The Roofing Industry Committee on Weather Issues Inc. (RICOWI, Inc.) announced deployment of research teams to investigate the effects of the hail “megastorm” that struck the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex April 11.
RICOWI, a non-profit international organization that has implemented a strategic plan for a Hail Investigation Program (HIP), said the research teams will conduct the investigation from May 2-6.
The objectives of the investigation program are:
- investigate the field performance of roofing assemblies after major hail storms;
- factually describe roof assembly performance and modes of damage; and
- formally report the results for substantiated hail events.
“The data collected will provide unbiased detailed information on the hail resistance of low slope and steep-slope roofing systems from credible investigative teams,” said Hail Task Force Chair John Gimple.
“We can expect a greater industry understanding of what causes roofs to perform or fail in hail storms, leading to overall improvements in roof-system durability, the reduction of waste generation from re-roofing activities, and a reduction in insurance losses that will lead to lower overall costs for the public.”
RICOWI investigated hail damage in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex in 2011, when more than 100 hail-damaged roofs were studied. RICOWI said it is again reaching out to local governments, businesses and residents to help with this research project by volunteering the study of their hail-damaged roofs. All information is kept confidential and is used strictly for research purposes. Reports of past research are available for no charge on the RICOWI website.
Those interested in volunteering a roof for the project can contact RICOWI at: jcook@ricowi.com.
The published findings will document roofing systems that fail or survive major hail events and provide educational materials for roofing professionals to design hail-resistant roofing systems.
RICOWI members include major roofing associations and members of academia, educational and testing facilities and others involved in the science of roofing.
RICOWI’s website www.ricowi.com provides additional detail on RICOWI’s hail and wind investigation programs. Reports of past research are available for no charge on the website.
More information: RICOWI Executive Director Joan Cook, 330/671-4569, email: jcook@ricowi.com; or
HIP Chair John Gimple, 303/423-4402, email gimpleroof@qwestoffice.net.
This video from ABC 13 in Dallas shows the massive hail that hit the area April 11.
