FIU Wall of Wind Experimental Facility

05/14/2026

FIU’s Wall of Wind, supported by the National Science Foundation’s NHERI program, tested a full-scale manufactured home on May 13th against hurricane-force winds in what researchers believe is the first experiment of its kind conducted at any university in the world. Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure National Science Foundation (NSF)

05/13/2026

The research testing of a manufactured home started today at the FIU Wall of Wind. Engineers from the University of Kansas, University of Alabama, and Florida International University are working together to show federal regulators why the nationwide building code for manufactured homes needs an update. The FIU Wall of Wind, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, is part of the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure, also known as the NHERI network.
Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure

04/18/2026

FIU Caplin News reports on the 2026 Wall of Wind Challenge:
https://caplinnews.fiu.edu/fiu-wall-of-wind-salna-valdes-stem-san-jose/
Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure

On March 19, FIU’s College of Engineering and Computing hosted its annual Wall of Wind (WOW) Mitigation challenge. The challenge invites South Florida high school students to develop innovative building structures inspired by the WOW research team.  It was created as a community outreach project ...

04/18/2026

NBC6 Miami reports on the 2026 FIU Wall of Wind (WOW) Mitigation Challenge. High school teams were tasked with developing a design that would improve a tall building’s aerodynamic performance. Teams constructed a model representing a tall building. The tall building models were tested by the NSF-NHERI Wall of Wind at FIU to evaluate the effectiveness of the design.
https://youtu.be/yI5MYmJAa2E?si=sB8xVu53NMfQGC8Z
Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure

FIU Wall of Wind Challenge – NBC6 Miami - March 20, 2026

04/18/2026

WSVN-TV Miami reports on WOW Challenge:
FIU hosts ‘Wall of Wind Challenge’ at its College of Engineering & Computing
https://wsvn.com/news/local/miami-dade/fiu-hosts-the-wall-of-wind-challenge-at-its-college-of-engineering-computing/
Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure

SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - South Florida high school students are building up and learning by design.Florida International University hosted the “Wall of Wind Challenge”

04/15/2026

Another successful Wall of Wind (WOW) Mitigation Challenge!
The objective of the Challenge was for high school students to develop a design that would improve a tall building’s aerodynamic performance. Their tall building models were tested by the NSF-NHERI Wall of Wind at FIU. We thank the Florida Division of Emergency Management for their funding support and all the participating teachers, students, judges, sponsors, partners, and media. The best and most gratifying part of the WOW Challenge was seeing and hearing the cheers, enthusiasm, and excitement of the students. The WOW Challenge inspires the next generation of STEM career professionals. Top Winners:
1st Place = Miami Coral Park HS
2nd Place = Florida Christian School
3rd Place = South Miami HS
Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure

03/20/2026

Wind Hazard and Infrastructure Performance Center WHIP-C Webinar Series:
Assessing Coastal Hazards and Mitigation using Computational Modeling and Field Observations
Monday, March 23, 2026
2:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. Eastern
Webinar link sent upon registration
Register Here: https://lnkd.in/eKa7Zzvp

Coastal infrastructure in the U.S. is increasingly exposed to storm surge, waves, and intense rainfalls. Reliable quantification of these hazards is critical for coastal resilience, by preparing coastal communities through effective design of coastal mitigation solutions. Research will be presented focused on understanding flood risks in coastal areas using different computational techniques and quantifying how nature-based solutions can reduce wave and surge hazards.
Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure

02/13/2026

NHERI Presents Webinar Series
"From Tornado Videos to Wind Data — A Physics-Based Framework for Inferring Near-Surface Wind Characteristics from Debris Flight Imagery"
Speaker Dr. David Roueche, Auburn University, will talk about creating flying debris for the research testing at the NSF-NHERI Wall of Wind at FIU.
February 18, 2026 | 1:00pm - 1:30pm CT
Register here: https://designsafe-ci.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zUQ0lVbHRIOsYwZdteFz-g #/registration
Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure National Science Foundation (NSF)

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: NHERI Presents with David Roueche: From Tornado Videos to Wind Data - A Physics-Based Framework for Inferring Near-Surface Wind Characteristics from Debris Flight Imagery . After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

02/13/2026

We are still fundraising for the Walter Conklin Scholarship Fund.
We have to reach the goal of $27,000 to have the scholarship fund become an enduring endowment.
Please consider making a contribution to help us reach that target by February 27th.
Give now: https://go.fiu.edu/conklin

Walter Conklin (B.S. ’92) — a dedicated engineer, mentor, and colleague helped make FIU’s Wall of Wind program a world leader in hurricane damage mitigation research. Through the Walter Conklin Scholarship, we will support students pursuing wind engineering — the field Walter loved and helped shape.
Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure

12/11/2025

We are excited to share another published article from our NSF-NHERI Wall of Wind research team at FIU.
Journal of Building Engineering:
“𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗔 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲-𝗼𝗳-𝘁𝗵𝗲-𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄.”
This work, conducted under the supervision of Dr. Amal Elawady, provides an in-depth review of wind effects on building facades, highlighting challenges, advances, and future research directions.
ResearchGate link: https://lnkd.in/djnYPVkT
Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure