Tab 1

PARABLOCK: A Pot made of Rubber as a Support to Redirect and Control Flooding

Researchers:

Marco Enzo N. Ballestero

Liza Lyn F. Obsid

Lance Wishchard R. Seballo

 Abstract

One of the natural disasters that is globally faced by humankind is the disastrous

flood. Flooding in some areas in the Philippines are unpredictable, especially those residing

in the coastal areas and some places in the city. The objective of this paper is to test the

durability, flexibility, and sustainability of the researchers' innovation named PARABLOCK

with the primary goal to be an asset of the community against flood. With the innovative

mind of the researchers, they come up with one of the fundamental infrastructure of the

community that serves as the blockage which redirects the flood for its destination in hope to

minimize the effect and the risks of flood outflow in some areas. Rubber tires serve as the

outer layer of the product that has the flexibility to withstand water flow and has the

durability to endure its shape for a long period of time. Metal curvature serve as the arch that

prevents the water from overflowing or splashing onto the other side. Flat metal serve as an

extra sustainability of the product, it makes the product stronger, durable, and sustainable.

Soil serve as an extra weight for the stability and stagnation of the product into a certain place

and the plant will absorb the water. This innovation also gives space and time to local

government units and the citizens to prepare for a possible flooding if the PARABLOCK can

no longer sustain the flood because of its height.

Keywords: Flood, PARABLOCK, Redirection, Blockage

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 Introduction

One of the natural disasters globally faced by humankind is the disastrous flood. The

Philippines is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean, an archipelago

composed of 7,000 islands (Hernandez et al., 2024) and due to its geographic location being

situated near the Equator or being the country located in the Pacific Ring of Fire caused the

country to be vulnerable to climatological hazards such as tropical cyclones and typhoons

being most notable hazards. One of the contributing factors as to why the region experienced

typhoons is due to climate change, as higher sea surface temperatures and subsurface sea

temperatures remove the natural buffer on typhoon strength (Why Philippines Id Prone to

Typhoons? | 4 Answers From Research Papers, n.d.)

According to Wang et al. (2022), extreme weather events and rapid urbanization

caused disastrous floods that resulted in millions of fatalities, causing economic loss of tens

of billions of dollars. On July 19, 2024, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and

Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported that the low pressure area in the

Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) had intensified to tropical depression Carina located

780 kilometers(km) west to Virac, Catanduanes where it soon escalated into Typhoon Carina

and on July 24, 2024 PAGASA reported that it intensified into Super Typhoon Carina, which

damages and affected the transportation leading to over 100 flights cancellation at NAIA and

the total agricultural damage caused by the super typhoon had reached to Php 3.04 billion

(Serd, 2024).

Flooding in some areas in the Philippines are unpredictable, especially those residing

in the coastal areas and some places in the city. Urban areas are being described and

categorized as places where progression and development continuously takes place. As a

result, challenges occur as to how the water will flow back to the body of water.

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Understanding different factors of urban floods can minimize and prevent the devastating

effects of it in human life and society. Last December 2018, the Municipality of Nabua didn’t

escape in the whip of the Tropical Depression Usman leading to a three day impassable road.

Damaged agriculture and tarnished lifestyle was faced by the Nabuaeños. The height of the

flood was measured at approximately 6 ft in the Poblacion area while some nearby barangays

of Poblacion experienced knee-deep flood. It is evidently seen everywhere that in the recent

natural and man-made events it lead to extreme flooding in some areas when tropical

depression was detected and later on became typhoon, this situation urged the people, the

government to have and build resilience into draining system and flood management systems

as a precautionary act to at least minimize the disastrous impact of flood in both physical and

economic sections of the country.

