Cannon fire demonstrates strength of material for Homearama home

A  Virginia Beach-based builder is turning vinyl- and brick-covered walls into cannon fodder to show how storm-tossed debris can damage a home.

Chuck Miller  of Miller Custom Homes  is using insulated concrete forms for a  6,571-square-foot home he’s building at  Ashville Park, the site of the Tidewater Builders Association’s  Homearama  showcase Oct. 3 to 19. 

On Thursday, Miller and a team of contractors fired beams of lumber from a cannon-like device at speeds of  100 mph and more to simulate the wrath of hurricane- and tornado-force winds.

The results?

Beams pierced the wall of vinyl siding and insulation with little resistance. They banged to a stop against a large trash bin that served as a backstop. 

Beams fired from the cannon likewise pierced holes in a brick-and-mortar wall and cracked the standing remains.

Beams that were shot at the insulated concrete form – concrete and metal bars sandwiched between foam – bounced and fell in front of that wall.   The walls will help stop the loss of heated and cooled air and allow for monthly energy bills to average $115 , Miller predicted.

The wall system was chosen for its energy-efficiency, Miller said, but its durability against storms is a by-product.

Jeanne Mooney, (757) 446-2043, jeanne.mooney@pilotonline.com