There were changes after the flood. Or at least its reflections. If there’s one thing DANA, which shook the province of Valencia just a month ago, has shown, it’s that underground construction can become a deadly trap during heavy downpours. This was confirmed a few weeks ago by the Center for Data Integration (CID), and the death count included a devastating idea: the majority of victims who died during heavy rains were found on the ground floors of houses, garages. and basements. Therefore, there are already those who advocate a radical change in the park model.

There is also a reference they point to: “Ikea model.”

parking trap. CID data echoes. And they inevitably invite reflection. Most of the more than 200 deaths left behind by DANA occurred in low-rise buildings and therefore more exposed to floods and tornadoes. Specifically, of the 218 deaths the agency recorded last week, 68 occurred on the ground floors of homes and 35 in parking lots and basements.

If these numbers were not enough, parking lots have taken on an unexpected role, with the dance of information (and especially hoaxes) revolving around the Bonaire car park leaving much of the country in limbo for days. With all this on the table, as I said yesterday, this is not strange at all. Levante-El MercantilThere are already Valencian urban planners and engineers advocating a rethinking of the current garage model. Like? Review regulations to ban subways and look for alternatives.

A fact to consider: 3,125. Recently, Sergio Palencia, professor of Urban Planning and Regional Planning at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), had to make an estimated count to assess the damage to buildings with basements in the area affected by DANA and got a striking result. It received 3,125. That is, more than 3,100 residential, commercial and industrial buildings equipped with basements. And he points out that most of these spaces are dedicated to the same purpose: parking vehicles. “We have a lot of basements in flood-prone areas,” he told the Valencia newspaper.

But… Aren’t these regulated? Yes, although engineers and urban planners in the region insist, what happened during DANA at least invites thought. The first key is provided by Palencia itself: the “majority” of these basements predate the flood risk prevention plan of the Valencian Community, better known by the acronym Patricova, approved in 2003, which imposes restrictions on low-rise buildings. More precisely, basement or semi-basement floors are allowed in buildings to be reserved for “intensive residential” use in flood zones, provided that certain conditions are met.

Garages may be located in buildings, but their access must be watertight and equipped with a pumping system independent of the sewage network and a generator set. This is not the only Patricova guideline that requires the ground level to be set to a certain height in residential, industrial, commercial or service construction.

The plan also outlines instructions for the doors, windows and surrounds of the façade and plot. Besides Patricova, there are other relevant legislation, such as the municipality’s flood action plans Pamri. The big question that DANA leaves behind is: Are these enough?

“Should be banned”. Phase returns to Palencia during his interview. Levante-EM emphasizes: “Building underground parking lots should be banned.” “There are alternatives such as high-rise parking, taking advantage of space on block verandas and even on the first floors of buildings,” the expert emphasizes. According to him, what happened should point to the “before and after” in urban planning.

The newspaper also quotes experts who regret that although there are resources that can reduce the risk of flooding in garages, “these are not implemented.” And they note that this complaint covers both already built construction and new work. Pedro Calderon, an engineer also working at UPV, agrees, saying, “It is necessary to learn from mistakes and adapt technical building regulations to prevent the same situation from happening again,” and reminds that today there is no “special regulation” preventing the construction of new buildings. Underground garages in flood-prone areas.

Their views are once again the same, especially after what happened a month ago: City councils must take action and reconsider the construction of surface or high-rise parking in the future.

A model “made in Sweden”. It’s not all theory. DANA left not only a trace of sacrifices, destruction and a clear reflection of underground structures. It also gave us a model of success, an architectural example of how a building could avoid the worst DANA of the century. And interestingly, Ikea is becoming a star.

The Swedish multinational company has a large facility in Alfafar, in the middle of DANA’s “ground zero”, which is virtually undamaged compared to other buildings around it. In fact, at the end of October, immediately after the tragedy, it served as a shelter for hundreds of affected Valencians.

So how did he get this? This also explains Levante-EM In this other history: Those responsible for building the structure were forward-thinking, understood the risk posed by water, and chose to rethink the project already on the table to avoid it. In other words, the fact that Ikea in Alfafar turned out to be much better than other neighboring buildings from DANA was not the result of coincidences, but a deliberate decision to build the store high and reformulate the project.

The Scandinavian multinational company proposed elevating the store above ground level, taking up one floor more than originally planned, thus rejecting underground construction. In fact, initially his idea was to create an underground parking facility. Thanks to an agreement with the landowners and an amendment to the Comprehensive Action Plan (PAI), he designed a four-storey building in which the upper two floors would be occupied by retail and the lower floors would be devoted to access. parking.

Time has shown that this was a wise decision. And after DANA, he turned it into an unexpected model that urban planners looked at with interest.

Pictures | Xataka, IDP

via | Levante-El Mercantil Valenciano

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