Built to destroy buildings
Who says insurance isn’t exciting? In this picture, the Institute for Business & Home Safety’s new research center is hard at work, blowing a house to smithereens with 140-mile-per-hour winds generated by 105 5.5-foot fans. I wrote an article in Wired magazine about the facility and the hail bombardments, inundating rain, burning embers and radiant heat, and Category 3 hurricane winds it is subjecting buildings to—all in the name of safety and reduced insurance claims. Think of it as crash testing for houses.
Want to see the winds in action? Watch this video:
There’s another video with audio, plus more photos, at the IBHS site.
So how large of an array of fans is that, and how huge does this place have to be to fit two houses so easily? I could tell you it’s half an acre, but just look at this picture by Ian Allen:
That’s one of a series he took for the slideshow with the article. For some extra large versions, check out Ian Allen’s portfolio.
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