Coastal events like rising sea levels, the “moon wobble” and the tragic collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo in Miami, Fla., are bringing coastal structure safety to the forefront of the media.
The saline-rich and humid environment of the ocean and coast is hazardous to building materials, causing them to corrode and break down over time. As waters rise, coastal structures are put at more risk against the aggressive elements of their oceanic home. Marcelo Paredes, assistant professor in the Department of Ocean Engineering at Texas A&M University, bridges the gap between ocean engineering and materials science with his research developing corrosion-resistant high entropy alloys and materials modeling.
“Until we find or discover new materials that are able to withstand these very aggressive environments, structural engineers are going to have to continue to face the possibility of the types of accidents seen in Miami,” he said. “In the meantime, ocean engineers must push to find another solution to avoid these tragedies.”
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