- Author
- Raufaste, N. J., Jr.
- Title
- Building and Fire Research Laboratory Activities, Accomplishments, and Recognitions 1998.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Report
- NIST SP 838-15, January 1999, 57 p.
- Distribution
- AVAILABLE FROM Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20401-0003. Telephone: 202-512-1800. Website: http://www.gpo.gov 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
- We of the Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL) are pleased to present to our clients and collaborators, this report of our 1998 impacts, accomplishments, recognitions, and activities. As one of the laboratories, we provide performance prediction methods, measurement technologies, and technical advances needed to assure the life cycle quality and economy of constructed facilities -- residences, commercial and institutional buildings, industrial facilities, public works, and utilities. We are enthusiastic about our work, conducted in close collaborations with industry, government, and academia, because of its importance to the productivity and competitiveness of all U.S. industry and everyone's quality of life. In 1998, we focused on 10 objectives using multidisciplinary teams to achieve the greatest practicable impacts of our work. This report describes the purpose, approach, and principal 1998 impacts and accomplishments for each objective. In addition, we have continued substantial investments in longer term and fundamental research to be prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the future. Research highlights are found in the next chapter. BFRL addresses the measurement and standards needed to achieve the National Construction Goals developed with industry by the Subcommittee on Construction and Building (C&B) of the President's National Science and Technology Council. C&B's activities are summarized in this report because of the substantial investment of BFRL in leadership of C&B and because of its influence on our program. C&B's major accomplishment in 1998 was the President's announcement, with industry, of the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH). PATH brings together government and industry to develop, demonstrate, and deploy housing technologies, designs, and practices to create homes that are stronger, more affordable, more comfortable, and far more energy efficient. In addition to the programs of the individual federal agencies, C&B is working with industry to develop a Partnership for Advancing Infrastructure and its Renewal (PAIR), and to Streamline the Building Regulatory System to reduce substantially the time and cost for achieving regulatory approvals.