LSU Team Innovates to Provide Safer, Affordable Homes for Disaster-Prone Zones

A research team from Louisiana State University (LSU) is working on a project to improve the availability of affordable and resilient housing in disaster-prone areas. With hurricane season nearing, they are exploring the use of FORTIFIED® elevated manufactured homes. These homes are designed to enhance safety and durability for lower- and middle-income residents in high-risk zones. The project is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and addresses housing and emergency recovery challenges in these communities.

The FORTIFIED® construction standard used in the project is a voluntary code for wind-resistant construction that includes third-party evaluation to meet safety criteria from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. This standard is key to providing homes that can withstand severe weather, aiming to lessen the impact on residents and the National Flood Insurance Program.

The research team is led by LSU Industrial Engineering Professor Isabelina Nahmens and includes experts from various departments. The team members, such as Professor Laura Ikuma, Assistant Professor Rubayet Bin Mostafiz, Associate Professor Carol Friedland, and Professor Robert Rohli, bring expertise in fields like industrial engineering, biological and agricultural engineering, and oceanography & coastal sciences.

The project also looks at the entire lifecycle of manufactured homes, including factory production, on-site installation, and maintenance. It addresses challenges like transportation logistics, contractor commitments, and the lack of standardized construction practices. The team is evaluating how these homes stand up to natural hazards such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, and aims to incorporate resilience features from the manufacturing stage.

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