Alabama study: small changes could prevent twister damage
Insurance Journal (via Associated Press) – Aug. 2
…“The winds are so high that a wood-frame structure is not going to withstand them. In those cases, you need a safe room,” said researcher Andy Graettinger of the University of Alabama. “But the vast majority of the area (experienced) lower wind speeds that you can engineer for. You need to have the roof tied to the walls and the walls tied to the foundation to prevent major damage.” Homeowners on the fringes of the tornado would have been spared at least some damage with different construction methods or improvements to existing homes, Graettinger said. In some cases, he said, homes could have been saved from catastrophic damage by metal clips or straps that cost about $1 each. “You’re looking at a few thousand dollars for these clips that hold everything together,” Graettinger said in an interview. “It’s a very small amount compared to the cost of the house.”…Researchers found that basic changes like using wind-rated shingles; additional anchors at the bottom of porch columns; metal straps to link roofs with walls; and higher-quality vinyl siding could have made a huge difference in how well some homes survived the storm. “We would have saved a lot of rebuilding cost if that had been done,” said Graettinger, who worked with Alabama engineering professor John W. van de Lindt and other researchers on the project…
Mobile Press-Register – Aug. 2
Al.com – Aug. 2
FOX6 (Birmingham) – Aug. 1
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Aug. 1
WTVY (Dothan) – Aug. 1
Nobel Prize Winner’s Unfinished Symphony
Science Daily – Aug. 2
…Woodward’s family felt these notes could provide valuable insights to other chemists. With the help of Prof Robert Williams from the Colorado State University, two suitable researchers — Michael P. Cava and M.V. Lakshmikantham from the University of Alabama — were appointed to study these notes extensively. The result of this long study is presented in the paper to be published in Tetrahedron, including original scans of Woodward’s work…Cava and Lakshmikantham took some of the main compounds from Woodward’s notes, redrawing them using modern techniques, also searching for any later available literature on the same compounds…
John Grisham wins Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction from University of Alabama
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer – Aug. 2
Author John Grisham has been awarded the 2011 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction.
The prize is a new literary award co-sponsored by the University of Alabama School of Law and the “ABA Journal,” the flagship magazine of the American Bar Association. According to a school new release, Grisham is being honored for his book “The Confession.” The Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction will be given annually to a published work of fiction that best exemplifies the positive role of lawyers in society and their power to effect change. Grisham will be presented the award at a special ceremony Sept. 22 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Economists downgrade Alabama economy projections for 2011
Birmingham Business Journal – Aug. 2
Economists at the University of Alabama’s Center for Business and Economic Research have downgraded the state’s economic growth projection for fiscal 2011. The center now projects the state’s gross domestic product will increase 2.8 percent this year, down from the 3 percent growth it projected last quarter. The center noted roughly 9,500 nonfarm job losses statewide between June 2010 and 2011 – with the government sector most heavily impacted – but said construction employment rose last month as recovery efforts from the April 27 tornado outbreak ramped up. While the center also noted the state’s labor force growth outpaced the job market – statewide unemployment currently sits at 9.9 percent with 214,000 Alabamians out of work – it noted a few industrial projects that could help bolster the job market…
X-ray images unlock mysteries of black holes
Cordis News – Aug. 2
…’It’s exciting to find such clear evidence for gas in the grip of a massive black hole,’ said Ka-Wah Wong of the University of Alabama, lead researcher on the study. ‘Chandra’s resolving power provides a unique opportunity to understand more about how black holes capture material by studying this nearby object.’…