In Disaster-Prone Areas, Construction Needs a New Approach

Office of News and Information - Johns Hopkins University - 901 South Bond Street, Suite 540 - Baltimore, Maryland 21231 - Phone: 443-287-9960 | Fax: 443-287-9920 In regions that have been devastated by hurricanes and other natural disasters, public officials should pursue a new direction in infrastructure projects, one that focuses on more durable designs and a greater sensitivity to the surrounding environment, a Johns Hopkins researcher says. Seth Guikema's research focuses on how to develop sustainable and resilient infrastructure. He is a Johns Hopkins assistant professor of geography and environmental engineering. Photo by Will Kirk/Johns Hopkins University - Seth D. Guikema , writing in the journal Science, says builders of infrastructure in disaster-prone areas have traditionally put together projects that weigh lower up-front construction costs against the potential price of repairing or replacing these structures when a natural disaster occurs. In an opinion piece published in the journal's March 6 edition, Guikema argues that many of their decisions have hinged on assumptions that do not draw on new ways to produce buildings and bridges that can better withstand nature's wrath and reduce environmental damage. "For example, we have an extensive record of hurricane impacts and can design structures to withstand those impacts in many cases," writes Guikema, an assistant professor of geography and environmental engineering .