An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Programs Fiscal Year 1994 (1994) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory
7 Building and Fire Research Laboratory
Pages 173-196
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 173... ...
Chapter 7 Building ana, Fire Research Laboratory
|
From page 174... ...
Anderson, this assessment of the fiscal year ~ 994 activities of the Building ant! Fire Research Laboratory is based on site visits by indiviclual pane]
|
From page 175... ...
acivanced fire safety technologies, which includes performance-basec! fire standards, fire-safe products and materials, advanced fire sensing and suppression, and large/industrial fires; and (3)
|
From page 176... ...
BFRL has chosen to place much of its increase in STRS finding in the construction technology program while efforts related solely to fire and green buildings are slated to receive more modest increases. This overall distribution will have the most direct impact on industrial competitiveness; however, the fundamental efforts in fire safety and green buildings technologies will also have a substantial impact on industrial competitiveness.
|
From page 177... ...
and for building control networks. BFRL has a large number of industry interactions and joint programs, including those in high-performance construction materials, green buildings, balanced fire safety design, alternative refrigerants, alternatives to halon for fire suppression, and water mist fire suppression.
|
From page 178... ...
With the exception of the urgent need for major renovation of the large-scale fire test facility, Building 205, BFRL appears to be adequately equipped, under the current NIST facility plans, to fife its mission. The Subcommittee on Construction and Building (a component of the Committee on Civilian Industrial Technology [CCIT]
|
From page 179... ...
recommended several facility upgrades, and most of them are apparently in NIST's binding plans. However, the expansion of the large-scale fire test facility, Building 205, is still not in NIST plans.
|
From page 180... ...
a staff member part time to represent BFRL interests with regard to the mode} builcling codes to improve BFRL's visibility and technology transfer. Programs in high-performance construction materials and systems, green buildings technology, cigarette ignition propensity, and balanced fire safety design are receiving substantial attention.
|
From page 181... ...
Advanced Technologies for Constructed Facilities Mission BFR:L's thrust in advanced technologies for construction includes programs in highperformance construction materials and systems, construction automation, and natural hazarc} · · mitigation. The High-Performance Construction Materials ant} Systems Program seeks to work with industry to facilitate the use of high-performance materials ant!
|
From page 182... ...
It is a tool that can help set national priorities that recognize the importance of life-cycle analysis for constructed facilities, help offset current up-front cost drivers, and create a receptivity to transfer and use of new construction material technology. The principle objectives of the Construction Automation Program are to develop new sensing technologies for real-time site positioning, wide-band telemetry and data acquisition, standards for virtual construction site modeling, and standards and technology for real-time headup display feedback systems for equipment operators and to demonstrate the efficacy of construction site utility robots.
|
From page 183... ...
The pane! notes that all programs in the Natural Hazard Mitigation Program continued apace while a dozen members of the staff took advantage of the Northridge, California, earthquake as a full-scale experiment, learning first-hand by visiting the epicentral area to observe damaged and undamaged structures, builclings, and lifelines.
|
From page 184... ...
Although precast concrete connections have economic advantages, building codes do not allow their use in seismic regions without a demonstration to test that their performance is equal to that of monolithic construction. Such a stringent requirement must be adhered to for the immediate future, but it discourages the use of less costly precast concrete connections.
|
From page 185... ...
Guidelines resulting from these tests will be very useful to prevent failures of precast concrete shear walls in future earthquakes. Recommendations The following are the panel's recommendations for the advanced technologies for construction thrust.
|
From page 186... ...
NIST should place a high priority on wind hazard mitigation because of the large amount of structural damage annually resulting from extreme wind conditions. The pane!
|
From page 187... ...
Strategy The customers for the advanced fire safety technologies thrust are building owners and occupants, codes and standards and fire services organizations, and safety agencies and related manufacturing industries. The strategy for this thrust involves four closely coordinated technical programs: (~)
|
From page 188... ...
Resources Fiscal year 1994 funding for the advanced fire safety technologies thrust is estimated at $5.7 million, including $4. ~ million for the Performance-Based Fire Standards Program, $1.0 million for the Fire-Safe Products and Materials Program, and $0.6 million for the Advanced Technologies for Fire Sensing and Suppression Program.
|
From page 189... ...
Assessment of Technical Programs Since carbon monoxide is responsible for the majority of fire deaths, risk assessment models such as those being developed by BFRL require scientifically valid models for CO production. BFRL's project to understand the mechanisms of CO formation and provide appropriate computer algorithms for incorporation into the HAZARD computer program is obviously important if the goals of the Performance-Based Fire Standards Program are to be met.
|
From page 190... ...
. The following are the panel's recommendations for the advanced fire safety technologies BFRL should develop a methodology for validation of computer fire models and obtain agreement on the methodology from a broad cross section of the fire-safety engineering and science community, rather than just validation of specific models or submodels.
|
From page 191... ...
BFRL Responses to Fiscal Year 1993 Recommendations Given below are some the panel's fiscal year ~ 993 recommendations for the advanced fire safety technologies thrust (quoted from the fiscal year 1993 assessment) , with BFRL's responses.
|
From page 192... ...
The green buildings technologies thrust is planned as an ~ I-year effort, requiring approximately 20 FTE staff-years per annum. Resources Total fiscal year 1994 binding for the green buildings technologies thrust is estimated to be $10.S million: $3.9 million for the Green Buildings Program, $3.4 million for the Alternative Refrigerants Program, $2.6 million for the Halon Alternatives Program, and $0.9 million for the Lead in Paint Program.
|
From page 193... ...
leadership in heat transfer measurements using unique facilities designed and constructed by the group; (3) outreach programs in collaboration with a wide range of industrial and academic concerns regarding refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump applications in small and large systems; (4)
|
From page 194... ...
· The technical leader of the Alternative Refrigerants Program should be encouraged to visit leading refrigeration research centers worldwide to inform external organizations about NIST work in this field ant! farther enhance the reputation of the program, to use information exchange from these visits to fine-tune the directions and goals of the NIST program, and to help establish global technology leadership in the fielcis of refrigeration and air conditioning.
|
From page 195... ...
. BFRL staff is working with the International Institute for Refrigeration, hosting visitors and guest researchers and making presentations at international meetings to ascertain needs, interests, and accomplishments worldwide.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.