Hazards for buildings and structures caused by flood conditions

Rzeszow University of Technology, Department Geodesy and Geotechnics, ul. Powstańców Warszawy 12, 35-959 Rzeszów, Poland

^* Corresponding author: kwilk@prz.edu.pl

Abstract

Floods are one of the common natural phenomena that can cause a huge danger to people and building objects located in flood plains. The particularly severe effects of such disasters are felt in heavily urbanized areas [1, 2]. The development of river valleys causes difficulties in the flow of flood water and the protective embankments limit the possibility of the temporary accumulation of water. The consequence of this situation is increasing the level of the flood wave and thereby intensifying its negative impact. Damages to the building during inundations can be the result of not only the direct activity of the flood wave and surface water, but also changes in groundwater flow conditions, including the increase of their piezometric level [3, 4]. An increasing of groundwater pressure can intensify or initiate new phenomena related to permeability (suffosion, colmatation, etc.) and consequently conduce disadvantageous changes of soil substrate parameters [5]. The influence of such processes can be revealed later, after the floods stage recede. The local conditions of water flow and the ground structure have a direct impact on the probability of occurrence of specific phenomena threatening construction objects (initiated by floods).