New type of house building... floating homes...

[Prrkitty]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/08/20/floating.houses/index.html

It seems that flooding is starting to hit a lot more of our world around us. So a home developer in the Netherlands has designed 'floating homes'. Two different kinds, 1) those that sit on water all the time and 2) one that sits on dry land but if flooding happens... it can adapt as the water rises.

New Orleans, Mississippi, Texas and surrounding areas... could use these type homes/houses. While reading the article I did not get the impression that the cost/s would be overly high. So maybe it could work.

[AtmaWeapon]

I'm curious what kinds of flooding these houses are designed to withstand. I can't comment on what the country's climate is like, but I'm not certain that I'm sold on the concept.

The flooding is but one of the things that made hurricane Katrina so destructive. There was also the matter of the powerful winds that accompanied the water. While I'm sure the design could accommodate 10 or more feet worth of flooding without much issue, I wonder if his design accounts for how the house behaves in wind gusts in excess of 60 or 70 mph?

It would surely reduce property damage from smaller hurricanes that only bring flooding, but I think our only option in the face of stronger storms remains to move out of the way.

[phattonez]

So then what happens when that house lands? How can you move it back?

[mrz84]

An interesting idea, but liek everybody else has said, can it withstand a hurricane? And what about other weather related events liek tornados or earthquakes?

[elise]

An interesting idea, but liek everybody else has said, can it withstand a hurricane? And what about other weather related events liek tornados or earthquakes?Thats not a problem in the Netherlands we have flooding issues , cause many of the country is below sea level so thats a problem from the west side of the country and from the east side we get all the water from some big europe rivers through our country going to the sea .

[biggiy05]

So then what happens when that house lands? How can you move it back?

It's the new mobile home. If you float three blocks down that's your new address.

[Prrkitty]

It's the new mobile home. If you float three blocks down that's your new address.

Thanks biggiy! I about spit my swallow of drink all over my monitor when I read your comment. It's similar to big camper living... when you move the camper and stop for the day/night/week/month/year/etc... that's where you call home :)

[AtmaWeapon]

The article clearly states the houses are moored to steel pylons, but I can't see that lasting long.

There were quite a few "floating houses" (boats) moored to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and I believe the technical term for what they became is "debris". Some of these boats were quite large and would likely have withstood a smaller storm, but I think the article is just kind of grasping at straws by trying to suggest these things would solve New Orleans and Biloxi's problems.

Even if the houses themselves remained stable, could they withstand the debris that will be mixed with the water?

[elise]

The article clearly states the houses are moored to steel pylons, but I can't see that lasting long.

Almost all our houses are build on pylons because we have a lot of our country below sea level , the only difference with that ones is that there are pylons in the pylons so when the water raise the house still stays on the spot and can go up and down with the water level