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NAT'L INST OF STAND & TECH R.I.C. U.S. DE 11nilnilIII!II nil llllllllllllll nil OF COMMERCE AlllOS QflbEM? Technology Administration National Institute of Standards and Technology J & F Building Research Laborat 1 X ACOOMPLISHME 100 .U57 NO.838-11 1997 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Secretary, William M. Daley Technology Administration Mary L. Good, Undersecretary forTechnology National Institute of Standards and Technology Arati Prabhakar, Director March 1997 Developed by Andrew J. Fowell Building and Fire Research Laboratory Design Consultant: Susan Permut NISTSP 838-11 Any mention of commercial products is for information only; it does not imply recommendation orendorsement by NIST. Director's Foreword 3 Mission 5 ProgrammaticThrusts 5 SelectedTechnical Accomplishments 6 High Performance Materials and Systems for Constructed Facilities ... 6 Automation in Construction and Constructed Facilities 16 Loss Reduction 18 Awards 24 StaffRecognition 26 NSTC Subcommittee on Construction and Building 27 U.S. Interactions Outreach 30 Collaboration with Industry 30 Industry Consortia 30 R&D Cooperative Agreements 32 Codes and Standards 34 International Interactions 35 Japan 35 UJNR Panel on Fire Research and Safety 35 UJNR Panel on Wind and Seismic Effects 35 Panel on Innovation in theJapanese Construction Industry 36 Korea 36 Saudi Arabia 36 ISO 37 CIB 38 RILEM 38 FORUM for International Cooperation on Fire Research 38 American Concrete Institute Advisory Committee 38 Major Conferences, Seminars and Workshops 39 Finances 41 BFRL Organization 42 The Building and Fire Research Laboratory web site is http://www.bfri.nist.gov TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS 1996 Technical publications ofthe Building and Fire Research Laboratory are listed in NIST SP838-9 and are available on a CD ROM NIST SP 900. Left: Fire test in aircraft lianger Richard N. Wright, BFRL Director new In 1995, construction was $535 billion, 8 percent of the GDP, and provided employment for 6 million persons 2 Foreword Director's I he Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL) ofdie National Institute ofStandards and -M^ Technology (NIST) has enjoyed interesting and fruitful activities in fiscal years 1995 and 1996. We are privileged to serve the very important industries ofconstruction. The quality and economy ofconstructed facilities are important to the competitiveness ofall U.S. industries and everyone's quality oflife. Consider how: a fire in the headquarters ofa company can emperil the viability ofthe business as well as the lives ofthe occupants, moisture accumulation and fiingus in the walls ofa home threaten the durability ofthe structure and the health ofthe occupants, and excessive costs ofU.S. construction can cause fac- tories and their well paying jobs to move overseas. Each ofthese examples is addressed by the accomplishments described herein. The industries ofconstruction served direcdy by NIST compose one ofthe nation's largest economic activities. In 1995, new construction was $535 bUlion, 8 percent ofthe GDP, and provided employment for 6 million persons. When renovation ofexisting facilities is included, annual investment in construction exceeds $800 billion. The industries ofconstruction are diverse. They include: manufacturers ofmaterials and equipment (such as steel, air-conditioners and excavators), planners and designers who integrate materials and equipment from many manufacturers to meet owners' and users' needs, contractors who build the facility on its site, fire safety services and their suppliers, and regulators responsible to federal, state, or local governments for environmental quality and public health, safety and welfare. In this report we give substantial attention to our involvement in the work ofthe White House's National R&D Science andTechnology Council. The Council is charged to coordinate and focus federal to respond We effectively to national needs. have helped to establish and lead its Subcommittee on Construction and Building (C&B) to coordinate and define priorities for federal research, development and deployment for C&B the industries ofconstruction. is made up of 14 federal agencies which altogether conduct annually over $500 million ofconstruction-related R&D. C&B has worked closelywith leaders ofthe industries ofconstruction to define the vision and goals for improved performance ofconstructed facilities and construction practices. As described in this report, these are having profound influence on the focus and effec- tiveness ofour work. The largest and most important parts ofthis report describe our major accomplishments in 1995 and 1996. We summarize these accomplishments and describe how to obtain detailed information on those important to the reader. We also report progress on making our work more accessible to potential users and collaborators through the Internet, an award-winning video and general interest publications. We We hope you find this report interesting and useflil. look forward to working with you and to your comments that wUl help us improve future reports. Richard