House to Be Subjected to Hurricane Wind Loads in Structural Tests

摘要

Researchers at the University of Western Ontario say that little is known about the chain of events that causes a house to undergo damage or to collapse during a hurricane. But they hope to gain a better understanding by testing a full-scale house using a system of pressure-loading actuators to replicate the pressures and suctions of a category 5 hurricane. The system is essentially a "vacuum cleaner" that can be rapidly controlled, says Greg Kopp, Ph.D., P.Eng., m.asce, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and the holder of the Canada Research Chair in Wind Engineering at the university, who is responsible for the implementation of the system.