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LSU AgCenter AgExcellence Award, LSU AgCenter

John R. Sheaffer Award for Excellence in Floodproofing, Association of State Floodplain Managers

Wind risk and mitigation calculator framework for determining the wind annualized risk for single-and multi-family homes to support resilient community decision-making

Implications of freeboard policy for homeowners in different income-groups: A case study of Jefferson parish

Development of Sustainable Low-Cement Construction 3D Printing Materials via Dense Particle Packing

Bibliometric Web of Science and Google Trends analysis of multi-criteria decision analysis within the built environment

Fuzzy logic use case within the built environment for optimizing sustainability versus cost in the material selection process

Hazard-Resilient Housing & Wind Damage Mitigation

Dr. Carol Friedland is a Professor at LSU specializing in construction management and the Director for LaHouse, which offers research-based solutions for resilient, sustainable, and healthy homes and communities. Previously, Dr. Friedland was a Project Engineer, Field Engineer, and Estimator. Friedland’s research interests include combined hurricane wind and flood interactions on structures; hazard-resistant construction and mitigation; performance of housing and other built infrastructure subjected to natural hazards; post-hurricane hazard (e.g. wind, storm surge) and damage data acquisition; remote sensing of building damage from natural hazards; and rapid, efficient data collection, storage, and processing. Friedland’s work appears in numerous journal publications, including the Journal of Architectural Engineering, International Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, and Journal of Structural Engineering. A Professional Engineer and ASFPM Certified Floodplain Manager, Friedland is a Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, American Association of Wind Engineers (AAWE), Association of State Floodplain Managers, and American Society for Engineering Education.

Construction Management

Hazard-Resistant Construction

Hurricane, Wind and Flood Interactions

Natural Hazards 

Data Collection

LSU Faculty Profile

LSU AgCenter Profile

LaHouse Research & Education Center

Louisiana Disaster Reduction Initiative

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Hurricane Preparedness Week reminds everyone to plan ahead

Solutions to Louisiana's complex insurance crisis are in sight. Now comes the hard part.

LSU AgCenter gives advice on how to prepare your plants for the upcoming cold snap

Building Resilience through Extension, Awareness and Knowledge

Responsible Design, Development, and Deployment of Technologies

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Director of LaHouse Research & Education Center and Professor

After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated Louisiana and brought billions of dollars of damage to the state, lawmakers worked with researchers, engineers and others to create and implement new codes and laws in an attempt to prevent such serious damage happening again.

On Aug. 29, LSU and the LSU AgCenter hosted an event at the Energy, Coast and Environment Building in honor of the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall in Louisiana on the same date in 2005.

The daylong conference featured leading voices from LSU and government officials, who spoke about the impacts that hurricanes Katrina and Rita had on Louisiana and how policies and research have changed since those storms.

As a part of the program, Carol Friedland, the director of the AgCenter LaHouse Research and Education Center, spoke alongside Brad Hassert, executive director of the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, for a seminar called “Innovating Resilience: Solutions Inspired by Katrina.” The two discussed recent developments in building materials and building codes that showed the changes, or lack thereof, since the two devastating hurricanes.

At the time of the storms, building codes were not uniform in the state, and some parishes had almost no building codes at all. After Katrina and Rita, however, officials pushed for a unified code that better protected Louisiana residents from dangerous storms and weather events.

“After Hurricane Katrina, we actually enacted very strong legislation to adopt the model code,” Friedland said. “Also, at the same time, the FEMA mitigation assessment team went out and documented a lot of the failures from Katrina. This program really helps us learn around the country what are the practices that are working and what are the practices that are not working and then getting those integrated into the code process.”

Friedland went on to talk about some developments for houses that she has been working on, like “fortified roofs,” which are new roofs that will protect residents more efficiently than the codes required in Louisiana.

Friedland also talked about the process of implementing new codes. Researchers must find agreement with governmental entities and other parties, like insurance adjusters and contractors, to succeed, she said.

Hassert spoke about the importance for homeowners to find a licensed contractor after a weather event causes damage to their house. This is mostly to ensure that the house will be repaired to code and so the homeowners will not be scammed or stolen from.

Hassert, who was recently appointed executive director of the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code Council, urged researchers and other stakeholders to come together and participate in council meetings so they can make the most informed and beneficial decisions that they can.

Both Hassert and Friedland believe there is work to do to improve the codes and building standards in Louisiana houses, but with communication and more involved research, enhancements can be made.

