Using 2D modelling to refine floodplain maps and support flood mitigation planning
The city of Mississauga has recently identified strategic growth areas where investments will be targeted for redevelopment and intensification projects. One of the growth areas has a history of flooding during major storm events. In order to redevelop this area, businesses and land owners need to prepare development proposals ensuring that appropriate flood proofing requirements have been achieved and emergency management plans have been prepared. Although the area had previously been included in an update to the regulatory floodplain mapping, the one-dimensional (1D) model that was used to map the floodplain was not capable of representing the complex overland flow within the study area. Therefore, it was determined that a more detailed two-dimensional (2D) hydraulic model was required to refine the floodplain mapping for this area. The team of DHI and MMM Group—a community planning and infrastructure design consultancy— were selected to take on this challenge.