Massive System Failures In Levees Found

Investigators find a series of flaws at every level in the 'conception, design, construction and maintenance' of New Orleans' levee system.

1 minute read

October 23, 2005, 9:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen

Among the findings:

- At least two, and possibly three, of the breaches that took down storm walls in the city during the hurricane resulted from design flaws involving weak soil conditions, according to Raymond Seed, a UC Berkeley engineering professor who is leading the investigating team.

- Levees also failed because they were designed and built in the late 1980s and 1990s without adequate safety margins, said Bea, a civil engineering expert. The safety margins, intended to give levees an extra measure of strength, were set far lower than the protective margins typically used for such critical projects as bridges, hospitals and dams.

FULL STORY: System Failures Seen in Levees

Saturday, October 22, 2005 in The Los Angeles Times

Infrastructure Louisiana

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