Flood defence: electricity distribution client, southern region

Overview

• Utility providers must protect their critical infrastructure from flooding, following a government directive in 2008
• A sound and cost effective strategy was needed to fully assess flood risk levels and implement a robust defence infrastructure.

Strategy

• Cluttons developed a regional strategy to assess site specific risk and standardised a palette of economic, tried and tested construction responses for each risk element
• New technologies, materials and construction techniques were required to overcome difficult site circumstances
• Cluttons developed designs to construct new buildings on stilts in risk areas with a secondary benefit of enhancing equipment cabling operations.

Outcome

• Cluttons pioneered the risk strategy and construction technology required to deliver successful flood defence projects across the entire southern distribution infrastructure
• The majority of critical infrastructure sites are now defended across the portfolio, and the remaining sites are scheduled to be protected over the next 3 years.