Masonry Magazine November 2005 Page. 22
Investigators Examine
Masonry Affected by Hurricane
Katrina in Gulf States
A TEAM OF INVESTIGATORS FROM THE MASONRY SOCIETY (TMS) arrived in the Gulf States area on Sept. 2 to investigate the effects of Hurricane Katrina on masonry structures. The four-person team included trained volunteers from the engineering, construction, materials and forensic communities. They focused on the ability of modern building codes and recommended construction practices to protect structures and their inhabitants from severe events such as hurricanes. The investigation team converged from different parts of the United States into Mobile, Ala., and worked westward across the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, through the hurricane-ravaged areas of Pascagoula, Biloxi, Long Beach and Gulfport, and into parts of Louisiana.
Terence A. Weigel, Ph.D. from the University of Louisville, led the team. "When catastrophic events like hurricanes damage structures," Weigel says, "it is important to conduct an investigation as quickly as possible before clean-up efforts are begun to collect forensic data and determine how well the structures performed. Quick-response field studies conducted following major disasters are vital to identify knowledge gaps where further research and building code revisions are most needed. Such investigations also offer opportunities to make recommendations regarding mitigation measures, disaster preparedness and emergency responses for better preparing communities for future disasters."
20 Masonry
November 2005