The Department of Civil and Environ-mental Engineering and International Hurricane Research Center are develop-ing an innovative research capability in full-scale structural testing to determine inherent weaknesses of structures when subjected to categories 1 to 5 hurricane-force winds and rain, leading to new technologies, designs and products. This new Wall of Wind testing

facility, the first-of-its-kind, will revolutionize our building construction and retrofitting practices.

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and International Hurricane Research Center are developing an innovative research capability in full-scale structural testing to determine inherent weaknesses of structures when subjected to categories 1 to 5 hurricane-force winds and rain, leading to new technologies, designs and products. This new Wall of Wind testing facility, the first-of-its-kind, will revolutionize our building construction and retrofitting practices.

The 2-fan prototype Wall of Wind apparatus, funded by the Florida Department of Community Affairs, has already been successfully used to test roofing shingles and soffits. Based on this proof-of-concept, the Renaissance Reinsurance (RenRe) Company, the largest re-insurer of hurricane-prone areas in the world including Florida, commissioned the building of a 6-fan array, which can generate a 140 mph windfield. This advancement is providing valuable experience for development of the 18-fan WoW facility to be constructed on a public parcel of land adjacent to Homestead Air Force Base (HAFB), which is only 20 minutes away from the FIU campus.

Full-scale destructive testing of houses will change the public’s perception of building safety. This will lead to the development of a “culture of preparedness”—a change in public behavior that Governor Jeb Bush has insisted must occur in the State of Florida for our economy to remain sustainable. Just as the effective visualization of car crashes drastically changed automobile safety through the introduction of seat belts and air bags, we will do the same for the housing industry. This fundamental change is a necessary condition for available and affordable insurance in Florida, which is paramount to sustain the State’s economy.