“One of the ways I like to frame this is to think about are we happy with the level of losses that we have?” Friedland said. “Do we think that we’re doing well? Who is happy with the level of loss that we see? I think we can still do better.”
Original article posted by the LSU AgCenter here. 


LSU Expert Carol Friedland on Katrina’s Legacy: What’s Changed, What Still Needs to Be Done

lsu-agcenter-research-enables-better-flood-protection-for-homes

Ten years of LSU research has created stronger national standards for construction that will radically change how communities in Louisiana and across the United States can protect homes and buildings from flooding.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently released its new standard for flood-resistant design and construction, ASCE/SEI 24-24, which provides new minimum requirements that can be adopted for all structures subject to building codes and floodplain management regulations. The new elevation standard was directly supported by LSU research and should help reduce flood risk and make flood insurance more affordable.

“Without the research by the LSU AgCenter, the advancements made to the elevation requirements would not have been possible,” said Manny Perotin, co-chair of the Association of State Floodplain Managers’ Nonstructural Floodproofing Committee, who helped update the standard. “Dr. Carol Friedland’s research shows there are better ways to protect communities from flooding than adding one foot of additional freeboard.”

The research team, led by Friedland, an engineer, professor, and director of LSU AgCenter’s LaHouse, showed how previous standards were failing to protect some homeowners. They mapped the impact of moving from a standard based on a fixed freeboard amount to being based on real risk in every census tract in the U.S. In response to these findings, they developed a free online tool to help builders, planners, managers, and engineers calculate the elevation required under the new standards.

“Many on the committee said it would be too hard to do these complex calculations,” said Adam Reeder, principal at the engineering and construction firm CDMSmith, who helped lead the elevation working group for the new ASCE 24 elevation standards. “But the LSU AgCenter’s years of research in this area and the development of the tool makes calculations and implementation simple. This allowed the new elevation standard to get passed.”

Flooding, the biggest risk to homes in Louisiana, continues to threaten investments and opportunities to build generational wealth.  On top of flood losses, residents see insurance premiums increase without resources to help them make informed decisions and potentially lower costs. In response to this problem, Friedland is working on developing a whole suite of tools together with more than 130 partners as part of a statewide Disaster Resilience Initiative.

When presenting to policy makers and various organizations, Friedland often starts by asking what percentage of buildings they want to flood in their community in the next 50 years.

“Of course, we all want this number to be zero,” Friedland said. “But we have been building and designing so 40% will flood. People have a hard time believing this, but it’s the reality of how past standards did not adequately address flood risk.”

Designing to the 100-year elevation means a building has a 0.99 chance of not flooding in any given year. But when you run that probability over a period of 50 years (0.99 x 0.99 x 0.99… 50 times, or 0.99 ^ 50), the number you end up with is a 60.5% chance of not flooding in 50 years. This means a 39.5% chance of flooding at least once.

“We’ve been building to the 100-year elevation while wanting the protection of building to the 500-year elevation, which is a 10% chance of flooding in 50 years,” Friedland said. “Now, with the higher ASCE standard, we can finally get to 10% instead of 40%.”

As the AgCenter’s research led to guidelines, then to this new standard, Friedland has also been providing testimony to the International Code Council to turn the stronger standard into code.

In May, Friedland helped lead a workshop at the Association of State Floodplain Managers’ national conference, held in New Orleans. There, she educated floodplain managers about the new standard while demonstrating LSU’s web-based calculation tool, which was designed for professionals, while her team also develops personalized decision-making tools such as Flood Safe Home for residents. At the conference, Friedland received the 2025 John R. Sheaffer Award for Excellence in Floodproofing.

More than two-thirds of the cost of natural hazards in Louisiana comes from flooding, according to LSU AgCenter research in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for the State Hazard Mitigation Plan. That cost was recently estimated to rise to $3.6 billion by 2050. “Historically, we have lived with almost a 40% chance of flooding over 50 years, which in most people’s opinion is too high—and the number could be even higher,” Reeder said. “Most building owners don’t understand the risk they are living with, and it only becomes apparent after a flood. The work done by the LSU AgCenter is critical in improving resilience in communities that can’t afford to be devastated by flooding.”

“This may be the most significant upgrade in the nation’s flood loss reduction standards since the creation of the National Flood Insurance Program minimums in 1973, and it could not come at a better time as annual flood losses in the country now average more than $45 billion per year,” said Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers.

In addition to LaHouse’s work to prevent flooding, Friedland’s team is also working to increase energy efficiency in homes to help residents save money on utility bills. Their HEROES program, an acronym for home energy resilience outreach, education, and support, is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and has already reached 140,000 people in Louisiana.
Article originally posted here. 

