ZEMCH 2015 - International Conference Proceedings | Page 144

How can boats float and function ? Mainly , boats fall under four main categories ; ( 1 ) how fast it can speed on water surface , ( 2 ) boat stability , ( 3 ) cost of material used to build and design , and finally ( 4 ) the draft , how deep a boat can operate in water . These are summarized under Archimedes ’ principle and physics of buoyancy ( Carroll 2015 ; Nave 2015 ). A principle that states ; the buoyant force is equal to the weight of the displaced water , and thus allows an object to float . Shape of an object also plays a role on its balance and stability . Flat base boats are likely to be more stable than shaped ones ; they help boats to keep their minimum body surface under water level . They will also minimize friction between boat surface and floodwater flow , which will not allow any strong hits on objects ’ basement , but instead run smoothly below .
8 . Anti-flood Floating Shelters ( AFFS ) Concept Design Proposal
8.1 Proposed Housing Design System “ Anti-flood Floating Shelters ” In this study , the proposal is a unique sustainable concept , suggesting a new and an innovative design , which will be tested on a small scale ; single housing compounds or a single building . After testing and commissioning a design proposal , effectiveness and workability will be evaluated ; design can be then approved and applied on different sites that are considered highly affected by floods , such as the City of Manila , Philippines .
Anti-flood floating shelters ( AFFS ) concept will mainly focus on the idea of flexibility . The concept of flexibility will elaborate design in ; ( 1 ) usage in different occasions , and matters , ( 2 ) how design can be adjusted based on natural disasters , ( 3 ) how proposed design can make usage of water , and generate other resources , and finally , ( 4 ) highlights the presence of design concept in respect of its surrounding nature , materials , and most importantly its users . All of the above will be combined to produce a unique , good-looking design that considers the environment and future living . This design proposal will be shown in two stages ; a building during a regular dry season , and a second scene during a wet rainy season ( or presence of flood ).
The main influence are the boats and their ability to balance and float on water surfaces . Thus , buoyancy principle will be applied on homes on a regular basis , they will settle down on ground as a regular system , but during floods , homes will rise by buoyant system installed under the house or building , and therefore will rise on top of water level , building will be able to move vertically . In case of major floods , none of the houses will sink and be covered by water , but instead , all homes and buildings will be floating on top of the water surfaces . On the other hand , boat and buoyant system , were not the only features and elements that influenced the proposal in this study , but also a conceptual design , suggested by a designer from New Orleans , Cornell , who designed a proposal after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans considering its surrounding neighborhoods ; it was considered one of the most catastrophic natural disasters ever to impact the United States ( US ), said by one of a single family home owner . The concept of this proposal was to protect the family house by the ability of the house to rise up in the attendance of water . The house is attached from both sides , by two supporting walls ; as shown in Figure 7 below . Images in the figure were captured from a video of flood simulation to show the workability of the system in a smaller scale , illustrating southwest view of the family home , showing the extraction of the house upwards , without causing any damages of destruction to its exterior or interior structures . Finally , the very bottom images illustrate the final design in a real flood scene where the design shows nicely how it floats and prevents the house from sinking in water like other neighboring homes .
142 ZEMCH 2015 | International Conference | Bari - Lecce , Italy