National Academies Press: OpenBook
« Previous: 6 Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

Chapter 7

Building and Fire Research Laboratory

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

PANEL MEMBERS

Thomas L. Anderson, Fluor Daniel Hanford, Inc., Chair

Rose A. Ryntz, Visteon, Vice Chair

Ronald L. Alpert, Factory Mutual Research Corporation

Robert Altenkirch, Washington State University

Janet S. Baum, Health, Education & Research Assoc., Inc.

Lee W. Burgett, The Trane Company

Marcia L. Coleman, DuPont Central Research & Development

Ronny J. Coleman, State of California

Filip C. Filippou, University of California, Berkeley

Gavin A. Finn, Prescient Technologies, Inc.

Anthony E. Fiorato, Portland Cement Association

Robert Fowler, City of Pasadena, Pasadena, California

Nicholas P. Jones, Johns Hopkins University

Richard M. Kelso, University of Tennessee

Boyd C. Paulson, Stanford University

Richard E. Schuler, Cornell University

Miroslaw J. Skibniewski, Purdue University

Forrest O. Stark, Dow Corning Corporation

John G. Voeller, Black & Veatch

James A. White, Western Fire Center, Inc.

Submitted for the panel by its Chair, Thomas L. Anderson, and its Vice Chair, Rose A. Ryntz, this assessment of the fiscal year 1998 activities of the Building and Fire Research Laboratory is based on site visits by individual panel members, a formal meeting of the panel on March 25–26, 1998, and documents provided by the laboratory.

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

LABORATORY-LEVEL REVIEW

Laboratory Mission

The mission of the Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL), according to the laboratory, is to partner with its customers to provide the measurement technologies, performance prediction methods, and technical advances needed to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. industry and public safety and to assure the life-cycle quality and economy of constructed facilities.

In last year's assessment, the panel noted that the mission was becoming more sharply focused and more closely aligned with the NIST mission. That assessment also noted that the laboratory was evolving a new “success ” strategy, which thematically links individual projects from across the laboratory into a few major objectives. Over the last year, this reorganization process has continued and has resulted in a strategic plan that defines the laboratory mission, vision, strategies, goals, action plans, and metrics to monitor progress against the goals. The laboratory has worked with a broad range of customers to develop these goals. This customer involvement in the determination of the laboratory objectives is commendable and is the best technique to ensure that research results are adapted by user communities and put to widespread use.

The laboratory's strategy for carrying out its mission is embodied in a set of 10 objectives:

  1. Computer-Integrated Construction Environment (CICE),

  2. Cybernetic Building Systems (CBS),

  3. Industrial Fire Simulation System,

  4. Performance Standards System for Housing,

  5. Fire Safe Materials,

  6. Partnership for High-Performance Concrete Technology (PHPCT),

  7. Service Life of Building Materials,

  8. Metrology for Sustainable Development,

  9. Earthquake, Fire, and Wind Engineering,

  10. Advanced Fire Measurements and Firefighting Technologies.

At the time of last year's assessment, only the first six of these objectives had been identified. Through continued effort and extensive discussions with public- and private-sector institutions, the objectives have been expanded to the 10 listed above. The first six are considered to be “major products, ” whereas objectives 7 through 10 are regarded as high-impact project areas. In the objectives-setting process, the laboratory worked in partnership with its customers, with the fire safety community, and with the Construction and Building Subcommittee and the Subcommittee on Natural Disaster Reduction of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC).

The major products represent approximately 43 percent of the laboratory 's appropriated funding. The BFRL has now focused this share of its resources on a small number of high-priority products, each of which appears to have strong advocates among the laboratory's customers and can be expected to produce significant benefits within 5 years. The plan suggests that products will be demonstrated and implemented in cooperation with private-sector partners

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

so that benefits may be assessed quantitatively through such collaborations. The panel was pleased to see that, among the objectives that have been identified within the last year, the laboratory's objectives include work on sustainable development and service life prediction, as well as the structural engineering and fire science programs from the traditional areas covered by the BFRL.

The emerging strategic plan is well constructed and solidly in alignment with the laboratory and NIST missions. The laboratory has displayed self-discipline in limiting the number of objectives and confining the major products to a small handful of the top priority needs identified by its customers. This restriction is a necessary result of the limited resources available to the laboratory. Every project addresses a well-defined customer need or fills the laboratory's legislatively mandated roles, and the laboratory is increasing its utilization of partnerships in deployment of results. There is some concern that the connections between the goals of the many individual projects and the 10 laboratory objectives are not yet completely clear; this issue will be discussed further in the next section.

Technical Merit and Appropriateness of Work

Overall, the technical merit of the laboratory projects is very good. The current array of programs forms a coherent and unified whole in support of the emerging national construction technology goals for research and development. 1 These goals were initially set out in 1995 by the Subcommittee on Construction and Building of the Committee on Civilian Industrial Technology of the NSTC. BFRL staff played an important part in the development of the document Construction and Building: Federal Research and Development in Support of the U.S. Construction Industry, which defines the national construction goals as well as other general strategies for research and development in this area. The laboratory staff have collaborated closely with the Civil Engineering Research Foundation to build upon the initial goals over the last several years. The goals have also been sharpened by a number of interactions between the construction industry and the Construction and Building Subcommittee of the NSTC. These technological goals have now been embraced in general by the U.S. construction industry and are reflected in evolving partnerships between segments of the industry and corresponding institutional organizations.

The BFRL's strategic plan broadly lays out the linkages between the laboratory objectives and its customers' needs, as exemplified by the national construction goals, the national disaster reduction goal, and the fire safety improvement goal. However, as the laboratory moves to a number of diverse projects that address multiple objectives within the laboratory mission, there is a need for a clearer picture of the degree to which the various projects contribute to the attainment of these distinctively diverse goals, as well as to other goals of major constituents. Establishing this clarity will set a clear line of sight between researchers and laboratory outcomes and could also provide guidance in priority setting and resource allocation. This clarity will also help the panel to perform a high-quality, unambiguous assessment of the laboratory. The linkages between programs and goals could be displayed graphically through a matrix-like presentation in

1  

Subcommittee on Construction and Building of the Committee on Civilian Industrial Technology, National Science and Technology Council, Construction and Building: Federal Research and Development in Support of the U.S. Construction Industry, National Science and Technology Council, Washington, D.C., 1995, pp. 7-9.

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

which all of the laboratory projects are listed in the columns and the laboratory objectives are listed in the rows. Entries in this matrix could then identify how each project contributes to the 10 laboratory objectives and outcomes.

Since the BFRL has only recently reorganized, this assessment was conducted by research area, which reflects the previous structure of the laboratory and is consistent with last year's report. At that time, there were six research areas: High-Performance Materials and Systems, Mechanical and Environmental Systems, Automation and Information, Structural Engineering, Fire Science and Fire Safety Engineering, and Performance-Based Standards and Economics. The panel discusses the technical merit of the work in each of these areas in detail in the reports that follow, but some highlights are described below.

The personnel working on High-Performance Materials and Systems continue to accomplish important work. The panel was particularly impressed by the technical projects that contribute to the laboratory objectives in the PHPCT and the Service Life of Building Materials Programs. These programs are state of the art and utilize capabilities unique to NIST. For example, NIST provides strong leadership with its work on the Computer-Integrated Knowledge Systems (CIKSs). Because of the specialized staff requirements and the need to integrate information from a wide range of sources, it is unlikely that this work could be done as effectively in a commercial or academic environment.

The Mechanical and Environmental Systems (MEMS) work continues to be extremely timely, particularly in the area of sustainable design and construction. The MEMS project is both fundamental and leading edge, representing a thrust toward the practical and economic application of an advanced technology by leveraging fabrication techniques developed for microelectronics into assembling machinery sensors for buildings. Such sensors will enable the intelligent control of building environmental systems by connecting building controls with the measurement of levels of gases such as carbon dioxide to manage indoor air quality (IAQ) and detect the presence and growth of an unwanted fire.

