"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Freeboard Elevation
10/11/26
“How can we add an extra factor of safety to create minimum building flood elevations?”
Base flood elevation is the local 100-year flood elevation. Many municipalities specify a Freeboard Elevation, or extra factor of safety minimum floor elevation, above the base flood elevation to make the design flood elevation. 1 – 3 feet is a common freeboard elevation.
How People Use Pumps to Drain Floods
10/10/26
“How do people use pumps to drain floods?”
People all over the world have to drain stormwater from the built environment. This can be difficult if the water is in a low-lying area or there’s a deluge of water coming in. But what if we were to concentrate the stormwater in a particular location and then use pumps to remove it? Well, this is exactly How People Use Pumps to Drain Floods. People and organizations can use stationary or portable pumps depending on their needs and capacities. Pumps require energy to work, making them difficult to use during disaster times.
image credit: www.streampumps.com
Design Flood Elevation
10/09/26
“How can we describe the locally mandated minimum building elevation to protect against floods?”
Buildings in or near floodplains have to find a way to keep themselves safe from floods. One way is to elevate buildings above the ground. The locally mandated minimum building elevation to protect against floods is called the Design Flood Elevation. For many places, the design flood elevation is the FEMA Base Flood Elevation.
Revetments
10/08/26
“How can armor riverbanks and shorelines to prevent erosion?”
Riverbanks and coastal shorelines are subject to erosion by moving water. But what if we were to add protective material to a slope, such as stone or sandbags over the impacted land to prevent erosion? These items, termed Revetments, can act as armor and stabilize the riverbank/coastline. However, revetments can stop the spread of sediment onto their protected surface, leading to erosion from lack of replenishment. Consequently, people must treat revetment design and deployment with great care.
Base Flood Elevation
10/07/26
“Why does FEMA care about the water elevation level resulting from a one-hundred-year flood?”
U.S. FEMA quantifies a one-hundred-year flood as one with a one percent chance of happening in a given year. The water level elevation above sea level resulting from that flood is called the Base Flood Elevation, or BFE. FEMA publishes BFEs in its maps. If your building is at or below the BFE, you will likely face higher flood insurance premiums. New development that affects hydrology can alter the BFE for a local area.
Smart Flood Vents
10/06/26
“How can we make flood vents that open themselves during heavy storms?”
Flood vents allow stormwater to pass through buildings to avoid foundation damage. But manually opening a flood vent can be dangerous and exhausting. So what if we were to produce a flood vent that automatically opens when water touches the vent? Well, this is the idea behind Smart Flood Vents. Smart flood vents are a worthwhile upgrade for many different types of buildings.
Image credit: https://amc911.com/
Flood Vents
10/05/26
“How can we prevent building foundation collapse during a flood by letting water flow through?”
Building foundations support a building’s load and distribute it throughout the soil. During storms, floodwater can pile up outside of a building foundation and cause failure due to hydrostatic pressure. But what if we were to let the water flow through an enclosed area to prevent water buildup and equalize hydrostatic pressure? Well, this is the idea behind Flood Vents, small openings that allow channels of stormwater to pass through the building foundation.
Deepwater Canals
10/04/26
“Are there canals sized for large ships?”
Canals are artificial water channels. These features are often built for transportation and logistics purposes. Sometimes we need to transport large vessels through the canals. So how can we use our engineering mindset to solve this? Well, what if we were to build canals so deep that even large ships could pass? These Deepwater Canals are vital for keeping industrial and logistics operations afloat in many places. The Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel (pictured) is an example of a deepwater canal.
Image credit: https://alchetron.com/
Biological Nutrients
10/03/26
“What are biological nutrients, and why are they so important for organic life?”
Organic life is the foundation of our ecological world. Organic life requires the Biological Nutrients of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S), and silicon (Si) to function. Microorganisms in water/wastewater treatment systems need the incoming water/wastewater to have a certain amount of biological nutrients to grow properly.
