Client
Vizcaya Museum & Gardens
Completion Date
Ongoing
Location
Miami, Florida
HIGHLIGHTS
Tiger Dam Installation
Short- and Long-Term Resilience Plans
Services
Flood Barriers
Coastal Engineering
Resilience Planning
Industry
Museums and Parks
Marine Resiliency
Summary Overview
Historic Meets Resilient: Flood Protection at Vizcaya
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens retained Brizaga in 2019 to develop conceptual designs for temporary and permanent flood protection measures for the Main House in response to damages suffered during Hurricane Irma. Using these conceptual plans, the Museum was awarded a grant for the design and construction of temporary flood protection measures, while it continues to pursue a permanent flood protection solution. Brizaga performed a coastal engineering analysis to identify wave heights and load conditions based on the location and orientation of the proposed measures. The final design consisted of bladder-type flood barriers (Tiger Dams) anchored with helical soil anchors and with concrete anchors into existing concrete. New reinforced concrete elements were included to provide adequate structural support. Brizaga processed the city building permit working closely with the historic preservation review staff to ensure that the design was consistent with and preserved the character of the Museum grounds. In December 2020, the installation of the flood protection system was completed. Subsequently, Brizaga was retained to engineer the permanent, passive flood protection system which included a system of flood-resistant glass railings, currently in design.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
- Coastal & structural engineering
- Permit processing
- Historic preservation
- Construction administration
OUR ROLE
During the project, Brizaga performed a coastal engineering analysis to evaluate wave loading under storm conditions. Developed a conceptual design to optimize the material, systems, layout, and anchoring of the proposed flood protection measures. Assisted with grant application documents, including design drawings and preliminary cost estimates. Produced construction documents, including details for anchorage to existing concrete and construction of new, permanent structural elements. Provided construction administration services.
More About Tiger Dams™ Flood Barriers
Tiger Dams and the Vizcaya Project
As part of evaluating innovative flood protection measures at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Brizaga considered the Tiger Dam™ System, developed by U.S. Flood Control Corp. as a rapid-deployment alternative to sandbags. The system consists of elongated, flexible tubes that can be quickly stacked, joined end-to-end, and filled with water to form a temporary barrier. Once deployed, the pyramid-shaped structure can be scaled up to 32 feet in height and extended seamlessly for miles, adapting to the site’s unique topography and historic constraints. Each tube weighs only 50 pounds when dry but provides significant ballast when filled, reaching approximately 6,300 pounds. This modular and mobile design allows for effective, temporary flood protection without the permanent visual or physical impacts associated with structural interventions—making it especially relevant to a culturally significant site such as Vizcaya, where preservation and adaptability are equally critical.
PROJECT GALLERY
