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OTHER PROFILES BA=ELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE IIT RESEARCH INSTITUTE 505 King Avenue Columbus, OH 43201 614/424-6476 CONTACT: John R. Hagely, Project Manager and Senior Research Architect MISSION AND FOCUS OF RESEARCH: Battelle is a science-based, internationally recognized research and development organization, generating contracts with private industry; local, state, and federal governments; and other nations. Building-related research includes new building material technologies; coatings testing and analysis; upgrading thermal performance of glass; evaluation of institutional barriers for new building systems; design trend analysis in industry R&D laboratories; life-cycle cost analysis of building systems and building materials, including economic and technical aspects; the development of global building profiles to analyze traditional building materials used around the world; design and analysis of tools and equipment used in buildings; testing of physical and mechanical properties of insulation; and test problems of adhesive-bonded roof trusses. Research in the energy division includes improving the efficiency of burner systems and furnaces; and new techniques and materials for photovoltaic cells. The institute has a staff of 3,500 people, half of whom are technical staff. It averages 2,400 projects a year and has an annual budget of about $100 million per year. DISTINCTIVE ATTRIBUTES: Unique in size and scope of effort. Facilities are all in-house. The institute has worldwide contacts and facilities. PUBLICATIONS: Annual reports, papers, articles, and books. 10 West 35th Street Chicago, IL 60616 312/567-4000 CONTACT: Andrew D. Farrell, Director - of Government Programs, Washington, D.C. 202/296-1610 MISSION AND FOCUS OF RESEARCH: Major areas of building-related research include fire, explosive mechanics, materials, and indoor air quality. The institute has a fire 71
test laboratory to test fire spread and the effects of fire, which is also capable of testing the contents of buildings to full-scale buildings. Analysis and computer modeling are used in fire research. Projects in the explosive mechanics laboratory include the manufacturing and testing of explosives in confinement. There is also testing of the effects of explosives on structures and on materials. Materials laboratory work focuses on concrete, granite, stone, erosion, the strengthening of building materials, and coatings. Indoor air quality projects measure what is in the air and analyze causes and effects of indoor air problems. The chemistry of the indoor environment, the types of organic components present in the air, desiccants, and the effects of unvented gas appliances on indoor air are studied. The budget allocated for research in these areas is between $2 and $5 million. Sources include the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the Federal Emergency Management Administration, and private industry. PUBLICATIONS: Reports of project activities unwritten to sponsors and journals. NATIONAL CENTER FOR APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY 3040 Continental Drive P.O. Box 3838 Butte, MT 59702 406/494-4572 CONTACT: Diane Smith, Public Information Manager MISSION AND FOCUS OF RESEARCH: NCAT's objectives are to document effective energy conservation techniques and building technologies, and to transfer that information to consumers, government agencies, and building professionals. Recent work includes end-use load monitoring of commercial and residential buildings and documenting the performance of superinsulated homes. Funding sources include state and federal agencies, national labs, and utilities. DISTINCTIVE ATTRIBITrES: A private, nonprofit agency created by Congress to transfer technology, the center stresses the wise use of resources and environmental safety. PUBLICATIONS: Own publications. OTHER SERVICES: Educational, informational. 72
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BUILDING SCIENCES RESEARCH TRIANGLE INSTITUTE SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITtll~ 1201 LSt.,N.W. Suite 400 Washington, DC 20005 202/289-7800 CONTACT: Don Hill, Director of Communications MISSION AND FOCUS OF RESEARCH: The institute is a 10-year-old private, nonprofit organization authorized by Congress with the mission of enhancing the building regulatory environment and encouraging the introduction of new and existing technologies into the building process. P.O. Box 12194 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 803/334-8571 CONTACT: Reid Maness, Management Support Office MISSION AND FOCUS OF RESEARCH: Building-related research focuses on environmental testing of toxic substances used in building materials; on other environmental problems such as asbestos, indoor air pollution, and radon contamination; and on energy conservation economics and engineering. The institute is housed in Research Triangle Park in a complex of 15 laboratory and office buildings. Facilities include laboratories for chemistry, environmental chemistry, toxicology, histology, chemical engineering, and polymers, as well as computer support for economics and statistical studies. The federal government provides about 90 percent of the institute's support. 6220 Culebra Road San Antonio, TX 78284 512/68~5111 CONTACT: UIric S. Lindholm, Vice President, Division of Engineering and Materials Sciences Gordon E. Hartzell, Director, Department of Fire Technology MISSION AND FOCUS OF RESEARCH: The institute's Department of Fire Technology conducts a wide variety of standard fire tests for flame spread, fire endurance, flammability, and smoke toxicity. Custom-designed tests are developed to determine the fire performance characteristics of innovative systems or to replicate specific fire scenarios of interest. Third-party certification, listing and labeling, with follow-up inspection of products, components and materials, are provided by the institute. 73
The institute has 1,000 or more research programs, which primarily serve the power generation, offshore, transportation and aerospace industries. Research efforts of interest to the building community include work on blast resistance of structures; on the effectiveness of controlled-access barriers; geotechnical engineering measurement of ground stability using elastic wave propagation between two boreholes; and seismic studies, including the use of two shake tables. The institute is an independent, nonprofit research institution on 765 acres with more than 2,000 employees, of whom about 800 are professional, 800 technical support, and the remainder administrative support. About 60 percent of its research earnings, which were $140 million in 1986, comes from private industry, with the remainder from government contracts. DISTINCTIVE ATTRIBUTES: In fire technology, the institute has three high-bay test areas totaling 9,400 square feet for large-scale testing. Complete furnace facilities are available for determining fire endurance of assemblies in both horizontal and vertical configurations. PUBLICATIONS: The Joumal of Fire Sciences. SRI INTERNATIONAL 333 Ravenswood Avenue Menlo Park, CA 94025 415/859-5820 CONTACT: Kay Clark, Director of Corporate Relations MISSION AND FOCUS OF RESEARCH: SRI International is a private and independent professional organization that seines the public interest by providing a broad range of basic and applied research, advisory, and technical services worldwide. Research related to the building industry includes the improvement and development of new materials, polymer sciences, energy efficiency, corrosion research, and analysis of structural failures. There is a research staff of 3,000 people and a budget of $210 million with 2 to 3 percent allocated to the building industry. Sources for the budget are industry, federal, state, and local governments. PUBLICATIONS: An annual report, journal and newspaper articles, documentations from centers, and news releases. 74
