Prepared by the ASCE 24 Flood Resistant Design and Construction Standards Committee of the Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE, Flood Resistant Design and Construction, ASCE/SEI 24-24 establishes the baseline criteria for designing and constructing structures that must comply with building codes or floodplain management regulations in areas susceptible to flooding. This standard applies to new construction projects, subsequent modifications, and substantial improvements to existing non-historic structures.
ASCE 24-24 introduces significant updates compared to the previous edition and aligns with ASCE 7-22 Supplement 2. Notable changes include expanding the Flood Hazard Area to encompass lands within the 500-year floodplain; establishing the Design Flood Elevation based on the higher of the community’s set elevation or the elevation associated with the MRI flood event plus Sea Level Rise for the specified Flood Design Class; and determining that flood loads be calculated per ASCE 7-22 Supplement 2.
The goal of this updated standard is not only to meet but also to surpass FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program criteria, thereby enhancing the safety of the public and safeguarding property. ASCE 24-24 supersedes the previous ASCE 24-14, offering crucial insights to structural engineers, design professionals, code officials, floodplain managers, and building owners. This standard is incorporated by reference in model building codes, providing a comprehensive framework for flood-resistant design and construction. Key components of ASCE 24-24 include:
- Elevation requirements;
- Clarifications regarding Flood Design Class for specific facilities such as agricultural structures, hospitals, healthcare facilities, and ambulatory care facilities;
- Definitions applicable to residential portions of mixed-use buildings and flood barriers and shields;
- Guidelines on the use of flood mitigation pumps and valves for managing water flow and drainage;
- Requirements for inspection, maintenance, and flood emergency operation plans;
- Placement guidelines for utilities and equipment, including automatic pressure control valves for gas and fuel lines.
© 2025. American Society of Civil Engineers. All rights reserved.
ClimaTwin® is a B2B SaaS solution that empowers stakeholders to assess the physical and financial impacts of future weather and climate extremes on infrastructure assets and the built environment.
Ready to get started? To learn more about how ClimaTwin can help you assess the physical and financial impacts of future weather and climate extremes on your infrastructure assets and investment portfolios, please visit www.climatwin.com today.
© 2025 ClimaTwin Corp. ClimaTwin® is a registered trademark of ClimaTwin Corp. The ClimaTwin logos, ClimaTwin Solutions™, and Future-proofing assets today for tomorrow’s climate extremes™ are trademarks of ClimaTwin Corp. All rights reserved.
###