This section of the website topic aims to direct Municipal and Highway Engineers (and other users), to published research, journal articles, guidance information and case studies on highway design, and how to enable better network management plans to be established which improve efficiency of the network during periods of adverse weather.
This includes the:
- Design standards of highways, drainage and water courses etc. (including return periods);
- Building standards for flood risk areas;
- Flood risk mapping, and;
- The effects of previous maintenance regimes on the infrastructure and its ability to cope.
ICE Manual of Highway Design and Management
In recent years, the ICE has published several publications and journal articles which consider highway and road maintenance during periods of adverse weather. The most recent, and comprehensive, of this guidance material, is the ICE Manual of Highway Design and Management. The ICE Manual is a one-stop reference for all practicing engineers working in the field of highway engineering. Written and edited by a wide selection of leading specialists, this manual covers each of the key aspects of highway engineering projects, from: funding, procurement and transport planning to traffic engineering, materials and design – as well as the management and maintenance of existing highways assets. It includes over sixty highly illustrated chapters covering all areas of highway engineering; Includes case studies, common problems and practical advice throughout; and useful references to further reading and websites at the end of each chapter. This manual is available at Thomas Telford by clicking here
ICE Design and Practice guides: Highway Winter Maintenance
Earlier ICE publications include the ICE Design and Practice guides: Highway Winter Maintenance, published in 2000. This practical guide was produced with the purpose of providing an introduction to the main principles and important aspects of the particular subject, and to offer guidance as to appropriate sources of more detailed information. Although published over a decade ago, we hope that ICE members will still find much of the information relevant and useful, indicating the complexities of the subject. Content from this publication is available to download free of charge from the ICE’s virtual library, as well as the option to purchase the complete book, click here
Flood Risk Management: a local issue of national importance
As well as severe winter weather, flooding can also have a dramatic impact on highways and streets infrastructure. The independent nature of the country’s infrastructure means that the failure of one system caused by a localised flooding event can generate a cascade effect across public services, impacting upon multiple communities.
The 2007 flooding event rendered transport, energy and telecommunications networks unusable across much of the surrounding area. The event highlighted the major impacts floods can have on society and emphasised the importance of improving the way we deal with the management of flood risks. In 2010, the Flood and Water Management Act was introduced, providing clarity over the roles and responsibilities of disparate flood risk management authorities. The legislation sought to impel improved co-ordination and integration when managing all types of flood risk at the local level, which could improve effectiveness and efficiency in the management of flood and coastal erosion risk. In 2011, the ICE published a report aimed at assessing the likely impact of the Flood and Water Management Act (2010) (England and Wales) on the authorities responsible for the preparation for, protection against and response to flooding events. It identified the areas most in need of attention for the full and successful implementation of the Act including:
- Clarification of responsibilities;
- Promotion of data sharing and partnerships;
- Availability of funding;
- Provision of skills and capacity.
The report provides some key policy recommendations and advises local authorities that failure to ensure that investment in flood risk management could result in larger costs in the future as the country copes with the increasing threat of heavy and regular flooding events. The report can be downloaded by clicking here. An event was also hosted by the ICE in conjunction with the launch of the report. This event was recorded which you can download by clicking here
Local and National Flood risk management strategies
In essence, flooding can be difficult to predict. Local flood risk includes surface runoff, groundwater, and ordinary watercourses (including lakes and ponds). The Environment Agency has developed and published a national strategy for the management of coastal erosion and all sources of flood risk for England. The Environment Agency also provides public information on whether there are any flood warnings in your area on the Flood Warnings section of their website.
For Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) offer a floodline direct warning service, which provide 200 local Flood Warning areas across Scotland. Details are available on the Flooding section of the SEPA website. Flooding can be localised and, as such, a lead local flood authority is required to develop, maintain, apply and monitor a strategy for local flood risk management in its area.
The lead local flood authority will be responsible for ensuring the strategy is put in place but the local partners can agree how to develop it in the way that suits them best. The Act sets out the minimum that a local strategy must contain, and the lead local flood authority is required to consult on the strategy with risk management authorities and the public. Local authorities will need to consider the full range of measures consistent with a risk management approach in developing their local flood risk strategy. Resilience and other approaches which minimise the impact of flooding are expected to be a key aspect of the measures proposed. Guidance may, amongst other things, set out in more detail how the national strategy and local strategies should interact and how local strategies will need to take account of plans to manage other sources of risk. Defra have produced some comprehensive guidance on the implications and requirements of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, which can be accessed by clicking here. This also includes a downloadable factsheet titled What does the Flood and Water Management Act mean for Local Authorities?