Over the past year, the programs in Automation and Information have become much more robust and relevant, and the increase in input from industry is considerable. Electronic exchange of construction information such as vendor data, finance data, and engineering calculations occurs with growing frequency over the Internet, but there are very few standards designed to ensure consistent transmission and interpretation of data. NIST's work to develop such standards could play a substantial role in meeting the national construction goal for reduced construction delivery time.

Structural Engineering is producing highly visible and useful products for the construction industry. Particularly significant contributions have been made through their work on precast connections for earthquake-resistant construction and on the development of test guidelines for base isolation devices.

The Fire Science and Fire Safety Engineering Divisions have a dual responsibility to support U.S. industrial competitiveness and to enhance public safety, as mandated by law. The combination of basic science and engineering provides valuable synergy unavailable anywhere else and continues to deliver results to industry in a readily useful form. The world-class work in these divisions is very clearly focused, and the integrated programs are organized around several laboratory objectives based on fire engineering for materials, products, facilities, infrastructure, and people in both the public and private sectors.

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

The Office of Applied Economics (OAE) continues to be a unique and valuable resource for all of NIST. The staff routinely utilize state-of-the-art economic concepts, data, and software along with computerized electronic distribution and delivery tools to complement and enhance products from within the BFRL as well as from other units at NIST. The work of the OAE is central to NIST's mission because its purpose is to examine and strengthen the connections between laboratory programs and the enhanced competitiveness of U.S. businesses.

The United States is lagging behind Europe, Japan, and Australia in the development and use of performance-based standards for the construction and building industries. For example, Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation has an active research program in performance-based standards for building construction and fire safety. The BFRL is a major contributor to the U.S. effort in this area, and in the panel's judgment, work done at NIST may be the only way that the current performance standards development effort can succeed.

Overall, the panel was very pleased to note dramatic improvements over the past year in technical merit, program impact, and dissemination of results. The repackaging of projects into objectives that are focused on outcomes rather than on activities or outputs is viewed as a positive step.

Impact of Programs

The laboratory continues to improve the effectiveness of multifaceted activities designed to disseminate program results. Although the impact of laboratory programs has grown over the last several years, the incremental change in 1997 has been significant. In the panel 's judgment, the reorganization has sharpened programmatic focus in a way that improves the effectiveness both of dissemination of results and of the impact of these results on industry. The assessments of individual research areas contain many examples that illustrate the effectiveness of laboratory programs and the resulting value these programs deliver to laboratory customers. Highlights are described in the following paragraphs.

The panel was particularly impressed by the intralaboratory cooperation on the project quantifying the appearance characteristics of materials. The Building and Fire Research, Manufacturing Engineering, Physics, and Information Technology laboratories have all contributed to progress on this project. A state-of-the-art measurement criterion will be established to enable users to design and ensure the life-cycle appearance of paints and coatings. This advancement will be most valuable in industries where surface finish durability is a market differentiator. One example is the automotive industry, particularly in climates where rust and acid rain can affect cars' surfaces and hence product lifetimes.

Impressive progress is also being made by the laboratory in measurements and standards development for design and control of building utility systems. The laboratory is moving effectively toward the goal of being able to measure overall building performance. Such techniques could provide a dramatic market differentiator for the U.S. construction industry and contribute substantially to improving U.S. competitiveness.

In the area of High-Performance Materials and Systems for constructed facilities, the laboratory continues to stretch its performance by utilizing its expertise and association with industrial sponsors, with industry trade and standard committees, and with academia to bench mark NIST capabilities against the state of the art. Characterization of industrial needs is

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

constantly related to economic impact, and implementation of new technologies through consensus standard activities, such as American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) committees, is a standard practice, as is appropriate. The CIKSs are effectively used to both develop and disseminate key protocols for standards, such as protective coatings for steel and structure/properties for concrete and other cement-based materials, and for predicting the service-life of steel-reinforced concrete to chlorine ions.

All BFRL reports and scientific papers are published on CD-ROM and are available over the Internet. Several projects related to global-warming issues aim to provide a technical basis for the selection of the best alternative refrigerants for the next century. Improved understanding of fundamental processes will enable U.S. industry to maintain a competitive advantage in the global marketplace. 2 Furthermore, staff in this area have done an outstanding job in continuing to lead the development of the Building Automation and Controls Network control protocol that permits the building control systems of one manufacturer to communicate with those of another manufacturer. This protocol is now in use worldwide.

Program improvements made within the Automation and Information Group will clearly position projects in this area for high potential impact across broad sectors of the construction industry. The laboratory already appears to be a dominant player in the process plant sector of the architecture-engineering-construction (AEC) industry, but because of limited resources, the laboratory has not yet engaged other sectors of the construction industry in NIST's work. The potential for impact is high in the building, residential, and infrastructure sectors, where there is an unfulfilled need for construction automation and information exchange standards.

As is typical for BFRL staff, structural engineering personnel are heavily involved in numerous professional society and code-writing committees. In general, NIST staff play a very active role in such groups, either through a leadership position or via technical contributions. Such activities serve as an effective mechanism to transfer information from research products to industrial practice. Overall, the groups working in structural engineering have employed several successful methods to assure the acceptance and institutionalization of research project results. These include identifying and engaging industry champions, utilizing committees of external experts to oversee program development, and aggressively pursuing wide distribution of computer products. An example of the last technique can be seen in the planned dissemination of the software for the determination of wind loads in accordance with the latest design recommendations.

Within fire safety and fire science engineering, staff are actively engaged in developing advanced measurement systems to better understand fire test results; increased understanding will in turn produce better predictions of the response of designs to a range of fire situations. This diagnostic work is essential to the traditional standards and measurements efforts of the NIST mission and forms a springboard from which industry can move toward advanced prevention and protection technologies to better assure fire safety in constructed facilities. An example of the high-impact work in this area is the development of the Industrial Fire Simulation System, which will permit modeling of the spread and suppression of fires of increasing size and complexity. This development will clearly have a significant positive impact on the future of plant design, fire testing, and public safety.

2  

Shedlick, Matthew T., Albert N. Link, and John T. Scott, Economic Assessment of the NIST Alternative Refrigerants Research Program (Planning Report 98-1), U.S. Department of Commerce, Technology Administration, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Md., 1997, 1998.

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

The OAE has developed user-friendly software such as Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) that allows decision makers to assign weights and evaluate lifecycle costs (LCCs) and environmental impacts of alternative materials. Economic assessment tools also are accessible to users over the Internet for application to bridge design analyses. These programs are critical for improving the nation's seriously deteriorating infrastructure.

Overall, the panel believes that management has successfully restructured the array of laboratory projects to be consistent with the strategic objectives. Many researchers have a clear connection between their work and the customers. The new emphasis on a limited number of objectives and major products has naturally led to increased focus and a clearer definition of key deliverables. Excellent progress has been made over the last year on aligning support for this laboratory's work and on demonstrating the world-class capabilities available at NIST.

Laboratory Resources

Funding sources3 for the Building and Fire Research Laboratory (in millions of dollars) are as follows:

 

Fiscal Year 1997

Fiscal Year 1998 (estimated)

NIST-STRS, excluding Competence

20.14

18.05

Competence

0.40

0.35

ATP

0.40

0.13

MEP

0.21

0.20

Measurement Services (SRM production)

0.17

0.02

OA/NFG/CRADA

8.58

10.69

Other Reimbursable

0.18

0.14

Total

30.08

29.58

3  

The NIST Measurement and Standards Laboratories funding comes from a variety of sources. The laboratories receive appropriations from Congress, known as Scientific and Technical Research and Services (STRS) funding. Competence funding also comes from NIST's congressional appropriations, but it is allotted by the NIST director's office in multiyear grants for projects that advance NIST's capabilities in new and emerging areas of measurement science. Advanced Technology Program (ATP) funding reflects support from NIST's ATP for work done at the NIST laboratories in collaboration with or in support of ATP projects. Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) funding reflects support from NIST's MEP for work done at the NIST laboratories in collaboration with or support of MEP activities. Funding to support production of Standard Reference Materials is tied to the use of such products and is classified as Measurement Services. NIST laboratories also receive funding through grants or contracts from other government agencies (OA), from nonfederal government (NFG) agencies, and from industry in the form of Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs). All other laboratory funding including that for Calibration Services is grouped under Other Reimbursable.

