Windshear Wind Tunnel, Concord, North Carolina

Windshear Wind Tunnel is a testing facility for NASCAR and Indy 500 race cars, as well as for auto manufacturers, located in the outskirts of Charlotte, NC. This project started in May 2007, and completion of the concrete work was in November 2007.

 

Windshear Wind Tunnel is the first of its kind rolling road testing facility in North America, and only third rolling road wind tunnel of its scale in existence. This facility will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The high-tech rolling road, which is actually a continuous steel belt with sizes of 10.5 ft wide and 29.5 ft long, and be able to accelerate from zero to 180 mph in less than one minute. During testing "through-the-belt" sensors measure the aerodynamic down force under each tire through the belt with precise readings. The top speed of the wind tunnel fan, with a 22-foot diameter, will circulate 2.85 million cubic of air per minute while the car is at a speed of 180 mph. Windshear Wind Tunnel will be available for rent by motor sport teams and car manufacturers. 

 

Due to the height and the geometry of this structure, this project was extremely challenging. Prefabricated trusses were shipped to the job site and assembled by PERI site supervisors to make up the fitted custom formwork for the back-leg diffuser and ceiling. With the use of standard rentable components that comprise the custom formwork for this project, it ended up being very economical for Wayne Brothers.

 

Isaiah Wayne, Cecilio Gonzalez

Project Manager, Superintendent

 

"Due to the complicated geometry and angles of this project we had challenges, but PERI was able to help us with their expertise, knowledge and support by supplying us custom fitted formwork made of standard equipment to get the job done with ease while being very economical."

 

Contractor:      Wayne Brothers, Inc., Kannapolis, NC

Field Service: PERI Orlando, FL

Field Service:  PERI Formwork Systems, Inc., USA