; 80 p. |
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| Subject | flooding; inondation; retrofit; modernisation; resiliency; résilience; flood barrier; barrière anti-inondation |
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| Abstract | This report outlines a study funded by Architecture Sans Frontières Québec (ASFQ) and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) as part of the “Building for the Future” initiative. Flooding remains the costliest natural hazard worldwide, with damage exceeding US$320 billion from 2018 to 2023. Increasing instances of flooding, fueled by climate change, aging infrastructure and extreme weather conditions, present serious risks, particularly in Canada, where 80% of cities are located in flood-prone areas. With a significant proportion of Canada's real estate stock located in flood-prone areas, cost-effective solutions are essential to protect these properties. This project aims to:
• Evaluate the effectiveness of Canadian building standards against the effect of floods.
• Evaluate various temporary residential flood barriers under different conditions.
• Develop experimental protocols in line with existing international standards.
Two phases of testing were carried out at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC):
Phase 1: focused on assessing performance (leakage rates) through standard Canadian residential construction.
Phase 2: evaluated the performance of various temporary opening flood barriers in two experimental setups.
This study highlights the critical need for adaptable, standardized flood protection measures tailored to Canadian contexts. While many of the proprietary flood barriers tested showed promise, performance inconsistencies under real-world conditions underscore the need for rigorous, standardized testing. The knowledge gained here has laid the foundation for future research, policy development and public adoption of effective flood mitigation strategies.
This study is one of the first in the world to comprehensively compare temporary opening barriers (traditional and proprietary) in a three-dimensional flood environment with waves and debris impacts. The knowledge gained from this study will assist the general public in barrier selection and serve as a benchmark for the development of improved testing standards in Canada.
The results of this study will be forwarded to the CSA working group developing the standard for temporary flood barriers. The project also contributed to the training of four highly qualified people at INRS: two undergraduate research trainees and two doctoral students. |
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| Publication date | 2025-03-28 |
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| Publisher | National Research Council of Canada. Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre |
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| Copyright statement | - © 2025 His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the National Research Council Canada
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| Note | On cover page: "Prepared for: Élène Levasseur Directrice de recherche et éducation Architecture Sans Frontières Québec" |
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| Language | English |
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| Peer reviewed | No |
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| Export citation | Export as RIS |
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| Report a correction | Report a correction (opens in a new tab) |
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| Record identifier | 6c08d570-9f54-4dae-a4ff-55fbe942746f |
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| Record created | 2025-04-02 |
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| Record modified | 2025-08-06 |
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