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

The level and type of outside funding is appropriate, and the projects supported in this manner are well aligned with the laboratory mission and nicely complement internally funded programs. The level of outside funding varies widely across the six research areas of the BFRL. Some of the newer work (such as projects on automation and integration) is necessarily supported mainly from internal sources, whereas more established programs (such as the fire research) have already demonstrated the value of their projects and therefore can receive a substantial fraction of their funding from the communities that benefit from NIST results. The overall goal of roughly 20 or 25 percent for external funding aims to strike a balance between the need to ensure that the work being done is important enough to outside companies and agencies that they are willing to contribute financially to its success and the need to ensure that the burdens placed on staff involved in applying for and managing outside grants do not eclipse their ability to oversee and perform high-quality research.

The panel was very pleased to learn that the Fire Test Facility in Building 205 is budgeted for renovation and that repairs on the environmental chambers are already under way. As was noted in several past assessments, the inadequacies of these facilities had impeded the laboratory' s ability to carry out its mission, and the panel commends the decision to fund these much needed refurbishments.

The BFRL is also exploring the future of its large-scale 53 MN Structural Test Facility. The panel supports the investigation of a potential role for this facility in the NSF initiative for a National Network for High Performance Seismic Simulation (NHPS). Careful planning will be needed to manage this decision, and issues related to the details of this process are discussed further in the section on Structural Engineering.

Staffing for the BFRL currently includes 161 full-time permanent positions, of which 132 are for technical professionals. There are 26 nonpermanent and supplemental personnel, such as postdoctoral fellows and part-time workers.

Personnel throughout the laboratory display a diversity of skills, depth of training, and variety of experience that, when coupled with their willingness to learn and to help others, provide the key ingredients that allow the laboratory to perform very high-quality technical work and communicate results to their customers.

The Structures Division is undergoing a reorganization. The panel observed several issues that lend some sense of urgency to this proceeding. The ongoing programs in earthquake engineering are in need of both leadership and vision, and the current human resources devoted to this area do not appear to be adequate to cover the many important projects under way. Furthermore, the laboratory's preeminence in wind engineering is centered around a single NIST Fellow, so management attention is needed for succession planning.

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

Funding (in millions of dollars) and personnel for the Building and Fire Research Laboratory's 10 major objectives for fiscal year 1998 (estimated) are presented below:

 

STRS Fundinga

OA/NFG/CRADA

Otherb

Total Funding

FTPsc

Computer Integrated Construction Environment (CICE)

2.4

0.0

0.0

2.4

6

Cybernetic Building Systems (CBS)

1.5

0.2

0.0

1.7

7

Industrial Fire Simulation System

0.6

0.0

0.0

0.6

6

Performance Standards System for Housing

1.0

0.1

0.0

1.1

7

Fire Safe Materials

0.8

0.0

0.0

0.8

7

Partnership for High Performance Concrete Technology (PHPCT)

1.5

0.0

0.0

1.5

12

Subtotals for major products

7.8

0.3

0.0

8.1

45

Service Life of Building Materials

0.9

1.5

0.0

2.4

15

Metrology for Sustainable Development

2.8

3.1

0.3

6.2

32

Earthquake, Fire, and Wind Engineering

2.0

0.9

0.0

2.9

12

Advanced Fire Measurements and Firefighting Technologies

4.4

4.7

0.1

9.2

41

Subtotals for last four objectives

10.1

10.2

0.4

20.7

100

Total for all 10 objectives d

17.9

10.5

0.4

28.8

145

a “STRS Funding” in this table includes Competence funding.

b “Other” includes ATP, MEP, Measurement Services (SRM production), and Other Reimbursables.

c FTP, full-time permanent.

d The totals do not include the $0.8 million dollars and 16 FTPs allotted to laboratory-wide administrative support.

As has been mentioned at other points in this assessment, the reorganization of the laboratory projects into products in support of 10 strategic objectives is a positive step, and the programmatic benefits are already becoming apparent. However, this restructuring is still in progress, and continued careful oversight is necessary to ensure eventual success. As can be seen from the above table, 69 percent of the permanent staff and 72 percent of the total laboratory funding are devoted to the four objectives that have not been designated as major products. This de-emphasis of a major portion of the laboratory activities has had some effect on staff morale, as has the conclusion of projects that is a natural part of a reorganization. Since the previous assessment, the number of FTPs has decreased by 14. The reallocation of human resources was assisted by the utilization in 1998 funding decisions of the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) budget allocation technique, which is a zero-base process that assists in prioritization and has resulted in the discontinuation of some lower-priority work.

The restructuring of the laboratory is ongoing and the number of objectives labeled as major products may change, but the effects of the reorganization on the staff should not be underestimated or ignored. The reordered portfolio of projects and the new strategy have in fact strengthened the laboratory programmatically, but the true test of the management and staff will be how they handle the coming adjustments and whether they can utilize this new system to provide a lasting, stable structure for the work performed throughout the laboratory.

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

DIVISIONAL REVIEWS

The BFRL is officially composed of five divisions: Structures, Building Materials, Building Environment, Fire Safety Engineering, and Fire Science. Before the restructuring, work in the BFRL was organized in six research areas: High-Performance Materials and Systems, Mechanical and Environmental Systems, Automation and Information, Structural Engineering, Fire Science and Fire Safety Engineering, and Performance-Based Standards and Economics. The individual assessments below are divided into these research areas, but as this structure is no longer used by the laboratory, the budget and personnel information in these reports is all for fiscal year 1997.

High-Performance Materials and Systems for Constructed Facilities

Work in this area is mainly conducted in the Building Materials Division, but some projects also are located in the Structures and Fire Science Divisions.

Mission

According to the laboratory, the mission of the work on High-Performance Materials and Systems for Constructed Facilities is to perform research for the characterization, measurement, and evaluation of the performance (such as strength, durability, constructability, and fire safety) of materials and systems for structures, building envelopes, and external and internal finishes.

Work in this research area is conducted in close collaboration with industry, government agencies, and academia because the results affect the productivity and competitiveness of U. S. industry as well as people's quality of life. The projects are in conformance with the laboratory and NIST missions. Programs are clearly in accordance with several of the national construction goals, 4 specifically: reduced delivery time, increased durability and flexibility of materials and processes, increased productivity and comfort, and reduced operation, maintenance, and energy costs.

The projects presented to the panel in this research area focus on two of the major objectives set forward in the strategic vision for the laboratory: the PHPCT and the Service Life of Building Materials. The laboratory's programs in these areas are multidisciplinary and involve both intra- and interdivisional collaborations. Appropriately, the focus is on developing multiattribute models for prediction and optimization of performance.

4  

Subcommittee on Construction and Building of the Committee on Civilian Industrial Technology, National Science and Technology Council, Construction and Building: Federal Research and Development in Support of the U.S. Construction Industry,National Science and Technology Council, Washington, D.C., 1995, pp. 7–9.

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Technical Merit and Appropriateness of Work

The technical programs that constitute the strategic vision objectives of PHPCT and the Service Life of Building Materials are state of the art and utilize capabilities unique to NIST. These two key initiatives encompass a series of projects that have been, and continue to be, world class, as bench marked against programs at other technical institutions and industrial laboratories. The various projects outlined below describe key deliverables being undertaken to accomplish desired goals.

All projects are progressing well and are in alignment with the mission. Inter- and intralaboratory cooperation is evident and encouraged, as is OA support. Continued participation in consensus standards-setting organizations, as well as in national and international conferences, workshops, and symposia, is key to maintaining world-class quality.

Work on the CIKS provides the focal point for the PHPCT program. The goal is for all projects in this program to provide data sets that enhance the knowledge system. Thus, CIKS can serve as the tool for integration and dissemination of information and results. The program is unique to NIST, and the BFRL is providing, and should continue to provide, a strong leadership role. Because of the specialized staff requirements, the need to integrate information from a wide range of sources, and the need for continuity, it is improbable that work like CIKS could be done as effectively in a commercial or academic environment.

