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Zero’s Flood Barrier shields, installed on five doorways of the theater, helped keep the building
dry when Hurricane Irene filled the parking lot. |
Vertical channels for the shields were mounted on the door frames during building construction and panels were easily inserted in the channels to provide a watertight barrier when needed. Architect
Chip Greenberg, below, points to
high-water mark. |
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Zero’s Flood Barrier Shield Protects Vermont Theater in
Epic Hurricane Irene Floods
While floodwaters raged through the heart of Brattleboro, Vermont, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, the town's New England Youth Theatre (NEYT) remained dry. Flood Barrier Shields from Zero International installed at the theater's five doorways played a feature role in the successful flood defenses integrated in the building design by the Putney, Vermont, firm of Greenberg Associates Architects.
The theater, designed and built in 2006 and located within the 100-year flood plain of nearby Whetstone Brook, the building's floor slab is only a few inches above the flood plain. Prompted by recently strengthened Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) regulations, the building team implemented a floodproofing plan designed to keep the theater as watertight as possible. Key construction elements of this plan included: reinforcing concrete flooring to resist hydrostatic pressure; extending the concrete perimeter wall to three feet above the floor slab; added impact protection at the most exposed corner of the building; and using water-resistant materials for the bottom 12 inches of all walls and partitions.
To protect the five doorways that compromised the perimeter wall, Greenberg Architects principal Chip Greenberg specified a solution which he describes as "inexpensive and effective." Custom-fitted Flood Barrier Shields from Zero were made for each door, and pre-mounted vertical channels attached to the interior-side door frames were in place and ready for the 1/4 inch thick aluminum flood barriers to be inserted in preparation for rising waters.
When the flood waters receded, the debut of Flood Barrier Shield at New England Youth Theatre received accolades. The only post-Irene costs were for replacing a few square feet of damp carpet.
Although the 20-inch high flood barriers installed on the doors exceeded FEMA requirements by almost a foot, waters from the overflowing Whetstone Brook came to 4 inches from the top of the barrier. Architect Greenberg commented, "This reminded us all that a 100-year flood is only a statistical concept. NEYT is now considering extending the gates another 10” higher. While many of the control measures described were built into the foundation of the building, floodgates such as those installed at NEYT can fairly easily be retrofitted into an existing building. This may be the best insurance against 'the next one.' ”
Zero’s Flood Barrier Shield (FBS) is engineered to provide a watertight barrier that protects and prevents water ingress though doors and windows.
FBS comes in lightweight aluminum panels of any height specified when the order is placed. In addition to the pre-mounted vertical channels attached to door frames or adjacent walls, there is an additional horizontal channel across frame bottoms for installation of the window model. Installation is easy with no tools required for inserting the shield sections. A maximum height of three feet for the base section will ensure fastest installation by one person working alone, and additional panels can be stacked as needed.
Both the shield sections and mounting channels of FBS are constructed of marine-grade aluminum. Attached to the channel brackets and bottom of each shield section, Zero’s proprietary closed cell sponge neoprene ensures FBS’s impermeability. The rubber compensates for any gaps at door thresholds along with solidly sealing all frame edges. As floodwaters rise, increasing hydrostatic pressure against the Flood Barrier Shield amplifies the sealing effect. |
