Building Technology

Project Summaries

1977-1978

NAT L INST. OF STAND & TECH

llll Ikiing Technology

A11IQ5 "^TEMTE ^u of ^andards

ment of Commerce

REFERENCE MIST

PUBUCATIONS

I

Building Technology

Project Summaries

1977-1978

NBS SP 446-2

Editors:

Michael Olmert

Noel Raufaste

Center for Building Technology

National Engineering Laboratory

National Bureau of Standards

U.S. Department of Commerce

Washington, D.C. 20234

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Juanita M. Kreps, Secretary

Jordan J. Baruch, Assistant Secretary for Science and Technology

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS, Ernest Ambler, Director

Issued January 1979
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 78-600003

National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 446-2

Nat. Bur. Stand. (U.S.), Spec. Publ. 446-2, 108 pages (Jan. 1979)

CODEN: XNBSAV

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON: 1979

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402

stock No. 003-003-02021-4 Price $3.25

(Add 25 percent additional for other than U.S. mailing)
The Center for BuiJding Technology (CBT) provides

the technical and scientific bases to improve the

usefulness, safety, and economy of buildings. CBT

research also aims at conserving building materials and

energy. CBT's activities support the building technology

programs of Federal, state and local government; assist

design professions, building officials, and the research

community by developing improved design criteria; and

assist manufacturers of building products by developing

methods for evaluating innovative building materials and

systems.

Individual projects at the Center may emphasize one

or more of the Center's research activities in providing

improved knowledge, in usable form, to the building

community. Typical activities include: problem analysis

to define and characterize needs for improved building

practices; research to obtain vital new knowledge;

technical problem solving to develop improved practices

from the best available knowledge; dissemination of

results to users in the building community; and impact

analysis to show how well the Center's work has met the

building community's needs and whether elements of the

original problem remain unresolved or new problems

exist. In all these activities, we work closely with other

organizations in the building community that aid in the

Center work or use its results.

This report suinmarizes CBT's research for 1977-1978.

Each summary lists the project title, its progress, point of

contact within CBT, and sponsor.

The reader is encouraged to review two other

companion documents. NBS Special Publication 439,

77?^ Center for Building Technology: A Perspective,

presents the Center's approach to building research and

its facilities. Special Publication 457-2, Building

Technology Publications, Supplement 2: 1977, lists and

indexes 1977 recent reports authored by CBT staff. The summaries presented in this report are arranged

by subject-matter categories, such as Structural Studies,

Economics, and so on. These categories were selected

merely to group like projects—not to reflect the

structure of the Center.

The Bureau's reorganization during April 1978 set in

motion a reordering of its technical groups into more

functional operating units. CBT was reorganized into

four Divisions from three Divisions and two Offices. As

a result of the Bureau's reorganization CBT's research

activities on Energy Conservation in Communities are now being conducted in the newly created Center for