Work continues on Concrete Research and Concrete Modeling and Test Methods. Staff are developing key test methods such as x-ray powder diffraction analysis, point count analysis, and high-strength concrete physical tests. Some of the work on concrete testing has already been implemented in ASTM standards, and it is hoped that such dissemination will continue. The work on hydration modeling and prediction of properties is at the cutting edge and clearly demonstrates the strengths of NIST, as does the work on quantification of microstructure analysis. The Concrete Rheology project is beginning work on an interesting and innovative approach. A number of NIST publications in this field are now becoming available for peer review and discussion; this external input should extend the usefulness of the program.

As was noted in the fiscal year 1997 review, the work on curing of high-performance concrete will have significant implications for conventional concretes. Determination of the links between curing and microstructural changes provides potential for better understanding and quantification of factors impacting performance. Such knowledge can lead to improved standards.

An essential role of NIST programs is the development and implementation of reliable test methods. For example, the work on predictive specifications and knowledge-based systems, which is unique to NIST, cannot be effectively implemented without appropriate performance tests. In addition, reference laboratory activities, such as the NIST/ASTM Cement and Concrete Reference Laboratory initiatives, provide an essential service to ensure quality testing of conventional and high-performance construction materials. These activities promote a measurable and visible means to transfer NIST technologies and should effectively complement the PHPCT program.

The work on high-strength concrete includes projects that examine structure and fire performance. The focus of the structural work has been revised somewhat over the past year. The project on shear strength, which is due to conclude with a literature review and analysis, has provided a better understanding of the modified compression field theory for shear. These results

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

have the potential to help modify building codes. The work on fire performance of high-strength concrete is important and has the opportunity to take advantage of the laboratory's existing capabilities in structure and fire research.

Coating Service Life Prediction continues to be an important program, and the focus on measurement techniques is unique to NIST. The focus is on implementation of test methods to understand the behavior of coatings in the field, e.g., under normal weathering conditions. The program has identified and contributed to a major understanding of test method error. In the area of humidity control, for example, use of an internally developed humidity generator has increased scientists ' ability to produce constant and stable humidity levels and to release humidity into the test chamber in controlled fashion; this work has lowered standard deviations from 12 to 3 percent. In the arena of light homogeneity, use of an integrating sphere has the potential to result in an equivalent reduction in standard error. Automated laboratory sampling has been instituted, and as a result of the multitude and abundance of data collected on multiattribute testing, several models are being developed to predict service life of coatings.

Implementation of key material property attributes into design codes for composites continues to be a major undertaking in this laboratory. A workshop was held in January of 1998 to begin an investigation of the research initiatives undertaken by various federal agencies over the last 50 years. More than $1 billion in funding has already been spent on governmental research on composite property attainment. Therefore, the goal is to design a research base in this arena that does not reinvent or duplicate completed research. A composite infrastructure workshop with five industrial sponsors is planned for the second quarter of 1998 to further elucidate the role of industry in this area.

Work on the quantification of appearance from basic microstructure characteristics of materials began as a Competence project and has developed into a key research initiative. This project is an exemplary demonstration of intralaboratory cooperation, with the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory, the Physics Laboratory, and the Information Technology Laboratory all participating in work on key deliverables. A computer rendering/modeling of microstructure through an understanding of multivariant attributes (such as pigment size, surface roughness, and spectral reflectance distribution) is being implemented. State-of-the-art measurement criteria are being established using techniques like field flow fractionation to standardize pigment size, atomic force microscopy to quantify surface roughness, and confocal fluorescence to quantify depth variances and contributions to spectral reflectance distributions. Outside-agency support is a valuable asset to this program as that relationship will help effectively implement and assess key deliverables for methods of measurement and their accuracy.

A 1997 industrial/academic/intralaboratory workshop identified a key initiative needed in the area of measurement and characterization of interfaces in composites and alloys. A key part of this project is determining the definition of an “interface” and understanding the scale required to characterize such interfaces. If the laboratory chooses to build a program in this field, it will be able to utilize unique capabilities of NIST, such as the expertise in measurements using near-field infrared and near-field scanning spectroscopy. These skills will help deliver the resolution of scale needed to address the interface issues as initially discussed at the 1997 workshop. A second workshop is planned for the second quarter of 1998 to further define the problem and to assess the value of beginning such an interphase/interface project.

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Impact of Programs

The laboratory continues to utilize its association with industrial sponsors, participation on industry trade and standards committees, and academic ties in order to internally bench mark its capabilities. Characterization of industrial needs is constantly being related to economic impact. Implementation of new technology through consensus standards activities such as ASTM is a standard practice. The use of CIKS to develop and disseminate key protocols for standards has been effectively demonstrated in such programs as protective coatings for steel, an electronic monograph on structure/properties for concrete and other cement-based materials, and predictions of the service life of steel-reinforced concrete exposed to chloride ions.

The dedication and enthusiasm of the researchers are readily apparent. The strengths in standards definition and testing are clearly demonstrated throughout the variety of programs undertaken in the laboratory. Key deliverables related to these strengths, which are unique to NIST, have been successfully implemented in industrially utilized standards and testing protocols.

Resources

Funding sources for the work in High-Performance Materials and Systems (in millions of dollars) are as follows:

 

Fiscal Year 1997

NIST-STRS, excluding Competence

3.2

Competence

0.2

ATP

0.1

OA/NFG/CRADA

1.2

Other Reimbursable

0.1

Total

4.8

Resources appear to be adequate. A significant number of projects have external funding, and this support is highly encouraged as long as key goals and deliverables of the projects remain focused on and complementary to the laboratory's mission. The goal of approximately 20 to 25 percent outside funding for key programs is commendable. However, the panel was slightly concerned to learn that the Coatings Service Life Prediction project currently receives over 50 percent of its funding from outside agencies. This program is of great value to industry through its definition of key test methods that predict degradation mechanisms within materials. There is a high degree of inter- and intralaboratory cooperation on this work, as well as key participation by eight industrial sponsors and five federal laboratories. The work is unique to NIST, and continued success could be assured and accelerated through a substantial increase in allocated STRS contributions. Key researchers would then be able to allocate more time to attaining and manipulating data and less to finding external funds to subsidize this key initiative.

In fiscal year 1997, staffing for the work in High-Performance Materials and Systems included 23 full-time permanent positions, of which 19 were for technical professionals. There

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

were also four nonpermanent and supplemental personnel, such as postdoctoral fellows and part-time workers.

Overall, the laboratory has world-class researchers who exhibit great enthusiasm and dedication. The retirement of a key staff member on the CIKS project will have an impact on the continuity of the work and on future progress. Although the staff member may be available to some extent on a consulting basis, this is a short-term solution, and filling the vacant position as quickly as possible is vital for the health of the project. Also in the CIKS project, continued renewal of equipment is necessary to keep information dissemination abilities at the forefront of technology.

Mechanical and Environmental Systems

Work in this area is conducted in four of the five groups within the Building Environment Division.

Mission

The mission of the work in Mechanical and Environmental Systems, according to the laboratory, is to develop modeling, measurements, and test methods to improve the quality of the indoor environment, the performance of building equipment systems, and the performance of the building envelope and its insulation systems.

The work of the groups in Mechanical and Environmental Systems appropriately conforms to this mission and supports the broader missions of the BFRL and of NIST. For example, the Thermal Machinery Group supports the laboratory mission primarily in the area of building equipment systems, which influence the indoor environment. Furthermore, the personnel of the group are instrumental in development of national and international standards, advancement of technologies, and maintenance of global forums for the exchange of current research. The projects on advanced insulation systems (AISs) and integrated photovoltaic building components measure new products in development. This resource is a valuable and unique contribution to this applied science. Measurement and testing of the performance of building equipment systems and of the performance of the building envelope and its insulation systems are demonstrably within and in support of the laboratory mission.

Technical Merit and Appropriateness of Work

The work on Mechanical and Environmental Systems takes place in four groups: Thermal Machinery, Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation, Mechanical Systems and Controls, and Heat Transfer. A discussion of the work done in each group follows.

