Award

RESILIFT will develop a house-lifting technology, the Residential Lifting Safety Sensor System (RLS3), that will provide an improved and more accessible flood mitigation option for homeowners. The innovation uses custom sensing nodes to lift houses in a faster, cheaper, safer, and more efficient manner. 14.6M properties in the 100-year floodplain have a 26% cumulative risk of flooding over the lifetime of a standard mortgage, thus these floodplain-based homeowners have a one in four chance of total asset loss. Structural lifting processes mitigate the risk of flood damage, but the current process is rife with operational inefficiencies and safety hazards due to an overreliance on human labor. Our team of experts will address critical research questions under the following objectives: 1) Identify the optimal set of components to provide real-time data on the lifting plane; 2) Develop a working prototype of the RLS3; 3) Test the RLS3; and 4) Establish market feasibility and a commercial strategy. This project responds to Research Topic 9.2 Coastal Resilience. The project addresses the objectives to manage inundation and improve community preparedness in response to coastal hazards. We believe the best way to prepare a community for flooding is by scaling access to structural lifting services.