A Proposed Design of Floating House by Utilizing Buoyant Foundation: An Alternative Flood Resilient Housing in Masantol, Pampanga

Abstract

Due to its geographical location, Barangay Sta. Lucia Paguiaba in the Municipality of Masantol, Province of Pampanga (Philippines) experiences constant flooding throughout the year, severely damaging the infrastructure and creating problems for the locals. Using the Archimedes' Principle of Buoyancy, this research's primary goal is to address the town's flooding issues by proposing a floating house design as an alternative flood resilient housing. Three (3) sources of flooding in the said town make it vulnerable, especially during monsoon season. Due to this situation, a floating house with a dimension of 9mx9mx4m is designed with a mechanism which allows the house to float as the water level rises and sit on the ground in normal circumstances. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is used in the foundation of the house as a floater, and it is attached to four vertical guidance posts and secured with pile guides to reduce its movement with the flood. Timber is used for the structural frames and other architectural components. The analysis of the floating house's structural members is done using the STAAD software. In the end, the floating house's estimated cost is also presented.