Flooding is not only caused by the external factors such as climate change and

urbanization that are very relevant nowadays but rather the internal factors such as the

material malfunction and blockage have caused almost half of the places in the country

flooded whenever there is an existing tropical depression or typhoon as stated by Mugume et

al. (2015). Drainage systems built with reliability, resilience, and sustainability are key goals

for every drainage system. As it ensures stability and usefulness for a passage of time, as

indicated by Casal-Campos et al. (2018). As nowadays many coastal areas experience the

threat of growing flood risks due to interactions of multiple triggers associated with the

problem of climate change such as rainstorm, rising sea level, storm surges, and many more,

as described by Qiang et al. (2021). Thus, with the prediction of worsening the future

scenario and the risks associated with it, it is significant to implement and pursue integrated

flood risks management approaches which incorporate flood modeling in hope to lessen the

devastating and uncontrollable impact of flooding, as explained by Nkwunonwo et al. (2020).

As supported by Miguez and Veról (2016) with the uncertainties experienced globally urban

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drainage management was soon converted into a flood management approach incorporated

with the manner of resiliency and continuous functions despite future circumstances. As

expressed by Wang et al. (2022) Effectiveness of flood management was seen widely as a

way to mitigate the adverse consequences of flood and in the recent studies, a resilient and

sustainable flood management approach became a constant goal.

The objective of this paper is to test the durability, flexibility, and sustainability of the

researchers' innovation named PARABLOCK with the primary goal to be an asset of the

community against the natural disaster, specifically the flood. With the prevailing weather

often experienced, a sustainable drainage system is a significant defense mechanism against

heavy rainfall, due to its capability to attenuate and treat surface water but making it to life

was a bit challenging as its production might cost or exceed the budget set for the project as

explained by Cotterill and Bracken (2020) and for that specific reason with the innovative

mind of the researchers they have come up with one of the fundamental infrastructure of the

community that serves as the blockage which redirects the flood for its destination in hope to

minimize the effect and the risks of flood outflow in some areas. With the materials being

used to produce this innovation, it already answered the problem regarding the production

and it encourages everyone to make use of the existing materials to create a new product that

benefit not only the life of one but the lives of the concerning citizens of the community as

flood being described as uncontrollable, this innovation ought to be a way to at least mitigate

the devastating results of floods in various areas.

This innovation is beneficial to the community, environment, and most especially to

people. PARABLOCK benefits the community as an additional asset, precautionary measures

and flood management approach ensuring a secured and budget friendly infrastructure which

aim to be the pathway towards lessening and preventing the expected and unexpected outflow

of flood. As an adoptive asset of the community it is made to be advantageous to our

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environment as PARABLOCK a pottery inspired product with a dual purpose in which one is

to be a flood redirecting tool and the other feature is to be like a vase for a plant to cultivate.

Lastly, for the people, the researchers hope that through this innovation it can lessen the

uneasiness and fear of the concerned citizens when there is a high tide, tropical depression, or

typhoon. It might add security, safety, and peace of mind when there is a risk of flooding in

their place. This innovation is absolutely designed to be the hands and a pathway towards

securing a more safe, improved, and organized action and approach centered in ensuring the

well-being of people as aforementioned above.

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Statement of the Problem

This study aims to know the capabilities of PARABLOCK in terms of utilizing its

usage and sustaining it in a long period of time.

Specifically, this study sought to answer the following:

1. What are the necessary preparations to successfully utilize the usage of PARABLOCK?

2. How does the PARABLOCK ensure the overall function in terms of:

1.1. Sustainability

1.2. Flexibility

1.3. Durability

3. How would PARABLOCK mitigate the effects of flood?

Conceptual Framework

Gathering Assembling Testing

Figure 1. Conceptual framework

This conceptual framework illustrates the process to accomplish this project.

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 Review of Related Literature

Cause of Flood

Flood water is usually caused by clogged drainage, improper waste management and

the lack of surface to absorb the flood water. Due to improper disposal of waste in critical

areas like drainage, it disrupts the continuous flow of the water during the rainy season or

when there is a tropical depression. The supposed purpose of the drainage system which is to

accommodate the volume of excess rainwater is not properly handled and causes the water to

overflow and inundate the surface. In addition, having a low absorption area results to less

water absorption (Poor Drainage System: Causes of Floods and Sanitation Problems | EBI,

n.d.).

