While hurricane season often brings about worries of the structural soundness of Gulf Coast buildings, a University professor is researching ways to increase resistance and reduce damage from wind-borne debris.Michele Barbato, assistant civil and environmental engineering professor, is researching different methods for a holistic approach to modern building designs that will better resist damage due to hazardous wind borne debris.The idea is to approach the design of a building as a whole, finding out which building materials better resist a given impact intensity. The stress points of a building, such as the windows, doors and roofs are the most prone to damage, Barbato said. Barbato said data collected by students from his department and researchers from the LSU Hurricane Center during Hurricane Ike will weigh into his database. Though he is still waiting for the results, he said he expects to have them in a few weeks.Barbato said there is no way to tell exactly how long it will take to incorporate the design into new construction once it is completed, but he said it is a very lengthy process that could take up to years.
 
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Contact Steven Powell at [email protected]