- Author
-
Fowell, A. J.
- Title
- Building and Fire Research Laboratory Activities, Accomplishments, and Recognitions 1999.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Report
-
NIST SP 838-16,
February 2000,
53 p.
- Distribution
- AVAILABLE FROM National Technical Information Service (NTIS), Technology Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161. Telephone: 1-800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000; Fax: 703-605-6900. Website: http://www.ntis.gov AVAILABLE FROM Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20401-0003. Telephone: 202-512-1800. Website: http://www.gpo.gov
- Keywords
-
research facilities
|
fire research
|
building technology
- Abstract
- This is the 1999 annual report of the NIST Building and Fire Research Laboratory, BFRL. It presents the impacts, accomplishments, recognition and activities of our staff. The focus of our work is to provide the communities we serve with the measurement and prediction tools they need to prosper. These communities include those who design and build facilities and the many products of which they are constructed; those who own, occupy, operate and maintain them; and those who oversee them for fire, life safety and risk management. At BFRL, our most valuable asset is our staff. We have a highly diversified technical staff with a broad range of technical and academic backgrounds and industry, research, government and academic experience. Our staff are known for their integrity and openness, their attentiveness and responsiveness to the needs of those we serve, their dedication to quality and excellence in their work, and their commitment to stay at the forefront of measurement and prediction technologies relevant to the changing needs of our custommers. They are also committed to partnering with the intended users of their results so that together with our partners, we can assess the real consequences of our work. Therefore, as you read through this report, you will discover it presents a rich array of individual and team efforts many of which are already having significant benefits. In 1999, we maintained our focus on 10 technical objectives and have made substantial progress on each of them as noted in the following pages. Major drivers facing our customers are international competition, globalization of standards, reduced cycle times and costs, improved quality, and rapidly advancing technologies. Each of our technical objectives is aimed at providing tools and technologies to facilitate innovation for public and corporate benefit. I am particularly excited about the progress we are making in bringing the fruits of advances in information, computing, sensing, and materials technologies to beneficial applications for the design and construction, building materials, and controls industries, and for the fire services and building regulatory community. This is my first year as Director. In the past year we have experienced a number of other changes in the management of the laboratory (see pages 51-52 for new management team). We are taking advantage of this time of change to lead a series of conversations - within BFRL, with our partners, and with those we serve - to reassess the direction and priorities for the Laboratory. Our intent is to assure we are making the most effective use of our resources, and, in the process, make BFRL a delightful place in which to work. These are times of transforming change and opportunity for many of the communities we serve, and no less so for BFRL. We look forward to working with and serving you. For more extensive information, please visit our web site: www. bfrl.nist.gov. We value your comments, I look forward to hearing from you.