Introduction: True Protection Goes Beyond the Blueprint
With urban flooding and extreme rainfall events becoming more frequent under global climate change, flood risk has emerged as a major challenge for businesses worldwide. A single extreme-weather incident can halt operations, damage critical assets, and disrupt entire supply chains. Although many companies have begun investing in flood-protection systems, the true effectiveness of these measures often becomes evident only when a crisis hits.
This case tells the story of a company that took action long before any water appeared. Veoneer, a global automotive safety systems manufacturer, proactively installed an advanced flood-defense system across 16 entrances of its critical parts warehouse in Shanghai. The project was driven by four clear objectives: protecting key assets, ensuring business continuity, improving emergency response efficiency, and meeting the rigorous requirements of FM certification.
The project’s completion report revealed many unexpected engineering insights and takeaways. This article highlights the three most important lessons.
The Goal Was Not Just to Pass — It Was Perfection
✅Insight #1: Meeting a “Zero Leakage” Target Even When Standards Allow Leakage
To validate performance, the project team conducted a testing regimen far more demanding than a standard pass/fail inspection.
In the first stage, 13 floodgates underwent a dynamic spray test using a high-pressure water jet at a flow rate of 1.5 m³/h, simulating wind-driven rain and splashing floodwater. The results were flawless: all gate interiors remained completely dry, with no visible water marks. (Two gates near the power distribution room were not sprayed due to safety considerations, reflecting realistic operational constraints.)
Following this success, the team performed an even stricter static closed-water test on Gate 5 (net width 1400 mm). The gate was filled to its full design water height of 400 mm and held for 120 consecutive minutes while technicians monitored for seepage.
✔️Final result: 0 liters of leakage over the entire two-hour test.
This performance is remarkable when compared with FM 2510, the internationally recognized standard that would allow up to 4.40 liters of leakage for a gate of this size over the same duration. Achieving zero leakage demonstrates not only the product’s high quality but also the exceptional precision of the installation process, proving the system’s reliability under sustained water pressure.
Even the Strongest Barrier Must Operate at Human Speed
✅Insight #2: An Industrial Flood Barrier Deployed in Under Two Minutes
The effectiveness of any engineering solution depends on whether it can be deployed quickly and correctly during an emergency. A system that is technically robust but slow or difficult to install may fail at the very moment it is needed.
The Veoneer project placed special emphasis on validating “human-speed readiness.”
After a single training session, the warehouse personnel responsible for deploying the floodgates were tested. The results showed that staff could fully install a floodgate in under two minutes on average.
This rapid deployment capability directly fulfills one of the project’s core goals—enhancing emergency efficiency—allowing all 16 entrances to be secured well before rising waters pose a threat.
It demonstrates a system designed not only for mechanical strength but also for real-world operational practicality.
The Strongest Defense Depends on a Solid Foundation
✅Insight #3: A Perfect Barrier Requires a Perfect Substrate
During the site assessment, the project team discovered a hidden risk that could have jeopardized the entire system. At two installation points—South 3 and South 4—the existing wall structure was hollow and structurally inadequate to withstand the significant loads generated by the floodgate under water pressure. A standard installation would have failed.
In response, the team implemented an adaptive engineering solution: a reinforced square-steel-tube support system with embedded anchors to strengthen the wall and create a stable load-bearing foundation.
This scenario highlights a critical project-management lesson: success depends not only on the quality of the product but also on the ability to identify and resolve site-specific structural challenges. Even the strongest barrier becomes ineffective if the foundation cannot hold.
Conclusion: Establishing a New Benchmark for Resilience
The successful implementation of the flood-defense system at Veoneer’s Shanghai warehouse offers a meaningful blueprint for proactive resilience planning. The project reinforces three core insights:
- The value of exceeding standards to achieve a true “zero leakage” result
- The necessity of rapid, human-centric deployment in real emergency scenarios
- The importance of adaptive engineering to overcome hidden site conditions
The Veoneer project reflects a new level of preparedness—one that prompts a key question for every organization: Are we merely meeting the standard, or are we building a solution truly ready for the challenges ahead?