Reducing the risks posed by hurricanes and other natural disasters starts with a good foundation, according to the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), which has announced plans for its Insurance Center for Building Safety Research. The facility's primary purpose will be to create more durable homes and businesses that are capable of withstanding natural catastrophes.
"More people and property are in harm's way in this country than ever before," said Julie Rochman, IBHS president and CEO. "Mother Nature reminds us daily that we need to find ways to better protect the places where we live and work."
The applied-research center will help identify ways to lessen the human, societal, and financial costs associated with natural disasters and other possible dangers to home and commercial dwellings and their occupants. The research team, headed by Dr. Timothy Reinhold, IBHS vice president and director of engineering, will incorporate scientific practices and technology to conduct full-scale testing of buildings and construction components and execute a two-track program addressing catastrophic issues — high winds, wind-driven water intrusion, earthquakes, and hail — as well as maintenance-related issues including plumbing system failures and interior fires. The findings and real-world solutions created will be used in consumer education and advocacy campaigns, among other programs.
The first item on the team's agenda will be examining roofing performance issues, as IBHS estimates that damage to the roofing system exists in as much as 95 percent of properties that suffer wind and water-related losses.
"Property owners should quickly reap the benefits of this research, because roofs are the most frequently replaced component of buildings," said Reinhold."
Rochman and Reinhold said that the program should also foster a broader understanding of what can be achieved with "green" construction. "Our long-term goal is to help this country put a higher value on resilient, sustainable communities by offering training to builders, building officials, architects, engineers, insurance personnel and others," they said.
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