AIR sponsors hurricane simulator

AIR Worldwide Corp, a global risk modelling company, has teamed with the International Hurricane Research Center (IHRC) to fund the AIR Turntable for the centres hurricane simulator.The AIR Turntable is a computer controlled, mechanical platform which will be used to evaluate extreme wind loading conditions by facilitating the testing of buildings at different angles of attack, says an AIR press release.The device will be programmed to simulate directionality-change effects on test structures.Just as the effective monitoring of car crash tests drastically changed automobile safety through the introduction of air bags, the IHRC research team intends to do the same for the housing industry through full-scale testing of buildings and their components, Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, IHRC director, said in a statement.The AIR Turntable is part of the Wall of Wind testing facility which will enable full-scale testing. By eliminating scaling errors, full-scale testing provides a more realistic situation, which is crucial to better understanding the effects of extreme winds on buildings, materials, and construction methods, a release says. The testing facility is slated to be completed in late summer 2007, and is also supported by Renaissance Reinsurance Holdings Ltd. and the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management.