In a current webinar series, the experts and innovators at ILC Dover are providing an in-depth look at several flexible protective solutions and their applications. The first installment of this series focuses on one of our flood protection solutions, the Flex-Cover® Door.
In this blog, we are reviewing highlights from the webinar, including an overview of the product, the total cost of ownership, how the product was tested, considerations for deployment, and more.
About Dry Floodproofing
Before fully diving into the flood protection solution from this webinar, it is important to understand what dry floodproofing is. FEMA defines dry floodproofing as “a structure that is made watertight below the level that needs flood protection to prevent floodwaters from entering.”
Depending on the dry floodproofing system you use, it can have many benefits, such as:
- Rapid deployment
- Ease of use with minimal training required
- Minimal down-time
- Customized for specific opening (e.g. doorway, loading dock, etc.)
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
When it comes to dry floodproofing systems, there are more costs to ownership than just the initial system purchase price. These costs must be considered in addition to the cost of the system itself. Other costs that factor into the total cost of ownership (TCO) include:
- Operational costs
- Lost revenue due to flooding
- Damages
- Equipment replacement
- Training costs
- Maintenance and inspection costs
- Annual deployment costs
- Closure time (Before and after an event, training, and annual deployments)
- Storage costs
While these additional costs need to be factored in before making a purchase, it is also important to think about what may occur if you do not have a flood protection system in place. Without a flood protection system, you will likely end up paying a deductible on the damage to your business or facility. This often costs more than the flood protection system itself.
What is the Flex-Cover® Door?
ILC Dover’s Flex-Cover® Door is a high-strength device engineered to provide a flood barrier for single or double doors. It provides a watertight and impact-resistant barrier by combining a structural frame, water barrier, and impact-resistant layers with advanced compression gaskets. It is available in six configurations to suit a variety of needs and can be stored near the point-of-use for deployment in minutes. Wall anchor kits are available, and a location template is supplied to ensure proper positioning of the permanently installed wall anchors. It meets International Building Code requirements and ASCE 24-14, ASCE 7-16, ANSI-2510, and ASCE 7-10.
The Flex-Cover® Door features:
- Structural aluminum frame
- Tensioned impact webbing
- Fabric water barrier
- Long-life compression gaskets
- Bottom gasket protection in storage
- Wall anchor kits
- A template for straightforward installation
- Nylon bolt bag for storing bolts when not in use
Product configurations fit:
- 2 widths available; openings up to 48” (single door) and openings up to 86” (double doors)
- 2 ft. and 4 ft. heights (available in both widths)
- In addition to these configurations, panels can be stacked for a total of 6 ft. DFE.
Installation and Deployment
With the provided template, installing the Flex-Cover® Door is simple. The vellum template is marked out with both 2’ and 4’ systems, so you can choose the size that best meets your needs. If you work with a contractor, the rest of the installation process will be very straightforward. ILC Dover can also work with an approved installer to have the system installed for you.
To deploy the system, follow these four steps:
- Retrieve Flex-Cover® Door and anchor bolts from storage
- Set cover in place and disengage gasket protection device
- Install clamping feature anchor bolts and compress bottom gasket
- Tighten remaining anchor bolts to compress wall gasket
How the Flex-Cover® Door Was Tested
To obtain approval for this product, ILC Dover followed both ANSI and FM 2510 testing protocol. Factory approvals engineers visited our Delaware facility to witness and assist with testing.
The Flex-Cover® Door was tested for the following:
- Hydrostatic loads (over a 22-hour period)
- Impact loads
- Leakage
- Accelerated gasket testing
Hydrostatic and leakage tests were conducted by filling a test chamber up to the top of the panels to get 6 feet of water. Impact tests were conducted using a dry pendulum test where a mass is brought up and swung down into place—hitting the Flex-Cover® Door repeatedly.
The Flex-Cover Door® product webinar features video footage of both tests.
Learn More About the Flex-Cover® Door
The Flex-Cover® Door is easy to install, deploy, and meets International Building Code requirements and ASCE 24-14, ASCE 7-16, ANSI-2510, and ASCE 7-10.
If you have a need for a user-friendly flood protection solution, consider the Flex-Cover® Door from ILC Dover. To see it in action, watch the full webinar.
If you have already watched the webinar and are interested in learning more about this cost-competitive, robust solution, request a quote today.
