IBHS Research Highlighted at ATC/SEI Conference
IBHS expertise was on display this week during the Applied Technology Council (ATC) and Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) Conference, which began on Wednesday in Miami. Among the topics presented by IBHS was new research findings about the wind loads on vinyl siding, including vinyl siding installed over foam sheathing. This research is currently being considered by the ASCE and ICC building code writing committees in light of increased energy efficiency requirements. COMING SOON: Read more about the research and code implications of this research in the fall issue of Disaster Safety Review.
The ATC/SEI conference brings together practitioners, educators, federal and state government representatives, students, and businesses to provide a forum for engineers and architects to discuss ways of improving building performance during hurricane events. COMING SOON: Look for copies of the IBHS research abstracts at disastersafety.org next week along with links to the full papers on the ATC website.
Throughout the conference IBHS staff presented seven topics, beginning Wednesday with the vinyl siding and foam sheathing research presentation, “Wind Loads on Components of Multi-Layer Wall Systems with Air-Permeable Exterior Cladding.” This particular project was conducted at the IBHS Research Center in cooperation with the American Chemistry Council – Foam Sheathing Committee,Vinyl Siding Institute, National Association of Home Builders Research Center and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Other presentations on Wednesday included “Influence of Wind Engineering Decisions on the Structural Performance,” “Water Entry through Roof Sheathing Joints and Attic Vents: A Preliminary Study,” and “Quantification and Application of Dynamic Wind Pressure.”
On Thursday, IBHS President & CEO Julie Rochman and Chief Engineer Dr. Tim Reinhold, IBHS senior vice president of research, addressed attendees during the general session. Ms. Rochman discussed the role that IBHS plays in reducing the nation’s property losses from natural hazards and the work it does in partnership with its member insurance companies, while Dr. Reinhold presented information about early results from testing at the IBHS Research Center, as well as details about upcoming testing to be conducted with many different partners. IBHS also presented “Comparison of Field and Full-Scale Laboratory Peak Pressures as the IBHS Research Center” during the general sessions. On Friday, IBHS will participate in a panel discussion focusing on “Wind Loads on MWFRS of Low-Rise Buildings.”
Read more about IBHS research at http://disastersafety.org/studies-reports/