The Thermal Machinery Group has projects in four specific categories, each of which involves the development of modeling, measurement, and test methods. Work is done on building machinery sensors utilizing MEMS, heat exchanger design models utilizing artificial intelligence,

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

refrigerants with low global warming potential, and the interaction of lubricants and refrigerants in the boiling process.

The MEMS project represents a thrust toward the practical and economic application of an advanced technology by leveraging fabrication techniques developed for microelectronics. This is a high-risk venture, but success in this specific application could open the door for numerous other applications. The work is fundamental and leading edge, and the risk is appropriate in the context of this group's work, as other projects under way are lower risk with a high probability of success.

The project on artificial-intelligence-aided models for heat-exchanger design builds on a series of successful NIST projects that have significantly improved the ability to combine analytical techniques and empirical data. This combination enables engineers to rapidly optimize designs in the face of real-world constraints such as nonuniform air distribution. The work is unique and of immediate benefit.

A decade ago, NIST was instrumental in providing technical assistance when chlorofluorocarbons were phased out of production in response to their negative effects on the ozone layer. Today, NIST is again active in exploring alternative refrigerants as concerns grow about the potential effects of these chemicals on global climate change. As the end of the phaseout of the refrigerant R-22 approaches, problems still exist with the proposed alternatives; some have relatively high global warming potentials, and others have different risk factors. Furthermore, the global warming impact of refrigerants is not limited to the direct release of chemicals into the atmosphere. Often, the more dominant factor is the thermodynamic performance of the refrigerant, which has an indirect impact. NIST is in a unique position to utilize a holistic approach to evaluation of alternatives.

The project involving lubricant and refrigerant boiling interaction and heat transfer enhancement will improve basic understanding of practical thermal processes. The results not only are important for the design of heat exchangers but also will have an impact on global warming. Understanding the process leads to improved performance in the form of lower energy consumption; this in turn results in lower carbon dioxide emissions at power plants.

The Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation Group participates in one of the laboratory's key objectives, Metrology for Sustainable Development. A new project, Contaminant-Based Design Procedures, has emerged as a primary focus of the group's efforts. Another project, Tools for Indoor Air Quality Standards, results in standards that rely on new and logical scientific bases. For example, current versions of ventilation standards are based on established minimum airflow rates per occupant. Contaminants released from sources outside the ventilation system may or may not be adequately diluted by the current per-occupant ventilation rate. Better ways of determining minimum ventilation rates will probably lead to lower flow rates. These new methods can be developed based on the contaminant source strength and its relationship to other sources. The CONTAM (a multizone IAQ model designed to track airflow and contaminant dispersal) simulation program developed by this group models the distribution of contaminants throughout a building. Industry is beginning to generate source-strength information that can be added to CONTAM to build a more comprehensive software package that can meet the goals of this project.

The Mechanical Systems and Controls Group has done an outstanding job in leading the development of the BACnet control protocol, which allows building control systems from one manufacturer to communicate with those from another manufacturer. This protocol is now being

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

implemented in instruments, equipment, and control systems around the world. It seems clear that BACnet has a strong proactive content.

Over the past year, this group was selected to take a leadership role in one of the laboratory's major products, the Cybernetic Building System. The product as a whole will combine a diverse array of components, such as fire alarm systems, that logically should be connected together in a holistic building system. For instance, BACnet was developed to combine heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) controls from different manufacturers, and the Cybernetic Building System will build on and expand this concept. This product will involve collaborations with individuals and teams from several other groups. Projects will include BACnet, Fault Detection and Diagnosis (FDD), Virtual Cybernetic Building Systems, Advanced Fire Detection and Alarm Panels, Multi-Function Building Environment Sensors, and others. These various components are under development by groups around the world. For example, the FDD Test Shell Software has been offered to the 34 members of the International Energy Agency Annex for testing FDD techniques.

The Heat Transfer Group participates in the objective of Metrology for Sustainable Development through work on the testing and modeling of AIS and of integrated photovoltaic building components. The project on AIS is conducted on a full characterization calorimeter and with finite element analysis similar to the current ASTM test. The insulation industry submits samples of new products in development to be tested by the NIST staff working on AIS. Research includes development of measurements and measurement techniques. Current work includes testing of a novel new material that has R-values that range from 25 to 35 within the insulation panel. However, due to the edge condition, the R-value for the overall specimen drops to 8.5. At best, normal polystyrene insulation achieves an R-value of 5. Note that only NIST is able to quantify the impact of the edge condition and hence obtain an accurate R-value for this sample. In this way, the AIS staff provide essential measurements and tests for improvement of insulating materials.

In the second project from the Heat Transfer Group, major new photovoltaic building components—roofing shingles, fenestration units, and curtainwalls —are being tested. Like the AIS project, this work involves measurements on new products in development and provides a valuable and unique contribution to this applied science. These applications greatly expand the impact of photovoltaic technology and broaden the potential market to include the office and commercial building sectors. The techniques developed for this project also expand the core technology, as can be seen by the photovoltaic solar water heating system patented in 1994. Such systems have been tested on a large scale in installations for Kadena Air Force Base and Great Smoky Mountains National Park and at Florida Solar Energy Centers.

Impact of Programs

Throughout the laboratory, all scientific papers are published on CD-ROM and are available on the Internet. Such papers are still written for advanced members of the research community, as noted in last year's assessment. However, there is some outreach to consumers and design professionals through the Web site “NIST In Your House.”

Personnel of the Thermal Machinery Group have prepared and published several technical papers, and the group was instrumental in sponsoring a conference jointly with the American

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers in the fall of 1997. The conference attracted participation from around the world and focused on alternative refrigerants with minimal environmental impact. Global warming is currently a high-profile issue, and the programs conducted by the Thermal Machinery Group are addressing this issue on a number of fronts. Several projects will have a large payback to industry by providing the technical basis for selection of the best alternative refrigerants for the next century. Further, improved understanding of fundamental processes will allow U.S. industry to maintain its competitive advantage in the global marketplace.

The Mechanical Systems and Controls Group has earned international respect and an enviable reputation for its world-class work. BACnet is helping to revolutionize the building controls industry from a vertical orientation to a horizontal, integrated form, and the impact has been felt in Europe as well as the United States and Canada. The success of BACnet to date indicates that designers and installers are now joining the group of 32 major mechanical equipment and controls manufacturers who are already BACnet users. The new Cybernetic Building Systems Product can be expected to become a similar force in this building industry.

In the Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation Group, the work on MOIST (moisture flow analysis software) has been completed, and a Windows-based version of this package has been distributed to 1,500 users. Among current projects, other research developed by this group will help to elevate the design of ventilation systems to the same level of sophistication as the current procedures used to estimate heat gain and loss have. As the concept of contaminant-based design procedures becomes accepted, it will supplant present IAQ design theories. Application of the new methods to standards writing will help accelerate the snail-like pace that impedes improvement of today's standards. These projects should have a great impact on the HVAC design community and its primary professional body, ASHRAE. Because ASHRAE standards are accepted in much of the world, the impact can be expected to extend well beyond the United States.

Resources

Funding sources for the work in Mechanical and Environmental Systems (in millions of dollars) are presented below:

 

Fiscal Year 1997

NIST-STRS, excluding Competence

4.9

ATP

0.1

OA/NFG/CRADA

2.2

Total

7.2

In fiscal year 1997, staffing for the work in Mechanical and Environmental Systems included 21 full-time permanent positions, of which 19 were for technical professionals. There was also one nonpermanent or supplemental person, such as a postdoctoral fellow or a part-time worker.

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

Overall, the staffing levels for the groups involved in this research area are adequate. The Thermal Machinery Group is seeking to hire one additional individual to deal with Department of Energy rating procedures, thus freeing some of the group leaders to spend more time on major projects. The IAQ and Ventilation Group is in need of a chemical engineer, and the work in cybernetic building systems would benefit a great deal if an information technologist were hired.

Since last year, several of the panel's concerns about the condition of some of the facilities have been addressed. For example, several of the environmental chambers used by the Thermal Machinery Group are now being refurbished. In the IAQ and Ventilation Group, the instrumentation, computing power, laboratory space, and facilities appear to be satisfactory for the current projects. On the whole, the laboratories are well maintained, but the facility is over 30 years old, and it suffers from all the inherent infrastructure inadequacies of older laboratories.

