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Wall of Wind project is complete

The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress-funded Wall of Wind project, developed by Florida International University's International Hurricane Research Center, Miami, now is complete. In 2007, the Alliance approved $100,000 to fund the $8 million project, which began development more than five years ago. The Hurricane Andrew We Will Rebuild effort, as well as state, federal and other private sources, also helped fund the project.

Wall of Wind is a facility capable of performing controlled and repeatable testing in flows that replicate Category 5 hurricane winds accompanied by wind-driven rain and flying debris. It allows researchers, businesses, government agencies and industry to test and analyze how structures and products perform in various hurricane conditions. Wall of Wind is powered by 12 6-foot-tall, 700-horsepower electric fan-motor units; can generate winds up to 157 mph; and features a 15-foot-high by 20-foot-wide test section.

The facility's inaugural demonstration, held Aug. 21, featured two structures—one built to the code in existence when Hurricane Andrew hit south Florida 20 years ago and another built to current south Florida code. The demonstration exposed the structures to Hurricane Andrew-like rain and wind.

The facility's research team already has helped mitigate hurricane damage by enhancing building codes, validating innovative mitigation technologies and developing new materials. For more information and a demonstration video about Wall of Wind, visit wow.fiu.edu.

9/6/2012  

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