There is little solace for the thousands of property owners whose homes or business have been devastated by the wide scale flooding in the mid summer of 2007. Whether caused by freak conditions relating to climate change, lack of investment by successive governments in flood prevention measures or antiquated drainage systems ill equipped to handle the scale of homes built, is of scant relevance.

There is a study programme to meet the challenge for resistance and resilience of buildings. Involving government organisations, financial institutions, insurers, the building industry and the public by collaborative research it is headed by a CIRIA consortium and advised by steering and advisory groups of funders and other stakeholders. Its aim is to determine how the implications of flooding may be mitigated by best practice in material selection and construction techniques and that by laboratory and field testing their findings should influence building regulations.

Amongst the many practical and innovative inventions that are available to achieve this goal, one contributory solution identified by the programme is the most traditional and longest known to man, hydraulic lime. Before the technology for kilns was available to fire limestone/clay to temperatures >1450°C to create modern day cement, lime was the binder relied upon in the construction of our heritage.

For property owners and for the institutions responsible for aiding them in their recovery from the effects of the flooding, hydraulic lime represents a remedy and a cure. Hydraulic lime mortars will assist in stabilising the saturated existing structure. They will allow the moisture to escape as a vapour over the years that it will take for its extraction from solid masonry walls. Formulated self flowing grouts for rubble walls undermined by flowing water and salt resistant mortars can ensure that water will not enter the walls again. If flooding should re-occur the mortars will not deteriorate and will dry out without detrimental effect other than to decoration. A far more tolerable effect than structural remediation.

Consultants who are charged with advising upon the remedial process will derive benefit from the increased awareness of a natural process for repair that will offer resilience should events repeat and offer best economical value.

Email: m.wood@telling.co.uk