Hurricane Katrina's Impact on Louisiana's Transportation Infrastructure

Abstract

Hurricane Katrina's storm surge and high winds had a devastating impact on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. Although the extensive damage to residential areas continues to receive attention in the media, the damage to key transportation systems was also severe. School of Civil and Environmental Engineering faculty members Dr. Reginald DesRoches and Dr. Glenn J. Rix were selected to join reconnaissance teams sponsored by the National Science Foundation and American Society of Civil Engineers to document damage to Louisiana river and costal ports and highway bridges. Drs. DesRoches and Rix will show photos from their reconnaissance trips, discuss common types of damage to ports and bridges, and summarize the findings of other teams that focused on aspects of the civil infrastructure such as levees. Links between Hurricane Katrina and other research efforts at Georgia Tech examining the impact of natural hazards on the civil infrastructure will also be presented.