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Fires, explosions, 2x4s shot out of a canon — It’s a boy’s dream vacation
Regan Guth, a new producer from our office, was invited last week to the FM Global Research and Testing Facility. He came back talking about just how cool all of the things were that he saw. He saw ball bearings and wood 2x4s shot out of canons aimed at building structures. He saw extreme wind tests, hail simulations – all kinds of cool stuff – all in the name of science;-)
Most Insurance companies rely almost exclusively on actuarial data to determine risk premiums. FM Global is different and performs very high-level testing to determine what wind speed is required to blow shingles off of a roof or what is the impact of a seemingly minor obstruction to a fire sprinkler system.
“ The FM Global engineering and research approach is based on the philosophy that the majority of property loss is preventable ”
–Clive Goodwin, assistant vice president, flood engineering and underwriting
The FM Global Research Facility does some amazing things
Researchers can now replicate even the toughest weather phenomena, and recreate hurricane-force winds of 160-mph (258 km/h). Winds this strong truly test the strength of glass and the endurance of building materials, particularly roof systems. Inside the laboratory, a hail gun launches ice balls of varying sizes, to simulate moderate and severe hail storms, and a debris cannon shoots simulated windblown wood projectiles at speeds matching those of a real hurricane to determine impact resistance of doors, windows and siding. The laboratory also is equipped with a powerful xenon arc ultraviolet (UV) accelerated weatherometer to measure the effects of the sun’s UV radiation on building materials that have been exposed for long periods. And, testing includes accelerating the weathering of all types of building materials to determine more precisely how to design and install them for long-term performance.