IBHS Breaks Ground for State-of-the-art Disaster Research Facility in South Carolina
The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) today officially
broke ground for its disaster safety research center in Chester County,
S.C. Unique in all the world, this lab will have the ability
to subject full-sized, 2,000-square-foot, one- and two-story homes,
light commercial construction and agricultural buildings to a variety
of hazards, including realistic Category 3 hurricanes, wind-blown fire
(mimicking wildfire embers) and hailstorms.
The primary purpose of this $40 million multi-peril
research facility - funded entirely by property insurance companies,
reinsurers and brokers - is to identify effective methods of minimizing
risk and loss to homes, businesses, and communities resulting from
natural disasters.
"When finished next year, this research facility will
effectively represent a quantum leap forward for building science,"
notes Julie Rochman, IBHS president and CEO. "IBHS will be able to
meticulously recreate a variety of natural catastrophes in a very
controlled, repeatable environment. This will allow us to identify and
evaluate various building material and construction techniques and
systems in ways that have only been dreamed of by scientists, public
policymakers and industry for many years."
Rochman said that construction of this research center is
extremely complex, yet the assembled team of professionals is on track
to complete construction by spring 2010. "Keeping high winds, water,
fire and hail out of homes and businesses is our goal as an organization - managing high winds, water, fire and hail in
a laboratory setting presents a whole different set of challenges. We
are proud to be associated with Odell Associates (architect), Walter P.
Moore (structural engineers), United Engineering Group (mechanical,
electrical, and plumbing), and Holder Construction (general contractor)
for this historic undertaking."
In addition, Rochman stated, all of IBHS research will be
made publicly available, so that consumers and builders will know which
products and systems provide the best protection against wind, water,
fire and hail. This will be done both by creation of written reports,
and via high-speed, high-definition video of the tests that will be
shared with media and on the Web.
IBHS has been a leader in using building science to
develop real-world approaches to reduce the risks posed by natural
disasters and other perils. Events in recent years, including
tornadoes, hurricanes and wildfires, have given IBHS researchers
opportunities for field work, during which they have learned much about
how to better engineer structures against certain risks. There remain,
however, knowledge gaps that can be filled only with testing in
controlled environments, which the new research center will provide.
IBHS has installed a Web camera at the construction site,
which takes photos every 15 minutes and provides time lapse
capabilities to see the progress of the facility's construction over
time. Click here to view the latest photos: http://oxblue.com/pro/open/ibhs/catastrophelab