Automation and Information

Work in this area mainly is conducted within the Building Environment Division, but one project is located in the Structures Division.

Mission

The mission of the work on Automation and Information, according to the laboratory, is to develop information interface and performance measurement technologies that support industry development and use of automated products and services in an integrated environment.

All activities were well within scope of this mission and that of NIST. Since the previous assessment, there appears to be a tighter focus on relevant and significant research activities.

Technical Merit and Appropriateness of Work

Improved coordination and development of standards for the rapidly evolving use of information technologies by the AEC industry are of strategic importance for substantially improving the productivity and competitiveness of this important sector of the U.S. economy in terms of cost, schedule, quality, and performance. NIST's efforts address mainstream needs within AEC information technology and will enhance coordination and integration of multiple design consultants, contractors and subcontractors, and suppliers and fabricators through a variety of activities. For example, work on electronic commerce will facilitate the exchange of technical, design, and product information over the Internet. Improvements in process modeling and simulation will allow designers to create and test virtual graphical models of field construction procedures and run such procedures within the context of computer-aided design (CAD) models of the project. Often, multiple consultants using a range of CAD and computer-aided engineering systems are involved in designing a project. Work on product modeling enables them to integrate their designs into a common project model. Also, project planning and management will benefit from improved data structures for project information, such as specifications, estimates, schedules, and costs, which can enhance communication among project participants in diverse

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

locations. During construction, real-time field data acquisition can be used to rapidly update as-built project design details and monitor the status of field construction processes to facilitate the planning and coordination of subsequent operations. Meanwhile, process automation and control can provide the information and modeling context to facilitate the integration of robots and other automated machines into the construction environment. Finally, advances in facility operation and maintenance will provide owners with detailed computer-based models and accurate as-built information about their completed projects to enable them to better operate and maintain completed facilities.

Recent examples in industry that illustrate the potential gains from the application of better information technologies include the design and building of the new Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, and the construction of a new 200,000 sq ft office building in Virginia that took just 5 months from the start of design to occupation of the facility.

Many recent and current NIST projects are central to the achievement of the scenarios described above. The CICE staff, are developing and demonstrating electronic integration of lifecycle work processes. The project includes coordination and standards work, as well as development of a CICE testbed on which data sets and software tools are used to verify information models. The personnel who are experts on STEP for process plant industries serve as ISO liaisons and coordinate U.S. standards and test suites for process-plant product data representation and exchange. The Electronic Commerce of Technical Data for Process Plants project focuses on exchange and utilization of decision support applications, component data from suppliers and databases, and exchange of product information. The work on construction automation includes real-time metrology, data collection, process simulation, component tracking, and machine automation. This work benefits from current testing in collaboration with other NIST laboratories on automating materials handling, and the staff may be able to test their results with a field demonstration during the construction of the new Advanced Measurement Laboratory at NIST.

A concern of the panel is that the construction automation research remains organizationally separate from the rest of the groups working in the Automation and Information area. Currently the Construction Automation Group is in the Structures Division, whereas all the other projects are in the Building Environment Division. All of the groups might benefit if the construction automation work was better integrated with the other projects.

All of the programs described above contribute directly to enhancing the abilities of the AEC industry in the United States to exploit advanced information technologies for improved industry performance and competitiveness. Since last year, the scientists in this field have improved coordination and communication with parallel industry and academic efforts. As these technologies evolve, NIST has the potential to play a stronger and broader role in coordination and standards.

Impact of Programs

The CICE group publishes papers in the appropriate journals and conferences, but even more significant dissemination and impact occur through the staff's strong liaison and coordination role in U.S. and international technology development and standards activities related to Automation and Information. Such activities are very important to the growth and

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

competitiveness of U.S. industry in the increasingly global market for AEC services. NIST is the logical neutral party to lead this effort for the United States in the future. Substantial new resources will be required to fulfill this mission across the broader scope of this industry.

The Construction Automation Group has increased industry interaction via site visits, participation in conferences, and hosting a workshop. These activities have contributed to the improved focus of this group over the past year.

Currently, most of the NIST projects in Automation and Information focus predominantly on the process plant sector of the AEC industry. Although this is the smallest sector, it has some of the largest and most sophisticated firms. Therefore, considering that the NIST resources and staff time currently available for these projects are somewhat limited, it is appropriate for laboratory personnel to narrow the focus of their dissemination to firms in which the NIST results can be adopted most easily. Additional resources and efforts will be needed to allow this laboratory to have a similarly effective involvement with the larger sectors of this industry—building, housing, and infrastructure. At present, NIST's level of activity and visibility seems to be much lower in these sectors.

An example of significant impact by NIST's work in Automation and Information can be seen in the participation and coordination for PlantSTEP (the use of STEP for exchange of plant engineering information). NIST personnel played a vital role in the adoption of ISO Application Protocol 227, the new international standard for exchanging plant engineering information, such as three-dimensional CAD models. Work included an experimental testbed for assessing prototype implementations of this protocol. The construction automation testbed may have potential for similar impact in the near future.

Resources

Funding sources for the work in Automation and Information (in millions of dollars) are as follows:

 

Fiscal Year 1997

NIST-STRS, excluding Competence

2.0

Total

2.0

At present, the CICE and Construction Automation projects do not have external funding from industry or other government agencies. However, 45 percent of the funds do come from sources within NIST but outside the BFRL. There are two CRADAs, and the laboratory has funded projects at four universities. At present, the absence of external funding seems appropriate because the activities in this area are still in the early stages of development. However, as the CICE testbed nears completion, it does seem that external support for the testing of new data sets and software tools to verify information models would be appropriate.

In fiscal year 1997, staffing for the work in Automation and Information included 12 full-time permanent positions, of which 11 were for technical professionals. There were also two nonpermanent and supplemental personnel, such as postdoctoral fellows and part-time workers.

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

Relative to the scope of its mission, the groups working in this research area have a very small staff. The current number of personnel is barely adequate for the limited focus on the process plant sector. Substantially more people and funding would be needed if these activities are to be expanded to the point where they would have an effect on the larger sectors of the AEC industry or if the new and important effort on electronic commerce is to be fully developed. The panel noted that qualified staff for these sorts of projects are very difficult to find. Few U.S. citizens have been trained for these activities, and they are sought after by many firms.

The physical requirements for this work primarily consist of offices and computer facilities, plus access to test laboratories via collaboration with other groups. The current facilities appear to be satisfactory. However, there appears to be room for tighter coordination of activities between the various BFRL groups working on Automation and Information.

Structural Engineering

Work in this area encompasses almost all of the programs carried out in the Structures Division.

Mission

The mission of the Structures Division, according to the laboratory, is to increase the productivity and safety of building construction by providing technical bases for improved structural and earthquake design criteria and to conduct laboratory, field, and analytical research in structural engineering that includes the following: investigation of important structural failures, characterization of normal and extreme loads on buildings occurring during construction and in service, associated structural response and methods for providing desired reliability, development of design criteria for reduction of risks from natural hazards, evaluation methods and criteria for safe and economical construction practices, engineering properties of soils and foundations, and nondestructive evaluation methods and criteria for assessing structural properties.

The programs in structural evaluation address the development of measurement methods for condition assessment and align well with the mission. In the area of natural hazard mitigation, there are two types of projects: projects that primarily address the development of measurements for building construction under the threat of natural hazards, but ultimately lead to the development of standards (e.g., structural performance of single family housing); and those that primarily address the development of new standards for existing and new building construction based on measurement information from previous or concurrent projects within or outside NIST (e.g., guidelines for testing and design of base isolation devices and, more recently, of passive energy dissipation devices). Both types of programs are well thought out and align with the divisional mission.

