Disaster Proof

A tornado tears through a quiet country town. An earthquake shakes tall city buildings. A hurricane sends shingles flying, and wildfires burn homes to the ground. Natural disasters can be extremely destructive, and they can strike at any time. But by understanding how they happen, scientists and engineers hope to keep people safer.

A tornado tears through a quiet country town. An earthquake shakes tall city buildings. A hurricane sends shingles flying. Wildfires burn homes to the ground. Natural disasters can be very destructive. And they can strike at any time. Scientists and engineers want to learn how disasters happen. They hope to help keep people safer. 

Natural disasters are difficult—and dangerous—to study while they’re in progress. That’s why researchers around the world are using models to learn more. Models are simplified imitations of big, complicated systems. They can mimic natural disasters on a scale that’s easier for people to control.

Engineers can use these models to test how disasters affect homes and buildings. What they learn helps them come up with stronger designs. Read on to learn how four extreme labs are helping people prepare for the next time disaster strikes.

It’s hard to study natural disasters while they’re happening. It’s also dangerous. That’s why scientists around the world use models. Models are simpler copies of big, complex systems. Models can mimic natural disasters. But they’re small enough for people to control.

Engineers use models to learn the effects of natural disasters. That includes their impact on homes and buildings. Then the engineers can come up with stronger building designs. Read on to learn about four extreme labs. They’re helping people get ready for the next time disaster strikes. 

Tornadoes can uproot trees, flip cars, and rip through people’s houses. At Iowa State University, engineers want to find ways to build homes that can withstand the spinning storms. To do that, they make artificial twisters in a machine called a tornado simulator.

Tornadoes form during thunderstorms, when windy conditions create a spinning mass of air. If this vortex touches the ground, it becomes a tornado.  

Tornadoes can knock down trees and flip cars. They can rip through people’s houses. Engineers want to make homes that can withstand the storms. To do that, they make fake twisters at Iowa State University. They use a machine called a tornado simulator.

Tornadoes form during thunderstorms. Windy weather creates a spinning mass of air. This vortex becomes a tornado if it touches the ground.

The tornado simulator is shaped like a cylinder. A powerful fan at the top sucks up air. Then the air is pushed back down past spinning blades that whip it into a vortex. The engineers put model buildings below the simulator. Sensors on the buildings measure the wind’s effects. 

The tests have shown that the roof of a building is often the most vulnerable to damage. That means strong roofs are important in areas prone to tornadoes. “The goal is to make safer buildings,” says engineer Partha Sarkar, who runs the lab. “That’s what this work is all about.”

The tornado simulator is shaped like a tube. A strong fan at the top sucks up air. Then the air is pushed back down. It passes through spinning blades. They whip the air into a vortex. The engineers put model buildings below the simulator. The buildings have sensors. They measure the wind’s effects. 

The tests have shown that the weakest part of a building is the roof. That means people need strong roofs in areas where tornadoes strike. “The goal is to make safer buildings,” says engineer Partha Sarkar. He runs the lab. “That’s what this work is all about.”

Stand back! The Wall of Wind at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami can blast air at more than 250 kilometers (155 miles) per hour. The towering test facility uses 12 giant fans to simulate the effects of a hurricane. Engineers can also spray gallons of water near the fans to mimic the rain from these huge storms.

Stand back! This machine releases a big blast of air. It moves at more than 250 kilometers (155 miles) per hour. The device is called the Wall of Wind. It’s found at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami. The tall machine is made up of 12 giant fans. They mimic a hurricane. Engineers can also spray gallons of water near the fans. This acts like rain from a huge storm.

Engineers come from around the country to test model buildings in front of the Wall of Wind. Companies can also use it to find out how products like windows or roofing tiles would hold up in hurricane-force winds. 

This past year, hurricanes devastated areas in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico. Engineering stronger buildings could help protect people from future storms, says Erik Salna. He’s a meteorologist at FIU. “We want to build structures designed to better withstand the next hurricane,” he says. 

Engineers come from around the country to use the lab. They test model buildings in front of the Wall of Wind. Companies also use it. They test how products hold up in a hurricane. They can test things like windows or roof tiles.

Hurricanes caused a lot of damaged this past year. They struck Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico. Stronger buildings could help people in these places. They’d help protect them from future storms, says Erik Salna. He’s a meteorologist at FIU. “We want to build structures designed to better withstand the next hurricane,” he says. 

When two powerful earthquakes struck Mexico this past September, hundreds of people died. Authorities rushed in to rescue survivors from buildings that were no longer safe. 

In places where earthquakes are common, engineers want to strengthen buildings before disaster strikes. Outside Kobe, Japan, engineers test structures on a giant moving platform called a shake table. The shake table violently rocks back and forth, simulating the forces of a quake. 

The test platform is so big that engineers can build an entire apartment building on top of it. A huge hydraulic system in the floor shakes the platform in the same way an earthquake would. If a building doesn’t survive, engineers can study where it bent or broke and improve the design. 

Two powerful earthquakes struck Mexico last September. Hundreds of people died. Officials rushed to rescue survivors. They were stuck in buildings that weren’t safe.

Engineers want to design stronger buildings where earthquakes happen. One of those places is Kobe, Japan. There, engineers test buildings on a giant moving platform. It’s called a shake table. The shake table rocks back and forth. It mimics the forces of a quake.

The test platform is big. Engineers can build an entire apartment building on top of it. There is a huge hydraulic system in the floor. It shakes the platform like an earthquake would. Not all buildings survive the test. Engineers study where these buildings bend or break. Then they improve the design. 

Last year, wildfires in the western U.S. killed dozens of people and destroyed thousands of homes. Wind and other factors can spread fires in unpredictable ways, says Mark Finney. He works at the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory in Montana. He uses models to study how flames jump from one spot to the next. 

In the lab, Finney builds miniature forests of cardboard trees. He sets them on fire in a tunnel with air blowing through. He films the flames in slow motion, then analyzes the video to see how they spread.

The model wildfires help scientists better understand how real fires behave, says Finney. That can help firefighters stay safe and keep blazes under control.

Wildfires in the western U.S. killed dozens of people last year. They also burned thousands of homes. Wind and other factors can spread fires. They cause them to move in ways that are hard to predict, says Mark Finney. He works at the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory in Montana. He uses models to study wildfires. He learns how flames jump from one spot to the next.

Finney builds tiny forests in the lab. They’re made of cardboard trees. He puts them in a tunnel. Air blows through it. Then he sets the trees on fire. He films the flames in slow motion. He watches the video to see how the flames spread.

The models help scientists understand how real wildfires behave, says Finney. That can help firefighters stay safe and keep blazes under control.