LSU AgCenter Research Enables Better Flood Protection for Homes

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Hurricane season officially begins June 1, and now is the time to get ready for potential storms. Hurricane Preparedness Week, observed May 4 to 10, is a reminder for Louisiana residents to review their emergency plans, strengthen their homes, and prepare their families before a major storm arrives.

“Preparedness saves lives, protects property and reduces recovery time,” said Carol Friedland, director of the LSU AgCenter LaHouse Research and Education Center. “By taking a few proactive steps now, families can be better protected during hurricane season.”

Even though hurricane season does not begin for another month, starting your preparation now can save time and hassle later. The following are good projects you can start in the coming weeks to prepare for severe weather:

Create and practice a family emergency plan and make sure it has updated contact information and evacuation information.
Assemble an emergency supply kit or go through your existing kit to make sure nothing is expired or missing. Update it to make sure your entire family, including your pets, will have supplies during an evacuation. Review insurance coverage and understand flood risks. Some companies or policies have a waiting period before your coverage begins, so contact your agent or representative now. Strengthen your home against high winds and flooding. Do an overview of your home’s exterior and note any areas that look like they need repairs, like patches of missing shingles. Repairing these smaller problems now can reduce the likelihood of your home experiencing more severe damage during a storm.  “Taking the time to check your home and yard early and getting bigger projects or repairs started ahead of hurricane season can save you a lot of stress later, especially when materials become harder to find right before a storm,” said Rubayet Bin Mostafiz, assistant director of research at LaHouse.

Don’t wait until a storm is in the forecast. Start preparing today.

Visit www.LSUAgCenter.com/LaHouse for more information, downloadable preparedness publications, and guidance tailored to Louisiana homes and families.

The LaHouse Research and Education Center is dedicated to providing science-based solutions to improve home resilience, sustainability, and health. Through research, extension and education, LaHouse seeks to address the challenges of severe weather, with a particular focus on helping Louisiana residents protect their homes and communities from natural disasters.
Article originally posted here. 

Saving your home from Hurricanes: Decision Making for Hazard Resilient Homes
This hurricane season, join LSU Associate Professor Carol Friedland from the Bert S. Turner Department of Construction Management, who will provide critical information on how to protect your most valuable asset: your home.

LSU Science Café: Carol Friedland, August 2017

On October 21, 2022, ICLR hosted a Friday Forum webinar titled 'HazardAware: Democratizing Hazard, Risk, and Mitigation Information to Build More Resilient Home'.


This presentation described the development and outcomes of “HazardAware”, an interactive website that allows the public and community decision-makers to learn about housing-related natural hazard risks and mitigation options along the U.S. Gulf. HazardAware’s end users include residents searching for a new home, residents interested in the risk profile and mitigation options of their current home, real estate and insurance agents, lenders, builders, advocacy groups, and community planners. This website is a primary deliverable of a multi-year team science project funded by the NAS Gulf Research Program with the overarching goal of connecting coastal residents to risk and resilience information to help them elevate both household and community resilience. The project’s overarching goal is to leverage actionable information on disaster risk and mitigation alternatives in pursuit of housing as the new first line of defense against natural hazards. 



Christopher T. Emrich, PhD, GISP is an endowed professor of Environmental Science and Public Administration within the School of Public Administration and a founding member of the National Center for Integrated Coastal Research at University of Central Florida (UCF Coastal). His research/practical service includes applying geospatial technologies to emergency management planning and practice, long-term disaster recovery, and the intersection of social vulnerability and community resilience in the face of catastrophe.


Carol J. Friedland, P.E., PhD, CFM , is the LSU AgCenter LaHouse Resource Center director and associate professor in Biological and Agricultural Engineering at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center. Her research focuses on resilient and sustainable housing, disaster loss estimation, post-disaster damage assessment, hazard mitigation planning and mitigation decision-making. LaHouse Resource Center is an research-based educational demonstration facility for resilient, sustainable and healthy housing: http://www.lsuagcenter.com/lahouse. 


Melanie Gall, PhD, CFM, Melanie Gall is assistant professor in the School of Public Affairs where she co-directs the Center for Emergency Management and Homeland Security and manages the Spatial Hazard Events and Losses Database for the United States (SHELDUS). Her expertise lies in risk metrics (e.g., disaster losses, indices, risk assessments), hazard mitigation and climate change adaptation planning as well as environmental modeling.

ICLR Friday Forum: HazardAware: Democratizing Hazard Risk (Oct 21, 2022)

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