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Technical Merit and Appropriateness of Work

The projects in this division are of uniformly good quality and high technical merit. One example of a significant contribution is the development of technical data to be used in defining design provisions for earthquake-resistant connections between precast components. Another high-quality project is the work on performance requirements for base isolation systems. NIST staff have collected data about different proprietary systems and recently have published guidelines for conducting tests on base isolation systems. The next phase of this project will focus on passive energy dissipation systems. Technical work done at NIST often results in new standards, as was the case with the work on the impact-echo method developed in the structural evaluation group in the mid-1980s. In 1997, this method was approved by ASTM for measuring member thickness.

Another very impressive current project is the effort to develop guidelines for the repair and rehabilitation of welded-steel moment frames. This work was begun in response to structural failures observed in southern California after the earthquake of January 1994. This year, NIST personnel plan to conduct experiments to validate and evaluate potential repair strategies. The panel found that this work is being performed in a timely manner and has the potential to make significant technological contributions in this field in coordination with work funded by other federal agencies, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

One of the valuable roles of the scientists in this division is to provide a focus for national work in structural engineering. For example, NIST provides personnel for the U.S. secretariat of the U.S.-Japan panel on Wind and Seismic Effects. The staff also are building connections with the three university-based earthquake engineering centers in the United States. Finally, NIST facilitates the work of the Interagency Committee on Seismic Safety in Construction (ICSSC) by providing the chair and the technical secretariat. Although the panel did not doubt the value of this last activity, there was some concern that the amount of staff time devoted to ICSSC work (currently approximately three full-time employees) may be too much of a burden for this small division.

Current projects and planned deliverables generally align well with division mission and are of high quality. However, the alignment of the project on soil with the overall objectives and the mission of the division is not absolutely clear. It would be appropriate to reassess this project in the context of the laboratory's new objectives and products. Also, the reasons for the placement of the Construction Automation project in the Structures Division were not clear to the panel, as all of the other programs that focus on Automation and Information are located within the Building Environment Division.

Impact of Programs

The dissemination of results is in the form of research reports, design guidelines, collections of test results, and software. Furthermore, a great deal of technology transfer occurs through copious committee work by staff members. The communication of results appears adequate, but greater efforts to enhance the use of the World Wide Web for dissemination could be valuable.

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

The impact of NIST results on the industry is uniformly strong. Particularly outstanding examples are the testing guidelines for base isolation devices and the computer program for determination of wind loads according to the latest code recommendations. Several successful models for ensuring the acceptance and impact of developed products have been pursued: use of an industry champion as in the precast connection project; buy-in through committee input of external experts as in the base isolation project (a strategy currently also being pursued in the new passive energy dissipation devices project); and wide distribution of software as in the wind load project.

Division Resources

Funding sources for the work in Structural Engineering (in millions of dollars) are presented below:

 

Fiscal Year 1997

NIST-STRS, excluding Competence

2.2

OA/NFG/CRADA

0.3

Total

2.5

In fiscal year 1997, staffing for the work in Structural Engineering included 17 full-time permanent positions, of which 14 were for technical professionals. There were also three nonpermanent and supplemental personnel, such as postdoctoral fellows and part-time workers.

The division currently appears to be reorganizing, and it is currently a little difficult to assess whether the group assignments align well with proposed products. For example, the current human resources allotted to earthquake engineering do not appear adequate to cover the many projects in this area, and the efforts in this field are clearly in need of leadership and vision. In the field of wind engineering, the laboratory maintains some degree of national and international stature due primarily to the work of one NIST Fellow, but the group as a whole seems to be below critical mass. There are three or four people partially involved on an ad hoc basis in wind engineering research, but the number of projects per staff member may be too large.

The National Science Foundation has planned an initiative for a NHPS. The BFRL's 53-MN testing machine may fit into this network. However, it was not clear to the panel what participation in such a national network would cost NIST or how the measurement activities of the division in the earthquake engineering area could be sustained if the laboratory's facilities were not integrated within such a network. Equipment is definitely in need of repair and upgrade. The discussions about a NHPS are an opportunity to assess the national need for NIST 's facilities and also to bench-mark current conditions at NIST against experimental facility requirements at other federal agencies, such as the Federal Highway Administration and the U.S. Army's Construction Engineering Research Laboratories, and at other institutions, such as universities. Such information will help the division to identify clearly what are the minimum test facility requirements for sustaining measurement efforts in earthquake engineering. Division management

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

has begun to examine the many issues related to the future of NIST 's large-scale testing machine, and the panel encourages their continued work on clarifying the options.

Fire Science and Fire Safety Engineering

Work in this area is done in two divisions: Fire Safety Engineering and Fire Science.

Mission

The mission of the fire-related work, according to the laboratory, is to perform research for scientific and engineering understanding of fire phenomena and metrology for fire research and to develop engineering methods to predict the behavior of fire and smoke and means to mitigate their impacts on people, property, and the environment.

The parallel missions of the Fire Science and Fire Safety Engineering Divisions are pursued through integrated programs and objectives to meet the science and engineering needs of fire safety. These divisions have a dual responsibility to support U.S. industrial competitiveness and to enhance public safety, with the legislative directives guiding their work dating back to 1973. Obligations to both the public and private sectors are not inconsistent. Life and property losses from fires in all spheres of society have a tremendous impact on the efficiency and reliability of the workplace and the availability of capital and human resources for industrial growth. The formal planning process has strengthened both organizations, the value of their deliverables, and the focus on specific objectives and milestones.

Technical Merit and Appropriateness of Work

The fire research effort at NIST is world-class. The combination of basic science and engineering provides valuable synergy unavailable anywhere else and delivers results to industry in a usable form. The work is clearly integrated and focused on creating a product output based on engineered fire safety for materials, products, facilities, infrastructure, and people in both the industrial and public sector. Explicit milestones are defined to measure the work in progress in most programs.

In both divisions, the major objectives—industrial fire simulation, fire safe materials, and advanced fire measurements—are well conceived and well executed. Their results provide important information with critical applications to commerce, industry, and the public sector. They also add to the competencies of both divisions, thus sustaining the laboratory's technical ability.

Impact of Programs

The development of the Industrial Fire Simulation System will have a significant impact on the future of plant design, fire testing, and public safety. This model is designed to simulate the

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

behavior and suppression of fires of increasing size and complexity. Development of advanced measurement systems is essential to increasing the understanding of fire test results, which in turn will produce better predictions for the response of designs to a range of fire scenarios. The combination of simulation and measurement advances provides improvements in understanding and prediction that are critical to the development of performance-oriented designs, codes, and standards. This diagnostic work is essential to the traditional standards and measurements efforts at the core of NIST's mission. Such work forms a base to allow the industry to move toward advanced prevention and protection technologies for assured fire safety in constructed facilities.

A high-impact accomplishment during fiscal year 1998 is the completion of the ALOFT (A Large Outdoor Fire Plume Trajectory) model. This fire simulation model predicts smoke spread from major outdoor fires over variable terrain and is a valuable tool for public safety management. In the continuation of this science, a major technical advance is the ability to dynamically model the dynamic fire behavior and the interaction of fire propagation with smoke vents and sprinklers in an industrial warehouse scenario.

The continued shift in emphasis from producing research results to facilitating improved fire safety, which enhances both competitiveness and public safety, will continue to have a positive impact on the laboratory's short-term ability to deliver value. It also stimulates wider industrial interaction during the entire program life. In making this shift, laboratory management needs to be sensitive about adequately meeting prior commitments made to the fire community.

Resources

Funding sources for the work in Fire Science and Fire Safety Engineering (in millions of dollars) are as follows:

 

Fiscal Year 1997

NIST-STRS, excluding Competence

6.9

Competence

0.2

ATP

0.1

Measurement Services (SRM production)

0.2

OA/NFG/CRADA

3.6

Other Reimbursable

0.1

Total

11.1

In fiscal year 1997, staffing for the work in Fire Science and Fire Safety Engineering included 58 full-time permanent positions, of which 50 were for technical professionals. There were also 16 nonpermanent and supplemental personnel, such as postdoctoral fellows and part-time workers.

