SYSTEM TO PREVENT AND MITIGATE STORM SURGE DAMAGE, SEA-LEVEL RISE DAMAGE, RIVERINE FLOODING DAMAGE COMPRISING MODIFIED CONCRETE CULVERTS, PEDESTRIAN ACCESS AND NATURAL COASTAL, RIVER, CREEK, AND WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS

Abstract

Protection of upland areas adjacent to a variety of water body shorelines from flooding events by combining modified drainage culverts with and hidden by natural ecosystem flood attenuation environments.

Claims

1. A storm-surge, flooding prevention and mitigation system comprising: a pre-cast concrete culvert modified with a plurality of drainage apertures in the top face and a plurality of embedded galvanized steel bolts; a plurality of pre-cast concrete handrail barriers; a plurality of boardwalk planks to provide pedestrian and light vehicular access to surrounding ecosystem and upland areas; a plurality of galvanized steel bolts and nuts; a plurality of plugs to hide apertures in boardwalk planks; and a coastal beach dune, riverine or wetland ecosystem to backfill and hide said modified concrete culvert; a. A storm-surge, flooding prevention and mitigation system as in claim 1, wherein said pre-cast concrete handrail barrier is removably secured atop said section of modified pre-cast concrete culvert; 1. Said pre-cast concrete handrail barrier is removably secured atop said modified pre-cast concrete culvert by a plurality of said galvanized steel bolts and nuts; b. A storm-surge, flooding prevention and mitigation system as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of boardwalk planks is removably secured atop said section of pre-cast concrete handrail barrier; 1. Said boardwalk is removably secured to said pre-cast concrete handrail barrier by a plurality of said galvanized steel bolts and nuts at regular intervals; c. A storm-surge, flooding prevention and mitigation system as in claim 1, wherein said coastal beach dune, riverine or wetland ecosystem is backfilled and planted against said modified concrete culvert to provide additional flood water attenuation and protection and to hide it from view; d. A storm-surge, flooding prevention and mitigation system as in claim 1, wherein said section of modified pre-cast concrete culvert can be joined together with a plurality of sections of said modified pre-cast concrete culvert as necessary to protect a specified area.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG. 1 illustrates exemplary cross section of the assembled components.

[0009] FIG. 2 illustrates exemplary cross section of the assembled components in an exploded view.

[0010] FIG. 3 illustrates exemplary plan view of the assembled components.

[0011] FIG. 4 illustrates exemplary perspective close-up view of a plurality of assembled components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Various embodiments of the disclosure are described in detail below. While specific implementations are described, it should be understood that this is done for illustration purposes only. Other components and configurations may be used without parting from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

[0013] The present disclosure addresses a method of preventing and/or mitigating the effects of flooding events on upland areas. Previous inventions and/or methods of flood damage protection have not incorporated natural coastal, riverine, marsh/swamp ecosystems to enhance the protection of upland areas, provide pedestrian and light vehicle access to the shore areas and to hide the man-made portions of the exemplary invention disclosed herein.

[0014] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of the invention comprising a plurality of modified pre-cast concrete culverts (1). In FIG. 2, a cross section of said modified pre-cast concrete culvert is presented. Said modified pre-cast concrete culvert (1) is constructed at the point of manufacture with drainage apertures in its top face (3), to allow any precipitation and or flooding waters to enter and be drained to a predetermined designated flood water detention area or returned to the flooding body of water. In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the top face of said modified precast concrete culvert (1) will also have galvanized steel bolts (4), embedded at the point of manufacture to receive and secure a plurality of pre-cast concrete handrail barriers (5), and in this embodiment of the invention, recycled plastic boardwalk planks (6).

[0015] Said plurality of modified pre-cast concrete culverts (1), said precast concrete handrail barriers (5), said recycled plastic boardwalk planks (6), will be transported from the point of manufacture to the designated area to be protected.

[0016] Said plurality of modified precast concrete culverts (1) will be lifted into the designated area to be protected. Said pre-cast concrete handrail barriers (5) will be aligned with said galvanized steel bolts (4) and lowered onto said modified precast concrete culverts (1). Said recycled plastic boardwalk planks (6) will be aligned with said galvanized steel bolts (4) and placed onto said pre-cast concrete handrail barriers (5). Once attached to said modified pre-cast concrete culvert (1), said recycled plastic boardwalk planks (6) and said pre-cast concrete handrail barriers (5) shall be secured by means of a plurality of said galvanized steel nuts (4) placed and tightened on a plurality of said galvanized steel bolts (4). In this embodiment of said invention, the holes in said recycled plastic boardwalk planks will be covered by recycled plastic plugs (7).

[0017] FIG. 1, illustrates a cross-section of the system in this embodiment of the invention whereby said pre-cast concrete handrails (5) are solid and sculptural to provide additional protection against flood waters overtopping the system and to redirect floodwater energy backout and away from the upland areas.

[0018] FIG. 1, illustrates how after installation of the embodiment of said flood prevention and mitigation system, a natural environment (2), appropriate to the location and embodiment of said system will be backfilled around the plurality of said modified pre-cast concrete culverts. Said natural environment (2) will be appropriately compacted, sculpted, landscaped and planted to provide additional flood prevention and mitigation protection in addition to disguising and hiding the plurality of modified pre-cast culverts to provide a visually pleasing and natural environment for flora and fauna.

[0019] All of said items are necessary for said system to function properly. No enhancements or additions are necessary to make said system function properly. Once properly installed, said system is ready to mitigate and defeat the next flooding event.

[0020] Once said system is installed into a coastal, riverine or wetland environment, when a flooding event occurs and water over-tops said backfilled natural environment (2) it either is attenuated and directed back into the floodwaters by said precast concrete handrail barriers (5) mounted atop said modified concrete culvert (1) or it flows onto said recycled plastic boardwalk planks (6) where it drains between said recycled plastic boardwalk planks (6) onto the top of said modified pre-cast concrete culvert (1). The precipitation and or flooding waters then flow through said drainage apertures (3) into said modified pre-cast concrete culvert (1) where it either flows to a designated floodwater collection point, a designated floodable area or is directed back into the floodwaters at some point where the floodwaters do not impact habitable areas infrastructure or structures. One-mile of said embodiment of the disclosed system can self-contain 7.5 million gallons of water or direct that flow to areas that are uninhabited or back into the flood waters themselves.