No. Utilities, including electrical wiring, switches, outlets, breaker boxes, power meters, plumbing, conduits, and ventilation ducts, are not to be placed in or attached to breakaway wall panels. Building supply lines and other utility fixtures, such as light switches or electrical outlets, may be attached to the sheltered side of vertical foundation members as allowed by applicable building codes and floodplain management regulations (which generally require that utilities be elevated above the BFE). Breakaway walls are discussed in TB-9 and in ASCE 24 and FEMA Mitigation Assessment Team (MAT) observations described below:
- ASCE 24-14, Section 4.6.1 Breakaway Walls. Requires breakaway walls to fail before or during base flood conditions without imparting loads on foundations and without producing damaging debris. Specifies that utilities and equipment must not be mounted on, pass through, or be located along breakaway walls.
- MAT observations: All utility components that must be installed below the elevated structure must be flood damage-resistant, designed for flood forces, and attached to permanent structural elements. When utilities must be located below an elevated structure, the components should be placed on the protected side of a foundation member on the side opposite to the anticipated direction of flow and wave approach.