|
Nature has a way of reminding humans how powerful its forces can be. But that doesn’t mean humans are powerless against them.
The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), an insurance industry-supported nonprofit engineering and communications group based in Tampa, Fla., has announced plans to construct a state-of-the-art applied research facility to find ways to create more durable homes and businesses to withstand the forces of nature. The facility will be dedicated to mitigating the human, financial, and societal costs of natural disasters and other threats to property across America.
IBHS will construct the Insurance Center for Building Safety Research with funds from its members.
The research center will feature full-scale testing of buildings and construction components. A two-track research program will allow IBHS to address catastrophic issues, such as high winds and wind-driven water intrusion, earthquakes, and hail, in addition to expensive, maintenance-related issues like plumbing system failure and interior fires. The center will use its findings in consumer education and advocacy campaigns and to shape developing public policies in areas such as building codes and land use.
“Unfortunately, more people and property are in harm’s way in this country than ever before,” observed Julie Rochman, president and CEO of IBHS. “Mother Nature reminds us daily that we have to find ways to better protect the places where we live and work— and we will have greatly increased capacity and capability to do that through the new insurance industry research center.”
An added benefit, Rochman pointed out, is that more durable construction is also environmentally friendly, and that even the “greenest” home could become landfill material if it is vulnerable to natural elements.
“Our long-term goal is to help this country put a higher value on resilient, sustainable communities,” she added.
Events in recent years, including tornadoes, hurricanes, and wildfires, have given IBHS researchers opportunities for field work, through which they have learned much about how to better engineer structures against certain risks. However, knowledge gaps exist that can be filled only by testing in controlled environments, which the center will permit.
The center’s first priority will be to examine roofing performance issues. IBHS estimates that damage to the roofing system is present in as much as 95 percent of properties that suffer wind and water-related losses. The result is repair or replacement of millions of roofs every year.
“Roof failures and the damage done by water that can get in afterward can be a major headache and huge expense,” said Dr. Timothy Reinhold, IBHS vice president and director of engineering, who will lead the center’s research team. “But with more realistic test methods and better knowledge about variables, such as installation differences and how aging affects the performance of roof systems, we could save lots of money and aggravation.”
According to Reinhold, property owners should enjoy the benefits of this research, since roofs are the most frequently replaced component of buildings. Available research now shows that each dollar spent on disaster mitigation saves society an average of four dollars.
IBHS is evaluating several potential sites for the center, which will require about 100 acres. Selection criteria include a mild climate to allow for year-round research activities and access to significant amounts of electricity through a plant or substation. Construction is scheduled to begin later this year.
Supporting IBHS member companies and insurance organizations include American Family Insurance, American Modern Insurance Group, Amica Mutual Insurance Company, Auto Club Insurance Association, Auto-Owners Insurance Group, Bankers Insurance Group, Benfield, COUNTRY Financial, Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, Farmers Insurance Group, The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company, HomeWise Insurance Company, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, MetLife Auto & Home, Munich Reinsurance America, National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, Nationwide Insurance, OneBeacon Insurance Group, Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, RenaissanceRe Holdings, South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, Swiss Re America, Travelers, and USAA. |
