Second, assessing damage to foundations remaining after the storm is important for homeowners considering rebuilding. Such materials have the potential to withstand vibration much better than conventional materials. SMAs may be metal alloys, such as nickel-titanium, or ferrous alloys, ceramics or polymers. In this study, nickel-titanium alloys have shown the most promise to be used for fastening devices. SMAs are created by cyclic heating and cooling of an alloy using electric currents.
Much work remains to be done before cost-effective SMAs can be used in new construction.
Noori and colleagues have high hopes for the development of the new mechanisms. The second aspect of this study, assessing foundation damage after the storm, involves developing monitoring systems that can help homeowners and building inspectors decide if a foundation is sturdy enough for rebuilding. Frequently, only the foundation of a coastal home survives a severe hurricane. Homeowners might like to reuse this foundation, but only if it's safe. According to Noori, underwater robots that can stick themselves to a pillar and use sound waves to send data back to a researcher have been in use for other marine applications, and they have potential for coastal structures application.