Dikes/Levees

Dikes and levees are engineered embankments that run parallel to water bodies, and act as a barrier to confine water within specified areas. As such, they are a mechanism that helps to prevent floodwaters from land ingress.

Dikes are structures that are often used in to protect regions that would naturally be underwater. They are designed to hold back water to allow for land use. They are often situated in coastal environments, or regions below sea level. This measure is applicable across a range of building archetypes, including single-family homes, multi-unit residential buildings, commercial properties, and municipally owned and operated facilities—especially those located in low-lying or flood-prone areas where perimeter flood protection is critical.

Levees can either be natural or constructed structures, used to protect land that is typically not submersed by water, but is at risk of flooding. They are used to prevent the ingress of water within these regions during storm surge and other flood-producing events. They are often found along rivers, lakes and other water sources.

Often, dikes and levees are constructed from materials such as rock, earth, sand, clay, asphalt, metal, plastic, geosynthetics, or concrete.

Dikes and levees are suitable for regions such as:

• Low-lying regions
• Coastal regions
• Riverbanks
• Floodplains