Florida International University and WeatherPredict Consulting, Inc., a U.S. affiliate of reinsurance and insurance provider RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd., announced during a ‘Ground Breaking’ ceremony on February 22, 2007, that they will jointly develop the RenaissanceRe Wall of Wind (“WOW”). Built on the FIU engineering campus, the RenaissanceRe WOW is a joint project between CEE and the International Hurricane Research Center (IHRC). The RenaissanceRe WOW, an array of six industrial fans, will replicate Category 4 hurricane conditions with 130-140 mph winds and rain in a controlled and repeatable environment, allowing scientists to precisely study the impact of severe storms on physical structures and building materials and methods. “A critical component of minimizing both loss of life and property damage in a hurricane is to better understand the impact of these storms on our buildings,” said Craig W. Tillman, President, WeatherPredict Consulting, Inc. “While substantial resources have been devoted to analyzing hurricanes and improving weather prediction, little scientific research has been done on the ways in which hurricanes affect the building materials that protect us.”
The valuable scientific data collected from testing on the RenaissanceRe WOW will help in storm-hardening coastal buildings and infrastructure by identifying superior construction designs, materials and techniques, thus mitigating insured losses and building more resilient communities. The testing facility in slated to be completed in late Summer 2007. |
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