Wall of fans recreates hurricane winds

Melhor Leonor/News Director 

From a ‘light ocean breeze’ to 157 mph winds, all in about 20 minutes.

That is what spectators and members of the media experienced during the unveiling of the University’s Wall of Wind, a 12-fan wall capable of recreating the storm conditions of a Category Five hurricane.

The WoW, located inside a hangar at the University’s Engineering Center at the corner of 107th Avenue and West Flagler Street, is the most powerful University research facility of its kind.

According to the Laboratory for Wind and Engineering Research, each of the 12 fans that compose the wall weigh approximately 15,000 pounds, about the same as eight smart cars. The wall also mimics wind-driven rain and can generate winds of up to 157mph.

The power of the $8 million contraption was demonstrated last Tuesday during its unveiling when those present were able to experience the simulated storm from the safety of a viewing room.

During the simulation, two side-by-side house models featuring roofing from pre and post-hurricane Andrew were tested against the WoW to demonstrate the type of research to be conducted at the facility.

“The two big goals are to develop and test products that will help reduce damages and to enhance the building codes and better probations that will make them safer,” said Arindam Chowdhury, the director of the Laboratory for Wind Engineering Research at the International Hurricane Research Center.

While the pre-Andrew model, with the roofing requirements of Andrew’s time, started disintegrating at tropical storm winds, the post-Andrew model showed similar damage when the winds reached Category Two, at about 100mph.

According to Chowdhury, this type of simulation shows damage that can’t be predicted through other types of testing.

“It shows us that holistic testing is always better than small component testing to give you the whole picture, and how you can learn to have a better designed roof.”

Chowdhury further explained the difference between holistic and component level testing.

“In component level testing, you can only test one component at a certain wind speed but here you can see the whole system and it shows the amount of damage and how the damage progresses which can only be seen through this type of testing.”

Video of the simulation can be found at go.fiu.edu/wow.

During the event, Chowdhury added that the WoW is also used to conduct other types of testing.

“We have done a lot of testing. We have done testing on different variables. We have done testing on underlayment and how water can get inside the buildings,” Chowdhury said.

The results of the research conducted at the facility has already had an impact on building codes and mitigation technologies; the results have already yielded a pending patent on a new kind of roofing material.

“This project is going to help communities that are susceptible to hurricanes to be more resilient to wind damage and wind-driven rain damage caused by hurricanes. What we are trying to do is find products and building techniques that will strengthen homes and ultimately reduce the insured losses,” James Erwin, one of the research scientists at the laboratory for Wind Engineering Research at FIU said.

Among these losses are the $27 billion caused by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. A few days before the 20 anniversary of Andrew’s passing through South Florida, the WoW stands as a “legacy” of that event.

“This facility, in many ways, is part of the Andrew legacy,” Chowdhury said. “Here we come very close to recreating Andrew in a controlled environment so that we can help mitigate damage in our community and in all those communities in the path of hurricanes in the U.S. and around the world.”

In light of the anniversary, the University, along with local municipalities and government agencies, will host the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew Commemoration today at 10 a.m. at the University’s Engineering Center.

One of the costliest natural disasters in United States history, Hurricane Andrew slammed into South Florida early morning hours of August 24, 1992.

The event will take place adjacent to the FIU Wall of Wind located at the FIU engineering center. Special speakers and guests include U.S. Congressmen Mario Diaz-Balart and David Rivera; Rick Knabb, director of the National Hurricane Center; and Kate Hale, director of Miami-Dade County Emergency Management at the time of Hurricane Andrew.

More special speakers and guests include Robert M. Atlas, director of NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory; Elizabeth A. Zimmerman, deputy associate administrator for Response and Recovery with the Federal Emergency Management Agency; and Mark B. Rosenberg, University president.

Representatives from the National Weather Service Miami Office, Miami-Dade County Emergency Management and the City of Homestead will also be in attendance.

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