Cloud Hosting

The aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, which hit the Bahamas with sustained winds of 160 knots (USCG)

PublishedJun 6, 2022 12:32 AM by The Conversation

[By Richard Olson, Ameyu B. Tolera, Arindam Chowdhury and Ioannis Zisis]

In an airplane hangar in Miami, engineers are recreating some of the most powerful hurricane winds to ever strike land. These Category 5 winds can shatter a test building in the blink of an eye.Yet they arent powerful enough to keep up with nature.

When engineers built theWall of Windtest facility 10 years ago at Florida International University, it was inspired byHurricane Andrew, a monster of a storm that devastated South Florida in 1992.

The facility was designed to test structures ability to withstand winds up to 160 miles per hour. Now, were seeing the likes ofHurricane Dorian, which shredded neighborhoods in the Bahamas with 184 mph winds in 2019, andHurricane Patricia, with winds clocked at 215 mphoff the coast of Mexico in 2015.

Studies show tropical storms areramping up in intensityas the climate changes and ocean and air temperatures rise. Designing homes and infrastructure to withstand future storms like Dorian will require new test facilities that go well beyond todays capabilities for what we believe should be called Category 6 storms.

The Wall of Wind

There is currently only one life-size test facility at a U.S. university capable of generating Category 5 winds, currently the most powerful level of hurricane. Thats theWall of Wind.

At one end of the facility isa curved wall of 12 giant fans, each as tall as an average person. Working together, they can simulate a 160 mph hurricane. Water jets simulate wind-driven rain. At the other end, the building opens up to a large field where engineers can see how and where structures fail and the debris flies.

The Wall of Wind (Florida International University)

The powerful tempests that we create here allow us and other engineers to probe for weaknesses in construction and design, track failures cascading through a building and test innovative solutions in close to real-world storm conditions. Cameras and sensors capture every millisecond as buildings, roofing materials and other items come apart or, just as important, dont fail.

Ten years of research here have helped builders and designersreduce the risk of damage. Thats helpful when forecasters warn,as they do for 2022, of a busy hurricane season withseveral major hurricanes.

Expanding testing: 200 mph winds + storm surge

While engineers have been gaining knowledge through testing, thenature of storms is changingas the planet warms.

Warmer temperatures fueled by increasinggreenhouse gas emissions from human activities enable the air to hold more moisture, and warmer oceans provide more energy tofuel hurricanes. Research shows thatbigger and more intense stormsthat areheavier with waterand moving more slowly are going to hammer the areas they hit withmore wind, storm surge, flooding and debris.

Storms like these are why were working with eight other universities todesign a new facilityto test construction against 200 mph winds (322 km/h), with a water basin to test the impact of storm surge up to 20 feet (6 meters) high plus waves.

Computers can model the results, but their models still need to be verified by physical experiments. By combining wind, storm surge, and wave action, well be able to see the entire hurricane and how all those components interact to affect people and the built environment.

Disaster testing is finding ways to make homes safer, but its up to homeowners to make sure they know their structures weaknesses. After all, for most people, their home is their most valuable asset.

Richard Olson is the Director of the Extreme Events Institute, Florida International University.

Ameyu B. Tolera is a Research Assistant at Florida International University - College of Engineering & Computing.

Arindam Chowdhury is a Professor of Civil Engineering, Florida International University.

Ioannis Zisis is an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, Florida International University.

This article appears courtesy of The Conversation and may be found in its original form here.

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.

Read the original here:

To Study 170-Knot Hurricanes, Engineers Will Need a Bigger Fan - The Maritime Executive