Mechanical Engineering and Process Technology. CBT's

organization is shown on page x.
Contents

Energy Conservation 2 Energy Use in Building Operations

Building Energy Conservation Performance Criteria

3 Energy Conservation in New Buildings, ASHRAE 90-75

Energy Conservation in Existing Buildings, ASHRAE 100

4 Effects of Resource Impact Factors

Energy Analysis: Manchester Building

5 Performance Analysis: Manchester Building

6 Energy Conservation in Blended Cement

Weatherization Demonstration

7 Computerized Climate Data

Federal LCC Guide for Energy Conservation

Building Illumination Systems

8 Simplified Daylighting Calculations

Simplified Load Calculations: Project Conserve

Thermostat Specifications for Military Housing

9 MIUS Program Management

Standards for Solid Waste Sampling

10 MIUS Demonstration

Total Energy Demonstration Analysis

1 1 ATMES Technical Advisory Support

Technical Support to BECC

12 Criteria for Retrofit Materials

Installation Standards for Energy Retrofit

Prioritizing Housing Retrofit Measures

13 Performance of Retrofit Insulations

Solar Energy 16 Commercial Solar Energy Demonstration

Solar Energy Program for Housing Systems

17 Solar Hot Water Test Program

Solar Commercial Handbook

Passive Solar Data Requirements

18 Collector Durability and Reliability Test Program

19 Standards for Solar Cover Plates

Standards for Solar Seals

20 Thermal Test Methods for Solar Components

Standards for Solar Collector Insulation

21 Standards for Solar Absorptive Coatings

Standards for Solar Materials: Problem Definition

22 Non-Instnunentation Data Center—SHACOB

Development of Solar Regulatory System

23 Standards for Rubber Hose & Coimections

Standards for Nonmetallic Containment Materials

24 Metal Containment Materials

Economics 26 Economic Analysis of the Manchester Building

IV
26

27

28

29

Economics of Masonry Walls

Techniques for Economic Evaluation

Design Economics for Energy Conservation

Energy Economics for Financial Institutions

Building Design Economics—Energy Conservation

Cost-Estimating Factors: Residential-Energy Conservation

Solid Waste Cost-Allocation Methods

Economics of Residential HVAC Equipment Design

Thermal Studies 32 Thermal Measurement Technology

Thermal Performance of Major Building Elements

33 Attic Ventilation Criteria

Natural Ventilation for Home Cooling

34 Latent Cooling Performance of a Fan-Coil Unit

Underground Heat Distribution Systems

Effects of Moisture in Retrofit Insulation

35 Large-Scale Test Facility for Insulated Building Elements

Air and Smoke Migration in Building

36 Thermally Efficient Roofing Systems

37 Thermal Insulation, ASTM C-16

Dow Chemical Research Associate Program

Building Infiltration Evaluation

38 Thermal Modeling of Slab-on-grade Floors

Mechanical Systems 40

41

42

43

44

ASHRAE Standards for Heating and Cooling Equipment (Heating)

ASHRAE Standards for Heating and Cooling Equipment

(Air Conditioning)

Performance Prediction Modeling for Heat Pumps and Air

Conditioners

Development of Standard Test and Rating Procedures for Heat

Pump Systems—Modified Temperatue Bin Method

Development of Standard Test and Rating Procedure for Heat Pump

Systems—Test Method for Engine-Driven Heat Pump

Furnace Efficiency

Part-Load Efficiency

Automated HVAC Controls

Appliance Energy Usage

Household Energy Usage

Plumbing 46

47

VA Hospital Plumbing Criteria

Field Evaluation of Reduced Size Venting

National Plumbing Code, ANSI A40

Plumbing Systems Design Criteria

Technology of Water Conservation

Environmental Design 50 Building Access/Egress Studies

Building Access/Egress Research Planning

v
5 1 Simulation of Human Behavior in Fires

Manchester Building—User Acceptance

52 Noise in and Around Building

Noise Control for Designers

53 Highway Noise Criteria

Color and Appearance

54 Building Illumination Standards

Visual Environment

Visual Alerting

55 Criteria for Signs in Workplaces

Task Lighting Criteria

56 A Guide for Window Design

Pedestrian Flow on Building Ramps

Materials 58 Organic Coatings

Corrosion-Preventive Coatings

59 Durability of Coatings for Steel

White House Painting Study

60 Preservation of St. Louis Courthouse

Projected Membrane Roofing

61 U.S.-Canada Project for Monitoring Exposure Conditions

Roofing and Coating Research for the Army

Performance of Roofing

62 Polystyrene Roof Insulation

Visual Techniques in Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE)

63 NDE of Building Materials

NDE of Moisture in Roofs

64 Creep and Drying Shrinkage of Concretes

Modeling of Concrete Performance

65 Lead Paint Hazards

Test Methods for Fly Ashes

Safety 68 Slip-Resistance Criteria for Walkways

OSHA Technical and Scientific Support

69 Safety Requirements for Construction

Fire Zone Safety: Economic Analysis

Door and Window Security Demonstration

70 Building Security Technology: Research and Symposium

Building Security Standards ASTM F-12 Participation

71 Electrical Distribution Systems

72 Iimovative Electrical Wiring

Mobile Home Egress

73 Mobile Home Purchase and Modification

Structures 76 Wind-Induced Response of Tall Buildings

Criteria for Wind Tunnel Modeling

77 Probability Distributions of Extreme Winds

Administration of Secretariat, ANSI ASS

78 Criteria for Loads and General Design

vi

i
78

79

80

81

82

83

84

85

Structural Performance of Solar Collectors

Seismic Design Provisions

Seismic Design Provisions: Implementation

Seismic Resistance of Reinforced Masonry Shear Walls

Building Practices for Disaster Mitigation

Concrete Construction Technology

Thermal Loads on Concrete Slabs

Consolidation of Masonry Standards

Fire-Resistant Structural Design

Alaska Pipeline Vertical Support Members

Evaluation of Air Mobile Shelters Systems

Improvement of Honeycomb Cores

Review of Liquified Natural Gas Facilities

Geotechnical Engineering 88 OSHA Excavation Standards Study

Calibration of Standard Penetration Tests

89 Performance Standards for Foundations and Excavations

Anchoring Mechanics for Mobile Homes

9 0 Research Needs and Priorities for Geotechnical

Earthquake Engineering Application

91 Construction of Housing in Mine Subsidence Areas

Codes & Standards 94 Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings

Building Codes and Standards Improvement

95 Performance of Building Construction ASTM E06

NIBS Technical Support

Research Conference on the Building Regulatory Process

96 Assessment of Building Regulatory Systems

Technology for Building Standards & Codes

International Standards Activities

97 Metrication and Dimensional Coordination

Metrication Consultancy

98 Development of Preferred Metric Values

Participation in ANSI Al 19, Mobile Homes and

Recreation Vehicles.

