Using Clemson expertise on unprecedented project
TALLAHASSEE - The Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA) today launched the Florida Coastal Monitoring Project (FCMP), an unprecedented initiative that will have a significant impact on the study of wind behavior on coastal homes.
As part of the initiative, 28 sensors to monitor wind speed and pressure will be installed on the roof surfaces, walls, attic spaces and interior rooms of 10 South Florida homes. Officials say these sensors will provide valuable information on how, when and why homes withstand or succumb to the effects of high winds.
The announcement was made at 11 a.m., Wednesday, July 7, in Homestead, Fla., at a home which is part of the test program.
"The Florida Coastal Monitoring Project is the first of its kind in the nation," said DCA Secretary Steve Seibert. "This project will not only help us better assess the performance of homes that have been retrofitted, but will provide new insight on the construction of homes that can withstand high winds."
DCA worked primarily with researchers at Clemson University in South Carolina to design and develop these wind-monitoring devices. Researchers at the University of Florida and Florida International University also participated.
Tim Reinhold, the project1s principal investigator at Clemson, said the data collected after a hurricane or high-wind event will be used to capture how the house reacts to hurricane force winds and track any destruction that occurs to the home. This information will also be used to compare the performance of homes that were retrofitted with homes that were not and to better assess the benefits and techniques of retrofitting homes.
"This project provides a unique opportunity to gather information on wind characteristics and wind loads in hurricanes that are critical for engineers and builders seeking to improve the design and construction of houses," said Reinhold, an associate professor of civil engineering.
"Historically, we have had to rely on damage investigations after a storm or very limited wind data to explain what occurred during the storm. Florida is leading the way towards a better understanding of what really happens in a hurricane.'
In order to identify homes that could be in high-strike probability areas along Florida's coast, DCA commissioned Applied Research Associates to conduct a scientific spacing study. Reinhold then produced a prioritized list of homes based on this study and these homeowners were offered a forgivable loan of up to $15,000 to retrofit their homes.
Some examples of retrofitting techniques include the installation of storm shutters, garage door and gable end bracing and re-roofing.
On 10 of these homes, a monitoring system that includes wind speed and pressure sensors, a non-interrupted power supply and a video camera will be installed. The equipment includes instruments that measure wind speed, direction and pressure and computers that collect the data for each home.
The pressure sensors, encased in the protective housing of unfinished frying-pan forms, were adapted by Reinhold and a team of students to measure wind pressure at levels as precise as one-tenth of a pound per square foot.
Research teams are currently outfitting the houses with brackets, wiring and other equipment. The actual sensors won1t be installed in the homes until the hurricane is within two days of making landfall. Portable wind-speed measuring platforms will also be positioned to form a 'picket fence' of monitoring stations in the hurricane1s path.
The FCMP is part of the Florida's $21 million "Breaking the Cycle" initiative launched in August 1997. This initiative remains focused on identifying programs and strategies that help make communities less vulnerable to the devastating and costly effects of natural disasters before these disasters strike.
Although additional homes have not yet been identified, DCA plans to expand the FCMP into the Panhandle later this summer. State officials say, that while the FCMP will provide new, scientific information on the force of hurricane winds and wind loads experienced by residential structures, they hope this project will raise public awareness and encourage residents to strengthen their homes before disaster strikes.