As the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states continue with clean up and recovery from the “Perfect Storm” of Hurricane Sandy and the front that came from the northwest, it is important for decision-makers to learn from the findings in the report Coast in the Eye of the Storm – Hurricane Katrina: August 29, 2005. Co-funded by the RMC Research & Education Foundation and the Mississippi Concrete Industries Association, the study was conducted by Mississippi State University’s Civil Engineering Department in the fall of 2005 within weeks of the storm. The report includes a forensic evaluation of how different building systems withstand catastrophic weather events including the high winds, projectile damage, storm surge and flooding associated with hurricanes. The report also includes recommendations for strengthening building codes, which may be important as some areas rebuild. The findings of the study helped to affect changes in building codes along Mississippi’s coastal region.
“The importance of protecting life and property cannot be underscored enough. When changes in building codes and standards can assist in those efforts, it makes sense to rebuild taking the findings of this study under consideration,” said Foundation Executive Director Julie Garbini adding, “When combined with the work taking place at MIT that illustrates the sustainable properties of concrete, rebuilding with an eye toward protecting life, property and the environment is the most sensible thing to do from both safety and economic standpoints.”
Copies of the report may be obtained on CD or as a hardcopy. The Vision of the RMC Research & Education Foundation is to be a lasting resource for increasing quality, professionalism, and sustainability in the ready mixed concrete industry by funding high quality, high value, nonproprietary research and education programs. Additional information about this study and others funded by the RMC Research & Education Foundation may be found here.
