Water is often times considered to be the most powerful force on the planet. Which means, under the right circumstances, it can also be the most destructive. All you have to do is watch footage from the tsunami that occurred in Japan in 2011 to understand just how devastating a force it can be. And when the water begins rising, be it from an ocean, lake, or river, it can seem like there is no stopping it from its relentless march forward. Jorge Cueto, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Buffalo, however, has come up with an invention to try and do just that: stop floodwaters before they can ever reach homes or businesses.
Cueto came up with a patent-pending system of telescoping fiber-reinforced concrete boxes that he hopes to develop into “rise on demand” floodwalls. Think of Russian nesting dolls, but with concrete blocks.
Each section of the wall rises from another section that is just a little larger. Using a telescopic design such as this means that when the floodwalls are not needed, they will be able to retract underground so as not to block water views or roads and sidewalks, such as those around hospitals, that cannot be permanently blocked.
In order to keep the water from flooding into any open cracks that may result from where each block meets the one above and below it, Cueto is in the process of developing a system of gaskets to make the walls water tight. He is also working on expandable flaps to cover the space between each wall section.
Much of the science and plenty of technical aspects still need to be worked out before Cueto’s telescopic walls find a real-world use, but the main idea is in place and, if successful, Cueto’s invention could help prevent millions of dollars worth of damages due to floods.
For the full story, click here.
Related Stories
Sponsored | BD+C University Course | Jan 17, 2024
Waterproofing deep foundations for new construction
This continuing education course, by Walter P Moore's Amos Chan, P.E., BECxP, CxA+BE, covers design considerations for below-grade waterproofing for new construction, the types of below-grade systems available, and specific concerns associated with waterproofing deep foundations.
ProConnect Events | Dec 29, 2023
7 ProConnect events scheduled for 2024, including all-new 'AEC Giants'
SGC Horizon present 7 ProConnect events in 2024.
75 Top Building Products | Dec 13, 2023
75 top building products for 2023
From a bladeless rooftop wind energy system, to a troffer light fixture with built-in continuous visible light disinfection, innovation is plentiful in Building Design+Construction's annual 75 Top Products report.
Regulations | Oct 4, 2023
New York adopts emissions limits on concrete
New York State recently adopted emissions limits on concrete used for state-funded public building and transportation projects. It is the first state initiative in the U.S. to enact concrete emissions limits on projects undertaken by all agencies, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
Engineers | Sep 15, 2023
NIST investigation of Champlain Towers South collapse indicates no sinkhole
Investigators from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) say they have found no evidence of underground voids on the site of the Champlain Towers South collapse, according to a new NIST report. The team of investigators have studied the site’s subsurface conditions to determine if sinkholes or excessive settling of the pile foundations might have caused the collapse.
75 Top Building Products | Aug 7, 2023
Enter today! BD+C's 75 Top Building Products for 2023
BD+C editors are now accepting submissions for the annual 75 Top Building Products awards. The winners will be featured in the November/December 2023 issue of Building Design+Construction.
Building Materials | Jun 14, 2023
Construction input prices fall 0.6% in May 2023
Construction input prices fell 0.6% in May compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data released today. Nonresidential construction input prices declined 0.5% for the month.
Concrete Technology | Apr 24, 2023
A housing complex outside Paris is touted as the world’s first fully recycled concrete building
Outside Paris, Holcim, a Swiss-based provider of innovative and sustainable building solutions, and Seqens, a social housing provider in France, are partnering to build Recygénie—a 220-unit housing complex, including 70 social housing units. Holcim is calling the project the world’s first fully recycled concrete building.
Design Innovation Report | Apr 19, 2023
Reinforced concrete walls and fins stiffen and shade the National Bank of Kuwait skyscraper
When the National Bank of Kuwait first conceived its new headquarters more than a decade ago, it wanted to make a statement about passive design with a soaring tower that could withstand the extreme heat of Kuwait City, the country’s desert capital.
3D Printing | Apr 11, 2023
University of Michigan’s DART Laboratory unveils Shell Wall—a concrete wall that’s lightweight and freeform 3D printed
The University of Michigan’s DART Laboratory has unveiled a new product called Shell Wall—which the organization describes as the first lightweight, freeform 3D printed and structurally reinforced concrete wall. The innovative product leverages DART Laboratory’s research and development on the use of 3D-printing technology to build structures that require less concrete.
