Has anybody here ever done an E.C. for a hydroelectric plant? I emailed F.E.M.A. building science help and they replied that facilities such as this do no fall within the facility category and there are no publications that specifically address such facilities. The plant's insurance company is requesting the cert. Of course the plant is in Zone A with no BFE, situated below a 180' tall earthen dam 100 yards away.
There are engineering studies done for safety of dam reports. They look at downstream floodways created by the dam failure. It would be out of the range of an elevation certificate I would assume. Maybe the insurance company should get that report. There may be one,,,,,or there SHOULD?ÿ be one.
Zone A?ÿunder the dam? Sounds about right. ??ÿ
I would probably tell the "insurance company" I would be happy to provide an EC?ÿ IF they provided me with the applicable (as yet undetermined) BFE.?ÿ I would even be nice enough to give them all sorts of contact numbers?ÿto facilitate obtaining that info.
Sometimes it's easier to let folks hit the wall than to try?ÿand warn them there is?ÿa wall.
my $0.02
Industrial facilities are permitted in flood zones and there are specific floodproofing and construction requirements for specific parts of those facilities. As such they are self insured. An elevation certificate is for flood insurance purposes and such facilities do not qualify. Floodproofing involves many different possibilities, including the ability to flood an electrical facility with clean clear water prior to the flood to prevent dirty water from entering and ruining the equipment. After the flood it is simple to dry out clean wet equipment and eventually return it to use at a much lower cost than dirty equipment.
Paul in PA
I know this sounds really flippant and rightly so, but first, is the person asking for the certification an attorney(newly minted), and second, the nature of the dam is that it creates a HUGE flood potential, albeit being built was to help control down stream flooding and or irrigation contol/distribution????ÿ Just my $0.13..............
Send 'em to another Surveyor.?ÿ ??ÿ
Has anybody here ever done an E.C. for a hydroelectric plant? I emailed F.E.M.A. building science help and they replied that facilities such as this do no fall within the facility category and there are no publications that specifically address such facilities. The plant's insurance company is requesting the cert. Of course the plant is in Zone A with no BFE, situated below a 180' tall earthen dam 100 yards away.
No, but know someone who did (as head surveyor in large engineering firm).?ÿ No different technically than any other structure.?ÿ Cross-sections, establish empirical BFE based on the normal inputs.?ÿ But most likely it will be flooded, they will ask for another study, and it will go to court.?ÿ There will of course be competing BFE by competing firms because of the empirical nature.?ÿ Attorneys will fight for 5-10 years, settlements will be reached.?ÿ Better figure in some hefty E/O insurance coverage if you want to do it.