Effects of Flood

Flood water has a lot of harmful effects as it is stuck in the places near the houses of

people; it is usually contaminated with different harmful elements that somehow causes foul

smell which is bad for health especially if exposed for a long period of time. As stated by

Zhou et al. (2023), flood results in casualties and property damages. Globally, many of those

living in areas that are low-lying are expected to experience flooding in the future, while

those people in coastal places are likely to encounter enormous exposure to flooding, as

mentioned by Williams et al. (2020). Low-lying and coastal places are usually prone to

excessive flooding as it is where the flood water is stuck. Due to the frequent occurrence of

disasters, it is clear that there is a need to manage these phenomena to mitigate damages and

recover from it (Kurata, 2023). In some places, dikes are being moved back, and the

restoration of floodplains in order to give the river more space during flooding; this can make

flood prevention more effective and reduce the risk of flooding (Natural Flood Prevention,

2023).

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Urban flooding

According to Zhou et al. (2018) Urban floods have a great impact on socioeconomic

and can cause disruption to city services like transportation, communication, and water and

electricity as well as the routine and occupation service of employed individual, in other

words, urban floods cause changes in the usual cycle of the urban areas. Urban drainage

which is specifically designed to transport the flood away from the urban areas becomes a

significant infrastructure of the city as stated by Zhou et al. (2018). Therefore, a need for an

urban drainage needs attention but as the world and the climate change became so

unpredictable and dynamic nowadays, integrated and improved management of floods along

the developments of flood control assets like upgrading the drainage system of the city can be

beneficial for the people and the society if properly managed and solutions take part first as

expressed by Mahmood et al. (2017) described by Zhou et al. (2019).

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 Methodology

Design

This study aims to know the capabilities of PARABLOCK in terms of mitigating, and

controlling the effects of flood. It’s overall function in maintaining its dual purpose capacity,

such as its durability, sustainability and flexibility.

Illustration

Rubber Tire

It will serve as the outer layer of Rub

the product that has the flexibility to

withstand water flow and has the Flat P

durability to endure its shape for a long
S
period of time. Unlike other materials,
Metal
rubbers can not break easily, and it is
Top View
lightweight for easy carrying.

Metal curvature Flat Metal

It will serve as the arch that It will serve as an extra

prevents the water from overflowing or sustainability of the product. It will create

splashing onto the other side. The an extra function that will make the product

stronger, durable, and sustainable.

curvature itself will create a barrier that
Considering of its shape, the force and
blocks the water for it to be redirected
weight of the water will push the metal
back to the flow of water.
onto the ground making it more durable.

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Soil
Plant
The soil will serve as an extra The plant will absorb the water from
weight for the stability and stagnation of the soil that will make it to life. It will also

the product into a certain place. It will serve as a decoration if there is no expected

rainfall and flood. The plant will serve as the

also absorb the extra water from the
products aesthetics yet will also have a crucial
possible leakages, spills, and
role to make the product more functionable.
overflowing of water making it more

compact and heavy as the soil becomes

wet.

Brackets Sizes

.5 FT
1

3
2

1.5

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Locale

This study was conducted in Barangay Pandyan, Meycauayan City, province of

Bulacan, the researchers used this place to be the main subject and testers of their innovation.

This place was selected for knowing to be one of the barangays that is prone to flood as

around this place there is a creek where every time the Philippines or some region

specifically the Central Luzon experienced tropical depression or typhoon, if there is a

continuous rain with a span of 1-2 days, the water from the creek overflow and caused flood

in areas around it such as the Palanas Road, Sullera St. and R. Martin St. Additionally

Barangay Pandayan experiences flooding if there is a water outflow coming from the Mc

Arthur Highway and other neighboring barangay like Saluysoy. The researchers aim to test

the innovation in the said place to assess the effectiveness and efficacy of the product.

Hypothesis

Ensuring the production of a well-craft product is essential to attain its desirable

outcome, benefits, and purpose. As the PARABLOCK itself has a physical structure of a

picture of parallelogram therefore it is solely designed to be put in place like flat areas or

surfaces wherein the bottom part of the PARABLOCK is always intact to the land or surface

ensuring there will be no gaps for floodwater to seep through. Aside from that, as the major

purpose of PARABLOCK is to redirect the flood therefore it should be placed in an area or

corner where it opt to redirect the flow of the flood to lessen the probability of supposedly

unaffected areas to experience flooding.

