High school students test engineering skills at Wall of Wind challenge

Aspiring engineers from nine Miami-Dade high schools put their design and problem-solving skills to the test last week at FIU’s Wall of Wind. They were tasked with creating wind barriers to protect Miami Beach from approaching hurricanes.

Since 2010, the Wall of Wind Mitigation Challenge has asked high school students to design scale models of structures like roofs and beach barriers that can withstand the high winds produced by hurricanes.

The models are tested using FIU’s Wall of Wind, a hurricane research facility at FIU’s Engineering Center with fans capable of generating 150-mph winds and category-five hurricane conditions. But for the challenge, models need only withstand 20- to 30-mph winds.

“We live in the hurricane capital of the United States, so this is relevant where we live, having our students learn about how can we build better, build stronger, against hurricanes, because we never know when the next storm may come,” said Erik Salna, associate director of FIU’s International Hurricane Research Center.

This year’s challenge was to build a barrier to be placed on the shore of Miami Beach that will redirect and slow down hurricane winds, reducing damage to the city.

The nine-inch-tall scale models, meant to represent 16-foot barriers, were placed in front of a wood box representing a six-story building and more than 100 freestanding wood blocks representing people. To judge the durability of the structure, judges counted the number of “people” that blew away while the fans generated 20 to 30 mph gusts.

Each team took a different approach to wind mitigation with their model’s design. Miami Northwestern Senior High School tried to break up and redirect wind with layers of tall, thin, curved walls placed side by side. Homestead Senior High School built solid walls across the model beach meant to push wind up and over the city.

Salna believes seeing the research taking place at the Wall of Wind will foster high schoolers’ interest in STEM fields. “We’re hoping that it instills interest, it plants a seed that they maybe want to get into the areas of science,” he said.

While the most scoring weight was placed on durability of the structure, designs were also judged based on aesthetics and practicality. Scores were also based on oral presentations given by the students.

At the end of the day, Florida Christian School took home first prize, which included a trophy shaped like the Wall of Wind’s fans designed by South Florida artist George Gadson, a $500 prize for the student team and $500 for the high school. Miami Coral Park Senior High School came in second place, followed by North Miami Senior High School.

North Miami’s design implemented two layers of metal sheets to push wind up and over the city, and it took their team three weeks to build, according to team leader Barry Latour.

“There was a little bit of blood, because of the welding and the cutting of the metal, but all in all, it was a pretty good experience,” Latour said.