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Institute for Business & Home Safety Research Center

The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) currently is building a state-of-the-art, multi-peril applied research and training facility on a 90-acre parcel of land in Chester County, South Carolina. The lab will be fully operational in mid-2010.

 
 
The Chester County site is very desirable for several reasons, including the fact that it is more than 100 miles from the coast; the state has multiple natural hazards present including hurricanes, earthquakes and wildfires. The mild climate will enable year-round research activities. In addition, the site has access to significant power generation, is less than one hour from a major airport (Charlotte), is located near a sizable media market, and is close to several centers of excellence and academic institutions that will supply a hiring base and potential partners.

The mission of the facility will be to identify and promote effective methods of property loss reduction and prevention. Real-world application of IBHS scientific research findings will lead to more durable, sustainable communities. Research findings also will provide an objective, sound foundation for development of solid public policy (such as enhanced building codes).

In addition, the research center will be a tangible, very public demonstration of the property insurance industry’s deeply held commitment to reducing and preventing losses that disrupt the lives of millions of home and business owners each year.

Research Center Overview

  • Wholly insurance industry-owned and operated
  • Research program focus on catastrophe-related issues, including the natural hazards of wind, fire, wind-driven water intrusion and hail
  • Multi-faceted research approach to include:
  • full-scale testing of residential, light commercial and agricultural structures
  • physical testing of individual structural components and building systems
  • evaluation of existing/potential test methods and metrics
  • statistical/data analysis
  • case studies
  • Transparent, objective research methodology
  • Center staff will coordinate and leverage resources through partnerships with manufacturers, trade groups, and other researchers and research organizations

Research Program Goals

The Center’s rigorous and objective testing results will:

  • Demonstrate effectiveness and affordability of better-built structures
  • Foster public acceptance and consumer demand for better-built homes and other structures
  • Enhance property risk modeling
  • Provide a scientific basis for improving the quality of building products and components in practical applications
  • Provide credible ways to favorably inject loss prevention into broader public policy discussions (e.g., ‚green/environmental issues)
  • Increase availability of reliable, affordable retrofit options for existing homes and businesses
  • Strengthen and improve residential building codes and land use policies
  • Create clear, scientifically sound benchmarks for disaster-resistant construction
  • Improve current product and system testing standards
  • Reduce commercial property losses (e.g., water intrusion and building envelope damage)
  • Make IBHS the premiere source for quality information about improving building and home safety

Construction and Operational Requirements

  • Staffing: approximately 20 personnel when fully staffed; senior researchers will provide expertise in wind, water damage and building science, wildfire and structural fires, statistical analysis and data mining, and public policy/sociology; communications support will include a public information officer, professional photographer/videographer; on-site construction crew; administrative support
  • Structure: Campus will include large lab, display hall, meeting facilities and office space, as well as outdoor specimen aging area. Facility construction and operation will be environmentally friendly with extensive use of natural sound barriers/landscaping, use of renewable energy, and reclaiming/cleaning of water and air used in testing; goal is LEED certification
  • Funding: Capital campaign of $40 million to cover anticipated costs for core facility plus endowment to cover maintenance, repairs and to help defray annual infrastructure-related costs, such as access to power.

Immediate Research Focus

The initial research focus will be on roofs and roofing-related issues, such as:
  • Developing relationships between current test standards and performance of roofs in simulated windstorms
  • Identifying effective methods to provide back-up water intrusion protection when primary roof cover is damaged
  • Identifying fixes for water intrusion and wind-borne firebrand intrusion via roof venting systems
  • Simulating wind-driven hail events and evaluating associated damage to roof covers, as well as identifying solutions
  • Initiating research into aging effects on roof performance in extreme events
  • Developing cost-effective methods for retrofitting various roofing systems to mitigate damage and losses

For further information:
Contact info@ibhs.org or call 866-657-4247.