Institute for Business & Home Safety Builds Hazard Testing Facility

The Institute for Business & Home Safety will construct the $27 million Insurance Center for Building Safety Research in Chester, S.C. The complex will enable model structures to be tested in conditions resembling natural catastrophes to identify effective methods of minimizing risk and loss to homes and businesses. Sited on 90 acres, the multi-peril research campus will be able to subject commercial buildings and two-story houses to hazards such as hurricanes, hailstorms, and wild-blown fire. The project will also address research into maintenance-related issues such as plumbing system failure and interior fires, enabling the development of effective consumer education programs and accurate building codes. The complex is being designed by Odell Associates of Charlotte, N.C. Completion is expected in 2010.