HURRICANES leave a trail of devastation in their wake. Now houses reinforced
with smart alloys will be better able to withstand them. Engineers are planning
to use an energy-absorbing alloy to stop roofs blowing away in gusting
winds.
“Hurricane destruction causes millions of dollars of damage each year,” says
Soheil Saadat at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. The worst damage
often happens when the wind tears the roof off a house. To hold it on, buildings
can be fitted with steel catches that strengthen the joints between the walls
and the roof.
But there’s a snag. “Catches made of…
