Development of Experimental Facilities for Urban Flood Monitoring and Evaluation Method.

In the past, urban floods were primarily caused by river overflow due to insufficient conveyance capacity and inadequate infrastructure. However, in recent years, domestic flooding resulting from unplanned urban development has been identified as a major cause. To defend against and prevent urban floods, effective monitoring of urban infrastructure is essential, along with real-time analysis of monitoring data. However, current standards and methodologies for implementing such monitoring systems are insufficient.

This study aims to develop monitoring techniques for obtaining accurate flow data from key urban flood defense infrastructure and to establish methods for real-time evaluation of urban flow rates using data collected from various infrastructure components. The major urban flood defense infrastructure addressed in this study includes in-city elements, such as sewage pipes, rainwater pipes, sidewalks, underground reservoirs, and pump facilities, as well as out-of-city features like natural reservoirs. The experimental facility is designed to allow all infrastructure components to operate both organically and independently, depending on the experimental purpose. This study focuses on the construction and design of these facilities.

The experimental facilities are broadly categorized into urban floodplains, underground infrastructure, and out-of-city infrastructure. The urban floodplain replicates in-city infrastructure with a width of 35 meters and a length of 25 meters. It includes classified rainwater pipes, sidewalks, and a surface area designed to incorporate Low-Impact Development (LID) techniques in future experiments. The underground infrastructure features a network of rainwater pipes, underground reservoirs, collection systems, and pumping stations, designed to handle a maximum flow of 2 m³/s. The entire site is equipped to apply various monitoring techniques, with the construction of the experimental facilities planned in three phases, to be completed by 2026.

 

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Korea Environment Industry & Technology Institute(KEITI) through R&D program for innovative flood protection technologies against climate crisis, funded by Korea Ministry of Environment(MOE)(RS-2023-00218973)