University of Maine Alfond Wind & Wave Ocean Research Facility

SMRT designed this addition to UMaine’s existing Advanced Structures and Composites Center building and provided engineering support and coordination for equipment installation for its two research & development programs: the Alfond Wind & Wave Ocean Engineering Laboratory and the Alfond Advanced Manufacturing Lab for Thermoplastics.

Built to a 1:50 scale, the Wind and Wave Lab uses replicas of offshore structures to simulate extreme wave, wind, and ocean current environments. The lab is equipped with a 232-fan rotating wind machine capable of generating wind conditions up to 200 mph over a multidirectional 100×30 wave basin.

By accurately replicating the worst storms possible on earth, the lab is contributing to the development of better boat and ship hulls; wind, wave, and tidal energy solutions; floating oil and gas storage structures; and systems to protect coastal cities from the effects of erosion, extreme storms, and sea level changes.