Floodproof Construction Research Project

The Floodproof Construction Research Project and the Prototype Temporary Disaster Housing Research Project are made possible by a grant from the Southeast Region Research Initiative (SERRI), a program managed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

SERRI’s mission is to support university research that addresses homeland security and emergency preparedness. GCCDS' goal throughout the project was to create a collection of research that could be used as a resource for business owners, developers, city governments, and local stake-holders in order to help communities and individuals make informed decisions regarding hazard mitigation and response to housing shortages after a disaster.

Providing disaster housing has been a continual challenge because traditional temporary housing units consist of either modified recreational vehicles or manufactured homes; neither of which are designed specifically for the unique challenges of disaster response and recovery. GCCDS conducted research to design a temporary housing unit tailored to the unique requirements of disaster response and recovery in order to provide safe, fast, and cost-effective disaster housing to individuals displaced by a natural or man-made disasters, so that they can recover from the event and seek permanent housing.