Lucky Plaza installs 150m long flood barrier

SINGAPORE: Tenants at Lucky Plaza can breathe a bit easier after the shopping centre installed a 150—metre long flood barrier at its premises.

Channel NewsAsia understands it cost Lucky Plaza more than S$1 million to install the barriers, which included other structural work.

The barriers are activated when water reaches the road level and triggers a flood water sensor. The sensor is located at a drain beside the building, which is parallel to Mount Elizabeth Road.

Four repeated sirens and voice announcements will warn people in the area that the barriers are coming up.

Before the barriers are activated, a first warning is issued when water levels reach 50 millimetres below the road level. A siren will also alert personnel in the Fire Command Centre, who will then get people in the area to stay clear of the area.

When flood water in the drain recedes, the audio warning will cease automatically. But should water levels continue to rise to road level, this will activate the pop—up flood barriers.

Channel NewsAsia understands that plans to install flood barriers began more than two years ago. This was after the shopping centre experienced several rounds of flooding in 2010 and 2011.

However, the installation took some time as the management had difficulty getting approval to install the system.

The flood barrier’s contractors claim it is the longest automatic pop—up flood barrier system in the world.

After a flood, the drainage system is unplugged to drain the flood waters into channels below the flood barrier system and into an underground water tank to be pumped out into the Stamford Canal.

Each flood barrier panel weighs about 700kg. The flood barrier panels do not retract automatically and it takes six able—bodied adults to push the each panel down to be locked by electromagnetic locks after it is activated.

—CNA/ac