N. Wright BFRL Director, 3 Apparatus for measuring photodegradation effects on polymeric material Mission The Laboratory's mission is to eniiance tiie competitiveness of U.S. industry and public safety by developing performance prediction methods, measurement technologies and technical advances needed to assure the life cycle quality and economy of constructed facilities. Programmatic Tlirusts Automation NIST's Building and Fire in Research Program focuses on diree dirusts: High Performance Materials and Systems for Constructed Facilities, Auto- mation in Construction and provides for U.S. leadership in con- Constructed Facilities and Loss struction processes and constructed Reduction. In addition, BFRL is facilities by developing technical supporting cooperative private and bases for integrated open systems public activities to streamline regu- for automation and robotics in latory processes for constructed design, construction, operations, facilities and improve mechanisms maintenance and renovation. for the evaluation and acceptance of Intelligent systems offer great poten- innovative products and services. tial for supporting decisions and providing automatic diagnosis and adaptive control. High and t :ion, for Constructed provides for reduction ofU.S. losses oflives, property and production iiiti<^^, due to fires, earthquakes, extreme provides for U.S. leadership in high winds, explosions and hazardous performance materials and systems materials spills. Loss reduction also for constructed facilities by develop- supports reduction ofconstruction ing performance criteria and evalua- costs and U.S. leadership in prod- tion, measurement and test meth- ucts and services for disaster-resistant ods for structural, enclosure, constructed facilities. BFRL develops mechanical and fire protection criteria for the actions ofextreme materials, components and systems. environments; methods for predict- These are aimed at opening the ing; measuring and assessing the marketplace to innovative materials performance ofnew and existing and systems for which product- facilities; and recommendations for specific standards do not exist. standards providing cost-effective Attention is given to life cycle per- reliability ofconstructed facilities. formance including functionality, economy, durability, maintainability, recycling and fire safety. 5 Selected Technical Accomplishments Materials icph i Id »ms for Constructed iciliti 1.1 Photodegradation laboratory established The loss Based on a concept by BFRL scientistJon Martin, a new laboratory for assessing photodegradation effects ofpolymeric material was established at resulting directly BFRL. The laboratory is equipped with apparatus capable, for the first time, and indirectly ofcontrolling temperature, humidity and spectral ultraviolet irradiance within rigid performance bounds and equipped with a robotic arm, fiber from degradation optic cable and a spectrophotometer for automatically assessing changes in a UV material's absorptivity and spectral irradiance over time. Ultraviolet radiation of paints by degrades almost all organic materials, including paints, plastics and compos- and by water, ites. While it is difficult to give a precise figure, the loss resulting direcdy and UV indirectly from degradation ofpaints by and bywater, either alone or in either alone or in concert, in the U.S. is probably many billions ofdollars each year. The results from the new laboratory will help industry develop improved meth- concert, in the UV ods for evaluating the effects of on paints and coatings. U.S. is probably many 1.2 Advances in coating adhesion billions of A nondestructive, spectroscopic method was developed byTinh Ngyen for dollars each year quantifying thickness ofa water layer at a coating/substrate interface. The method is based on a two-layer model derived from evanescent wave theory. The loss ofcoating adhesion is direcdy related to thickness ofthe water layer, and hence to service life ofpolymeric systems. Failure ofpaints and coatings often involves loss ofadhesion caused by water that reaches the interface with the substrate. The BFRL research has resulted in a new method for studying water at the interface that will help industry develop improved methods for evaluating the effects ofmoisture accu- mulating at the paint/substrate interface on factors affecting the adhesion ofpaints and coatings. Experimental Setup for Measuring IVIetal Ions at the Polymer / Substrate Interface -Inlet Incoming -IREholder IRbeam -Chamber -Cationsolution -Polymerfilm IRsensorlayer (stearicacid) -Outlet -Internal reflection element (substrate) IRE holder Apparatus for measuring photodegradation effects on polymeric material pl8 »-<!<»« IM> H Q. — -VaporCompressionSystem -^TogglQIndicators - .—InputData . SIUnite RefrignmiMnnut tv&pDewPITamp Uond.Bb\PtTwRp. Koy-tnCamp.Oatti m Compressor FiloMQimgomenl .