NHERI’s University of Florida wind hazards facility is one of the world’s largest and most diverse suites of experimental infrastructure. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the UF’s boundary layer wind tunnel is located within the Powell Family Structures and Materials Laboratory.
In June and July 2021, the DesignSafe Radio podcast features interviews with NHERI at UF facility director and principal investigator Jennifer Bridge, who details the capabilities UF wind tunnel and the research it makes possible.
In this episode, NHERI at UF principal investigator Jennifer Bridge gives examples of the types of projects the facility enables. She describes wind-tunnel tests funded by FEMA, NIST and NSF that examined wind behavior on topographical models after Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, many of which had direct impact on building codes. The facility is useful for researchers studying tornadic loads on residential structures — which are greatly affected by terrain conditions in wind storms. Bridge also describes a novel and super-efficient type of experiment called cyberphysical wind tunnel testing. These sophisticated tests allow for dynamic adjustments of the structure under consideration — in real time. Bridge says cyberphysical testing is the future of structural design.
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DesignSafe Radio highlights ways that NSF-supported research renders infrastructure and communities more resilient to natural hazards like earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis and storm surge. The podcast is produced by NHERI, the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure, NSF award CMMI 1612144. Any statements in this material are those of the presenter(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
