Inel Will Test Wind Resistance
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will spend $1 million at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory to test the performance of buildings and building materials during wind disasters.
Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Co. has developed building-sized blowers that can generate artificial winds to test the effects of hurricanes and tornadoes on mock homes.
The federal money will underwrite some preliminary work while INEL continues to seek industry support for a full-scale testing center.
The insurance industry has expressed interest in the project as a way to build better houses and reduce disaster losses.