Science Nation: ManMade Wall of Wind Creates Hurricane Force Winds to Test Construction

Circular turbines stacked two-high. People walk in front of them. Caption: designed this 15-foot-tall wall of wind, nicknamed, "WOW."

A Category 5 hurricane is a monster of a storm that most people would want to avoid. But, Civil Engineer Arindam Chowdhury actually recreates those monster hurricane force winds in hopes of helping people better prepare for the real thing. With support from the National Science Foundation, Chowdhury and his team at Florida International University and the International Hurricane Research Center designed a 15 foot tall Wall of Wind (WOW). The goal is to see if low rise structures and building materials can withstand the same wind forces they would face in a full-blown hurricane. Part of the National Science Foundation Series “Science Nation.”

(Source: DCMP)

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  • Science Nation: ManMade Wall of Wind Creates Hurricane Force Winds to Test Construction

    Type:
    Video
    Format:
    Streaming
    Accommodations:
    English Audio Descriptions - Visual, English Captions - Auditory
    Languages:
    English
    License:
    OER
    Author:
    National Science Foundation
    Length:
    3 minutes