Studying Soil Behavior Under Pressure Could Save Millions of Dollars
TROY, N.Y. – Millions of dollars are spent fortifying dams to withstand earthquakes — but it may not be necessary. New research being conducted at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is examining whether or not that spending actually contributes to public safety. “The Army Corps of Engineers has spent hundreds of millions of dollars retrofitting some dams which may not need to be retrofitted,” said Tarek Abdoun, a chaired professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rensselaer who is leading this research with support from the National Science Foundation.