Openings in Foundations Walls for Buildings Located in Special Flood Hazard Area in Accordance with the National Flood Insurance Program.

摘要

An important objective of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is to protect buildings constructed in floodplains from structural damage caused by flood forces. In support of this objective, the NFIP regulations include building design criteria that apply to new construction and substantial improvements of existing buildings in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs). According to these criteria, residential buildings constructed in A zones (Zones A, AE, A1-A30, AR, AO, and AH) must have their lowest floors at or above the base blood elevation (BFE). Non-residential buildings constructed in A zones must either have their lowest floors at or above the BFE or be dry floodproofed (made watertight) to or above the BFE. Residential and nonresidential buildings whose lowest floors have been constructed at or above the BFE usually are elevated on piers, columns, piles, extended foundation walls, or fill. While the main portion of such a building is protected from the 100-year and lesser-magnitude floods, the foundation and any enclosures below the BFE used for parking, building access, or limited storage will be exposed to flood forces.