FIU unveils new Wall of Wind


Florida International University invites the media to tour the new 12-fan Wall of Wind, the nation’s only university research facility capable of simulating a Category 5 hurricane with wind-driven rain. With 8,400 horsepower behind them, the fans, each six feet in diameter, can generate wind speeds up to 157 miles per hour and are used to test the hurricane resiliency of everything from private homes to warehouses to light poles.

The event will include a high-speed demonstration that will compare the Florida Building Code that existed when Hurricane Andrew swept through South Florida 20 years ago with today’s code requirements, which were developed after the storm. The test, which will be recorded in 1080p high definition and shown live to media in attendance, will expose two structures to rain and winds reaching Category 5. Members of the Wall of Wind research team will be available for interviews following the demonstration.

FIU’s International Hurricane Research Center (IHRC) has been at the forefront of hurricane research for more than a decade. With IHRC’s new 12-fan Wall of Wind, FIU has set itself apart from other universities. FIU’s unique facility, which generates Category 5-level winds with a test section 15-feet high by 20-feet wide, allows researchers, government agencies and industry to test and analyze how structures and products perform in hurricane conditions. To learn more about the Wall of Wind and its researchers, click here.

The event will be held at the FIU Engineering Center, 10555 West Flagler Street in Miami, on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012 at 10 a.m. Media are asked to arrive by 9:45 a.m.

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