State Farm invests more than $94,000 in research on building safer homes

State Farm has partnered with the University of Western Ontario’s Insurance Research Lab for Better Homes (IRLBH), also known as the “Three Little Pigs Project,” to help discover ways to make homes safer and building materials stronger.Since December 2009, State Farm has invested $94,181.80 towards research initiatives with the IRLBH. “Specifically, State Farm helps fund a research project dealing with wall sheathing,” the company announced in a press release. “This testing addresses how wind pressure affects the various building materials making up the walls of homes and other structures.””Wind is a dynamic force of nature and the research we’re conducting provides detailed data on how the pressure varies on certain materials and locations,” says Larry Stevig, research administrator with the State Farm building technology research unit. “One issue we’re facing is the use of foam insulation as sheathing on exterior walls to improve energy conservation. The testing will help us understand its performance in terms of safety and strength during heavy wind events much better.”