Both divisions have been able to maintain the high quality of personnel. Although modest, the current budgets are applied efficiently to well-established priorities. External funding makes up approximately one-half of the total budget, which is higher than the 20 to 25 percent that is the

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

overall NIST goal, but for these divisions, external collaborations are critical and such funding is supporting projects in line with the BFRL mission and vision. The OA grants are quite appropriate, and the work focuses on real-world problems while continuing to serve the larger purposes outlined in the divisional missions. Work funded by outside agencies can provide an important way to leverage the modest STRS funds and build both the competencies and product output of the laboratories. The continuing management challenge is to ensure that significant effort is not diverted from research activities to acquire and administer the external funding.

Allocation of these modest resources against the multiple priorities of the many public and industrial constituencies interested in fire safety requires ongoing reprioritization efforts. The decision to curtail further work on the Consolidated Fire and Smoke Transport model and to initiate work on fire protection by building automation systems like the advanced annunciator panel is an example of reprioritization that is causing concern in parts of the fire physics community. Understanding of fire physics is an important continuing objective for the fire research effort.

The capital renewal of the Large Burn Facility in Building 205 is under way. This upgrade will correct a long-recognized serious deficiency and will enable these divisions to perform necessary fire measurement and verification work in an efficient, economical, and safe manner. Plans are in place to use commercial facilities for critical data acquisition during Building 205 renovation, although this option would result in a higher cost and lower productivity than having the renovated facility. Other equipment needs are being met satisfactorily.

Office of Applied Economics

The Office of Applied Economics is administered through the BFRL Office.

Mission

According to the laboratory, the mission of the Office of Applied Economics is to provide economic products and services through research and consulting to industry and government agencies in support of productivity enhancement, economic growth, international competitiveness, and public safety, with a focus on improving the life-cycle quality and economy of constructed facilities.

OAE staff have become vital links in establishing priorities, in performing performance-based analyses, and in assisting the divisions and the laboratory in defining more clearly who NIST's customers are and how NIST's products are valued. Thus, the OAE has been instrumental in shaping the missions of other NIST units, as well as in providing assistance in improving and assessing performance.

The mission of NIST is to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. industry, and OAE staff provide the tools to estimate how the laboratory products that enhance private-sector efficiency translate into improvements in economy-wide performance. Thus the work of OAE is central to NIST 's mission. In addition, the creation and application of performance-based standards allow for and encourage the use of innovative designs, products, and processes in buildings and

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

structures that lead to improved quality, lower life-cycle costs, and increased competitiveness for U.S. companies.

Technical Merit and Appropriateness of Work

State-of-the-art economic concepts, data and software, and computerized electronic distribution and delivery tools are utilized routinely by staff, both to complement and enhance the products of other divisions and units at NIST and to render their own activities meaningful and user-friendly to clients. One example is the evolution and application of the analytical hierarchy process to assist in multiobjective decision making. OAE also advises on how to determine the prices charged for Standard Reference Materials so as to make sure that they are used to the fullest extent while still recovering full costs. Finally, OAE staff employ a regional economic model to estimate the long-range economic benefits to the U.S. economy, by geographic location, of many of the efficiency-enhancing products of NIST. Furthermore, OAE efforts support four of the BFRL's six major products.

The work on performance-based standards at NIST is part of a growing international focus on developing criteria for the overall integrity, safety, and cost-effectiveness of structures in relation to their intended uses, rather than just using traditionally measurable quantities like component strength and flammability to determine the quality of buildings. Because overall performance is dependent on the interactions between a large number of individual components and systems, collaborations between the OAE staff and the technical personnel in other areas in the BFRL are required to tackle this problem. The expertise in the OAE is a key part of assessing relative values and potential trade-offs among various building system costs, while other laboratory staff can focus on developing the technology and standards for feasible measurements of overall performance. Examples of current laboratory projects that are contributing to these goals include the work on the Computer-Integrated Construction Environment, the Cybernetic Building Systems, and the Economics of High-Performance Concrete projects. The first two programs aim to provide mechanisms and systems to assist in planning and monitoring budget construction and performance. The last program is working on surveying potential new materials in terms of performance objectives.

The work ongoing at NIST is important because the building code system in the United States is currently undergoing a drastic overhaul. The three-model code organizations in the United States are merging their code systems into a single national model code. Since criteria are traditionally developed in response to disasters, much of the information contained in the current building codes is not supported by proper research and validation. Therefore, the consolidation of the three codes provides opportunities to review these criteria and strengthen the building communities' ability to determine the cost-effectiveness of various code requirements through research on economic tools and evaluation of alternative building materials, as is occurring at NIST.

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Impact of Programs

Evidence of the effectiveness of both the internal and external communications strategies of OAE staff is the extent to which their projects are used by other NIST personnel. Internally, the AHP process was used this year to perform zero-based budget analyses on all of the BFRL activities and to identify and establish budget allocations for the realigned laboratory products. Outside of the BFRL, NIST's Manufacturing Extension Partnership and Advanced Technology Program both use OAE staff services to assess their economy-wide impact.

Finally, user-friendly software, sometimes accessible over the Internet, extends the use of laboratory tools to a wide audience. For example, the software for the BEES project allows users to assign weights and to evaluate the LCCs and environmental impacts of alternative building materials. Also, the project on the Economics of New Technology Materials, is developing the BridgeLCC software to disseminate the laboratory's work on bridge maintenance analyses. However, the greatest evidence of the impact of this office may be that the work of OAE is assisting in the transformation of how the BFRL (and to a lesser extent NIST as a whole) views its function, its customers, and its products.

Resources

The diversity of skills, the depth of training, and the variety of experience among the OAE staff are exceptional. The personnel offer a unique blend of competency in economic theory, statistical techniques, and systems analytic methods, combined with an appreciation of technological possibilities and constraints. Most important, the staff members view economic analysis not as an end in itself, but as a set of tools to be used in improving understanding of which technological and managerial innovations might be used to enhance economic performance economy-wide and how such innovations can be expected to help. OAE personnel have ready access to the latest technological tools (both computer hardware and software), but currently the greatest limitation on their work is the increasing paucity of adequate industry data. This shortage is due to recent constraints imposed on the U.S. Bureau of Census.

Another difficulty is several unfilled staff positions in OAE. A unique combination of multidisciplinary training and focus on applied economics is needed for OAE personnel to be effective in support of the laboratory and NIST missions. Therefore, OAE management is appropriately employing a highly selective recruitment strategy. This issue will likely persist over the next 5 to 10 years, since two skilled and productive staff members are nearing retirement eligibility. A consequence of the shortage of staff is that OAE is unable to fulfill a number of requests for assistance from NIST programs outside of the BFRL.

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×

MAJOR OBSERVATIONS

The panel presents the following major observations.

  • The technical merit of the work performed in the BFRL is very high. The current array of programs forms a coherent and unified whole in support of the emerging national construction technology goals for research and development.

  • The outlook for the laboratory's major facilities has improved drastically over the past year. Repairs have begun on the environmental chambers, and the laboratory is looking into potential National Science Foundation support for the large-scale structural testing facility. The panel is also particularly pleased to report that the renovation of the Fire Test Facility in Building 205 will strengthen the laboratory's capabilities and is critical to fulfilling the laboratory's mission in measurements, standards, and public safety.

  • The success strategy that has evolved over the last few years is very sound. A solid strategic plan is in place, 10 objectives have been defined, and the panel commends the laboratory for moving from an output focus to an outcome focus.

  • Although the panel perceives the programmatic restructuring to be appropriate, the laboratory is merely at the beginning of the adjustment process for the reorganization. Issues relating to staff morale and prioritization will require careful attention. A clearer demonstration of the connections between each laboratory project and the 10 objectives might help to ensure a smooth transition and enable the panel to perform a thorough assessment.

Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 149
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 150
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 151
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 152
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 153
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 154
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 155
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 156
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 157
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 158
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 159
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 160
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 161
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 162
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 163
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 164
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 165
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 166
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 167
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 168
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 169
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 170
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 171
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 172
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 173
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 174
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 175
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 176
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 177
Suggested Citation:"7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory." National Research Council. 1998. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9515.
×
Page 178
Next: 8 Information Technology Laboratory »
An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories, Fiscal Year 1998 Get This Book
×
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    Switch between the Original Pages, where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  9. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!