The NHERI UF EF enables investigators to characterize loading on and dynamic response of a wide range of infrastructure in a large, reconfigurable boundary layer wind tunnel (BLWT).
The tour encompasses the entire Powell Family Structures and Materials Laboratory. The facility consists of a 6000 square foot lab space with a 30-foot high ceiling and 4-foot thick concrete strong floor, a 2,000 square foot machine shop with a 12-foot ceiling, a 5,000 square foot general lab space with a 16-foot high ceiling, a 120 linear foot wind tunnel, a 220 square foot instrumentation room, and several offices & storage rooms. Research in this facility is primarily directed at earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, and blast/impact in the context of structural damage mitigation and human intervention.
The NHERI Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel is a 6 m wide, 3 m tall and 40 m long wind tunnel designed to simulate boundary layer flows to characterize the wind loading and structural behavior, including aeroelastic response of wind-sensitive structures. Because of its relatively large size and ability to generate a variety of approach terrains, the UF BLWT offers users tremendous flexibility to test a very wide range of possible specimens and wind field conditions.