The South Campshire flood protection scheme seamlessly integrates flood risk management solutions within the public realm, enabling the local community to continue to enjoy use of the riverside location. Spanning 1km of the River Liffey, Dublin, Ireland, it is one of the longest flood defence schemes constructed in the city’s historic centre, protecting 3,000 homes and 400 businesses from flooding.
The scheme has required innovative design and construction methods throughout delivery due to the busy, city centre location. We’ve designed floodgates that are stored below ground and only erected during floods – this is preserving the heritage of the city, enabling the local community to make full use of amenity space next to the river when not in flood, as well as minimising disruption. For example, after detailed research our team designed a hydraulic floodgate that is stored within a speed ramp to cross one of Dublin’s main roads – setting a precedent for floodgate design across the whole of the UK and Ireland.
Working jointly with Dublin City Council and the Office of Public Works (OPW), we have been involved in both design and construction phases of the project, enabling us to address the inevitable unknowns that are encountered when constructing in a central urban setting. To minimise whole-life operational costs we designed an almost maintenance free scheme, with anti-tamper protection and anti-graffiti paint systems.
Following completion in 2017, the scheme will save over €96 million in flood damages.
See DFI Rivers Agency interactive map