Just a quick article about American Families new research center that will be testing the effects of weather to possibly save the customer money.

New industry research center could save you money in the future

American Family Insurance is participating in an industry research center that will test the impact of wind, hail, rain and fire on siding, roofing and other home-construction materials.

The center is being built in South Carolina by the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), of which American Family is a member. The goal of the research center is to help develop better building materials to make homes safer and reduce losses in the property and casualty industry.

A ceremonial groundbreaking for the research center was held Sept. 16. Construction is expected to be completed in spring 2010.

This industry-owned and -operated research facility will allow testing of all kinds of extreme weather conditions on a variety of structures and building materials.

Scientists at the center will be able to subject one- and two-story buildings of up to 2,000 square feet to winds and wind-blown water similar to a Category 3 hurricane, realistic hailstorms and wind-blown fire embers.

Industry backers hope the center will have a similar impact as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, whose car-crash tests have had a major impact on improving auto safety and forcing automakers to make better cars. If it does, the center could positively impact insurance rates – saving consumers money down the road.

IBHS, based in Tampa, Fla., is an independent, nonprofit, scientific and educational organization supported by the property insurance industry. The organization works to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other risks to residential and commercial property by conducting research and advocating improved construction, maintenance and preparation practices.

Research center details

The lab will include 105 powerful fans, each 7 feet in diameter.

Research specimens will reside on a 52-foot-wide turntable inside a 145-foot-square, 70-foot tall test chamber.

The center will include an outdoor specimen-aging area.

High-speed cameras will record the testing, so consumers, insurers, public policymakers and other stakeholders can view it.

The center is being built in Chester County, S.C., south of Charlotte, N.C.

The center will employ about 20 people.

Construction will be environmentally friendly, using natural sound barriers and landscaping, renewable energy, and reclaiming/cleaning of water and air used in testing.

This rendition of a new insurance industry research center shows some of the 105 intake fans, which will be used to generate hurricane-force winds and test the impact on siding, roofing and other home-construction materials.

Follow me on Twitter, @adamviet