The PA RABLOCK is built with materials that ensures a long span of usage

and applicability which is the tire that cannot erode and a stainless steel and wires coated with

polymer paint which avoid the latter to have rust, therefore no matter how long the

PARABLOCK stay in touch with floodwater, people can rest assured that it won’t rust easily.

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Thus, it provides sustainability in regards to its composition that its physical structure will

remain the same over a period of time and in terms of functionality, PARABLOCK will

continue to do its job and purpose despite intensity of flood and flood current.

The Philippines is known for having two (2) weather which is sunny and rainy

weather. The PARABLOCK was specifically designed with the capabilities to adapt to

climatological weather of the Philippines. During rainy days some places are expected to

experience flood, then the PARABLOCK will do its function and purpose to redirect the flow

of flood and minimize overflooding to supposedly unaffected areas. While, when the

Philippines experienced sunny days, PARABLOCK will then serve as road decoration as it

has a plant within. PARABLOCK is not a seasonal product but an adaptive innovation.

PARABLOCK shows durability that it can withstand heavy and strong floods given

its structure, weight, materials. As it has a bracket that adds additional support to the

PARABLOCK and tires as outer covering having a rubber interior that makes it more

durable. When it comes to water current, flow, or waves of the flood, the PARABLOCK

won't be easily pushed to other directions as there is soil and plants inside. An extension was

also built for additional stability of the PARABLOCK.

The PARABLOCK as its purpose is to redirect the flood, it opt to hindrance the flow

of flood to some flood prone areas. This innovation also gives space and time to local

government units as well as the citizens to prepare for a possible flooding if and only if the

PARABLOCK can no longer sustain, stop, or redirect the flood because of its height.

Nonetheless, if the PARABLOCK can continue to redirect the flow of the flood and if there

is a wave the arch in the upper part of the PARABLOCK will do its way to flow it back to the

water flow and for excessive flood water the plant and the soil will take action for it, hence,

there is a large percent of possibilities that it’ll mitigate the effects of flood to some areas.

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Possible Conclusion

The PARABLOCK is an innovative flood control device for redirecting flood water in

flood prone areas. It is ade to mitigate the damages of heavy rainfall and floods, the main

purpose of the PARABLOCK is to redirect flood water so the flood water can flow into

where it is supposed to flow. The materials of the PARABLOCK are rubber tires, stainless

steel brackets, and used wires coated in polymer paint, the parallelogram structure helps its

stability and long-term functionality. Versatile and adaptive, the PARABLOCK serves as a

decorative planter during sunny weather and a strong and durable barrier against strong

floods and water currents, giving communities valuable time to prepare for the flood. The

PARABLOCK can mitigate floods by putting the PARABLOCKS side by side becoming a

barrier that redirects floodwater, it has an arch on the top edge of it that ensures water shall

not splash over the PARABLOCK, and a flat on the bottom giving it more stability.

Recommendations

As the world continues to progress and evolve and changes occur most of the time

both in physical and natural aspects of this world, hence, every product and innovation needs

improvement and upgrading that should become one of the priorities that the government and

inventors should look into and do in a specific period of time. Even this innovation named

PARABLOCK does not ensure a lifetime of applicability most especially that its purpose is

to redirect the flood. Flood being defined itself, every year flood water increases and its

disastrous impacts should be expected. Hence, the researchers suggest that in the next couple

of years, the government should look and put efforts into improving and upgrading the

PARABLOCK in a way that it solves crucial and fundamental problems of this world.

Lifetime function and applicability of the PARABLOCK depends on the current and future

problem of the society and how people makes space and let the PARABLOCK fit in to this

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environmental changes continuously happening. The government might increase the size of

the PARABLOCK from its current height of 3 ft to ensure that the PARABLOCK can do its

job to redirect the flood when the flood water is higher than 3 ft. The government can also

upgrade some materials of the PARABLOCK to ensure a more stable and resilient innovation

that opt for society’s benefit. Continuous efforts will lead to a more useful and functional

product and innovation that overtime as the world progresses and changes, the product and

innovation adapt and go along the flow.

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