David Henderson

David is the Research Director and Chief Engineer of the Cyclone Testing Station (CTS), a self-funded unit in the College of Science and Engineering at James Cook University. David leads the CTS team of researchers, product testing engineers, and technicians, towards the Station’s goals of improving the safety of communities to cyclones and severe storm events.

A major highlight of David’s recent work was his engagement with Australia’s insurance industry through both individual companies as well as the ICA to develop resilience-rating methods along with retrofitting goals to reduce loss for both strata and detached housing.  This work has resulted in a lowering of insurance premiums for retrofitted northern Australia housing. For 2019, David was fortunate to work for the IAG Natural Perils Team as their Specialist in Property Resilience.  Other recent highlights include the research and leading the industry workshops to put in place the recommendations following the CTS report on Tropical Cyclone Yasi’s impact.  These have included revisions to Australian Standards (e.g. Garage doors, Wind loads for housing, and Roof tiles) along with guidelines for reconstruction of housing in storm tide prone regions.

Prior to his appointment as Research Director and Chief Engineer, David was CTS Director from 2011 to 2018. Before this David was the CTS Research Fellow. During this period, he was seconded as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, where he collaborated on the 3LP full scale house testing research project in the simulation of realistic wind loads impacting full scale timber framed housing. This is a continuation of his previous foundation involvement with this world leading facility in 2005/6. David was awarded an Australian Postgraduate Award Scholarship to undertake his doctoral research in 2006 to 2009, investigating the impact of cyclonic wind loading on low rise buildings. From 2001 to 2006, he was the Manager of the CTS at JCU. 

David has conducted Post disaster surveys following tropical cyclones and severe storms including tornadoes and hailstorms in Australia and overseas.  As an important and direct path of getting the Station’s findings and experience into benefits for the community, David is a member of Australian Standards committees that include wind load design and specification and design of various building materials (e.g. roof and wall cladding, tiles, etc.).