—OotoPracestirtg , Cycle_D Screen beam rheometer, pressure aging ves- sel, and a gyratory compactor. The unique equipment in this laboratory will subject highway materials to tests designed to evaluate durability. Test rig for measuring cliloride diffusivity in concrete The $150 million Strategic High- way Research Program will lead to 1 .3 Chloride diffusivity of 1.4 State-of-the-art longer lasting asphalt highways. concrete prediction model asphalt laboratory Eighty per cent ofnew highways are established constructed ofasphalt. For the first time, a model has been developed that can predict chloride Under the management ofJames 1.5 Model for simulating diffusivity ofconcrete from funda- Pielert, the American Association of vapor compression cycles mental principles, based on models State Highway andTransportation ofthe microstructure ranging from Officials (AASHTO) Materials Piotr Domanski has developed a nanometers to hundreds ofmillime- Reference Laboratory (AMRL) has model for simulating vapor com- ters. Further development and vali- established a state-of-the-art asphalt pression cycles, CYCLE_D. Because dation ofthis model will enable the laboratory which includes testing ofits generality and friendliness, the predicted chloride diffusivity to be equipment developed in the Strate- model can be used in diverse appli- incorporated into the design stage gic Highway Research Program. cations such as preliminary refriger- ofconcrete materials selection. The new equipment includes a ant screening, system design and Research engineer Dale Bentz dynamic shear rheometer, bending education and training. The model expects that the model will help can simulate systems using up to 38 highway engineers design reinforced different refrigerants and refrigerant concrete bridges that will have mixtures with up to five compo- longer lives. This could be ofgreat nents. The Windows-based front economic importance since hun- end allows easy selection ofthe dreds ofthousands ofU.S. bridges working fluids, operating conditions are in need ofrepair, rehabilitation and several modeling options. The or replacement. model is now available through the NIST Office ofStandard Reference Data, telephone (301)975-2208, as Data Base 49 and has been distrib- uted to more than 60 customers. Gyratory compactor for hot mix asphalt Selected Technical Accomplishments 1.6 Patent on heat pump BFRL has received a patent on a sonal energy demand of5%. The performance enhancing device to improve the cold weather potential improvement with other device performance ofresidential and light refrigerant mixtures is greater. An commercial air-source heat pumps. added benefit ofchanging the The device was invented by Peter refrigerant composition is that a Rothfleisch to solve the problem of warmer discharge air temperature a heat pump's inability to pump can be delivered to the conditioned enough heat to match the heat loss space. Leading U.S. manufacturers ofa dwelling on a cold day. Heat have visited and taken a keen inter- pumps are normally equipped with est in the development formtilated auxiliary electric resistance heaters, from environmentally acceptable which are turned on automatically components. when needed. This resistance heating is expensive for the homeowner 1.7 Advanced vacuum and often causes a peak demand insulation panels problem for the utility. The patent- ed device is a distillation column BFRL completed the testing oftwo that when utilized with a zeotropic types ofadvanced insulation prod- refrigerant mixttire is capable of ucts. Hunter Fanney, working under changing the refrigerant mixture a cooperative research and develop- composition. By controlling the ment agreement withAladdin mixture composition, the heat Industries, tested three metal-clad pump capacity can be modulated in vacuLun insulation panels using a response to changes in the outdoor calorimetric technique. In addition Distillation column, capable of chang- temperature. Thus, the distillation to the experimental work, a finite ing refrigerant mixture composition in column enables the heat pump to element parametric smdywas con- heat pumps maintain acceptable performance ducted forAladdin Industries to evaluate various design options. Working cooper- ativelywith Lawrence Berkeley By controlling the Laboratories, Krypton and Xenon gas-filled panels were mixture composition, tested for a range ofenviron- mental conditions. These gas- pump the heat filled panels had a thermal capacity can be resistance five times greater than that ofglass-fiber insula- modulated in tion. The results ofthis work were presented at the Inter- response to changes national CFC and Halon in the outdoor Alternative Conference and the Building Environment temperature andThermal Envelope Council Conference. The first application ofthis technology will be in applications where Detail of distillation column space is the first prioritysuch over a much wider temperature as the walls ofrefrigerator-freezers. range and reduces the need for resis- The U.S. Environmental Protection tance heating. In tests to date in the Agency has estimated that by incor- BFRL laboratory, a heat pump with porating this technology in all major the distillation column has shown a refrigerator-freezer units, $1 billion of 12% increase in capacity, a 9% electrical energywould be saved on decrease in peak energy demand an annual basis. and an estimated reduction in sea- 8