Here at the Waverley Web we can think of a few sites in the borough where homes like these would fit in quite nicely. No names no pack drill! However if may solve the problems of new homes being built on flood plains, but is there some cunning plan for raising existing flood prone properties, whose situation is made worse for the older homes situated around them?
The 65-tonne building will have a steel frame and sit on a steel ring beam instead of normal foundations.
It will have eight mechanical jacks powered by a central motor, gear box and drive shafts to lift the whole thing up in less than five minutes.
No-one will live there as engineers spend four years testing the design. If it were built for real occupants, then they would have to leave their home while it is held above ground.
Thousands of elevated houses could be built in high flood-risk areas if the experiment is successful. The costs of the hi-tech equipment would be offset by the relatively lower cost of such land, said Larkfleet Homes, the developer behind the idea.
Chief executive Karl Hick said: ‘We have planning permission to build an experimental house that could rise on jacks above flood waters, effectively eliminating the risk of flood damage.
A spokesman for the Lincolnshire-based firm added: ‘As far as we know, this is the first project of its kind in the world. It seems so obvious really.’ The one-off house will be built in a field by the River Welland in Weston Hills, near Spalding.
Solar roof panels and a battery mean it will have a constant electricity supply while water and sewage will remain connected with hoses.
The planning permission expires in 2022 when the house will be dismantled but the modular design means it could be rebuilt on another site.
Mr Hick added: ‘The technology is a one-off and therefore likely to be quite expensive but if the system goes into production the costs would certainly come down. The overall cost on some sites may be lower because of the reduced land price.’
If the design succeeds, then insurers will also gain by avoiding huge payouts for flood damage.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4998128/Three-bedroom-house-raised-5ft-flood.html#ixzz4w8VsGoNJ
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What happens to the garage(s), post and parcel deliveries etc.?
They get wet!
Its a bit like the hospital beds that go up and down – keep the grandchildren amused for hours