Product category:
Concrete, Cement, Admixtures
News Release from: The Concrete Centre | Subject: Insurers to reduce premiums for flood resilience
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 10 October 2007
Insurers to reduce premiums for flood
resilience
Need to strengthen building regulations to incorporate flood-resilience measures and encourage insurance companies to reduce premiums for properties that have such measures.
Early findings of the Environment Agency's review into this summer's floods has identified a need to strengthen building regulations to incorporate flood-resilience measures and encourage insurance companies to reduce premiums for properties that have such measures Some 570,000 homes are estimated to be a high flood risk in the UK, that represents 10% of the housing total
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 31 Jul 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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This percentage looks set to rise as the pressure to construct new homes means even more building on land that is liable to flooding.
For house construction in flood risk areas, the choice of building materials and finishes should maximise flood resilience by minimising damage and the time taken to refurbish.
Masonry and concrete homes are fully flood resilient.
They do not absorb significant amounts of water nor may require any finishes, such as plasterboard, to be stripped off.
"Concrete and masonry homes will not warp or rot during a flood", explained Guy Thompson, head of architecture and sustainability at The Concrete Centre.
"The damage caused by flooding will not normally threaten the structural integrity of a modern masonry or concrete home".
Building homes that do not have the built-in flood resilience of concrete could prove expensive.
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) estimates that if no steps are taken to manage flood damage then the cost of flood damage could rise by an annual GBP20.9m.
In its guidance document Strategic Planning for Flood Risk in the Growth Areas, ABI points out that unless sufficient precautions are taken to minimise potential flood damage, many homes may become uninsurable.
The ABI highlights specific measures that may assist in reducing flood damage, in particular the use of 'concrete floors instead of wood'.
"Recognising the role that they could play in increasing the flood resilience of our homes, the Environment Agency wants insurers to consider reducing premiums for those who install flood resistance or resilience measures", said Thompson.
"The risk of flooding is increasing as more flood risk land is being built upon".
"Predicted climate change could further increase this risk".
"It is essential that the homes built in risk areas have a high level of flood resilience, and it would be even better if they had wall resilience too to avoid having to strip off and replace plasterboard and finishes.".
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