Housing & Building Technoiogy 100 Federal Building Technology

Housing Technology

Architectural Barriers to the Handicapped

101 Housing Evaluation Methodology

Building Technology Information

102 IPT/NBS Cooperative Program

International Building Research

103 Classification Committee Staff Support

Technical Support to the Tri-Services Committee

HUD Studies

104 Design and Construction Technology Application Program

vn
Abbreviations Used in the Text

AIA American Institute of Architects

ACI American Concrete Institute

ANMC American National Metrication Council

ANSI American National Standards Institute

ARI American Research Institute

ASPE American Society of Plumbing Engineers

ASSE American Society of Sanitary Engineers

ATMES Advanced Technology Mix Energy System

ASHRAE American Society for Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers

ASME American Society for Mechnical Engineers

BECC Building Energy Conservation Criteria

BOCA Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc. CAL University of California

CBT Center for Building Technology

CFR Center for Fire Research

CIB International Council for Building Research Studies and Documentation

CSA Community Services Administration

DoE Department of Energy

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

FCC Federal Construction Council

FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

FHA Farmers Home Administration

FIRL Franklin Institute Research Laboratories

HUD Department of Housing and Urban Development

HVAC Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning

ICBO International Conference of Building Officials

ICES Integrated Community Energy System

IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers

ISO International Standards Organization

LBL Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory

LCC Life-Cycle Costing

MIUS Modular Integrated Utility Systems

MPS Minimum Property Standards

NAHB National Association of Home Builders

NBS National Bureau of Standards

NBSLD National Bureau of Standards Load Determination (A Computer Program)

NCSBCS National Conference of States on Building Codes and Standards

NDE Non Destructive Evaluation

NEC National Electnc Code

NEMA National Electrical Manufacturers Association

NrrA National Fire Protection Association

National Institute of Building Sciences

NPS National Park Service

NSF National Science Foimdation

OPSO Office of Pipeline Safety Operations

ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory

OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration
RIF Resource Impact Factors

RILEM International Union of Testing and Research Laboratories for

Materials and Structures

RSV Reduced-Size Venting

SAE Society of Automotive Engineers

TE Total Energy

USNC/CIB United States National Committee/ International Council for Building

Research Studies and Documentation

VA Veterans Administration

VSM Vertical Support Members

IX
Center for Building Technology

Center Headquarters

Construction Safety

Geotechnical

Engineering

Structural

Engineering

Building Materials

Building CompositeS|

Building

Thermal

and

Service

Systems

Division

Thermal Analysis

Thermal Solar

^Building Energy

Criteria

Mechanical Systems

Service Systems

{Building

Environmental "^Economics

Design

Research

Division

Architectural

Research

Existing

Buildings

Sensory

Environment

Occupant Safetyl

land

Regulatory

Technology

Division

Applied Economics

Rehabilitation

Technology

Solar Technology

jCriteria and

Standards

Development

X
Energy

Conservation

Residential heating systems are being evaluated by measuring the

velocity and volume of air discharged from a heating register.

1
Energy Use in Building Operations This project has been conducted in support of

energy conservation criteria for incorporation in building

Roy E. Clark energy performance standards. To be realistic and

(301) 921-2019 equitable, the criteria must take into account the effects

Environmental Design Research Division on building energy consumption of several factors,

including the ways that the occupants use or affect

Sponsor: Department of Energy buildings and their energy requirements.

This project has produced two reports: "Review of

Existing Data on Energy Use in Residential Buildings,"

and "Quantified Occupant-Use Factors Affecting Energy

Consumption in Residences."

Buiiding Energy Conservation

Performance Criteria

Paul R. Achenbach

(301) 921-3106

Center for Building Technology

Headquarters

Sponsor: Department of Energy

During the year preceding the passage of PL 94-385,

The Energy Conservation and Production Act, CBT was

developing an energy budget concept for use in building

energy performance standards under sponsorship of

DOE and HUD. This concept was presented to the

sponsors in September 1976 and has been widely

discussed in government building construction agencies,

the design professions, and selected professional societies.

It envisions an eight-step approach to the preparation of

performance standards for building, involving

1) a building classification scheme;

2) a climate classification scheme;

3) a data base on occupant discretionary use of

energy in buildings;

4) development of typical models for a given class

of buildings;

5) a data list on dimensional properties,

occupancy characteristics, climate factors, and

occupant energy-use factors;

6) an analytical procedure for optimizing the life- cycle costs of energy conservation measures and energy savings;

7) an adjustment of the on-site energy

requirements to the corresponding resource requirements and their societal impacts; and

8) incorporation of an energy budget and other

energy-related building performance

requirements such as thermal comfort,

illimiination, air quality, water heating, and

space into a performance standard for each

major class of building.

Research and analysis has been carried out imder the

DOE/HUD sponsorship on each of these eight steps,

with primary emphasis on residential structures. A

principal step yet to be imdertaken is the application of

life-cycle costing techniques to the tradeoff between first cost and seasonal operating efficiency of heating and

cooling equipment. This project entails optimizing the

operating efficiency of heat pumps, furnaces, and boilers

against cost, and using this analysis along with the output

from the steps outlined above to calculate annual energy

requirements for single-family dwellings in relation to

2

I
size, climate, and selected types of heating/cooling

equipment.

Energy Conservation in New Buiidings, CBT pioneered energy standards for new buildings

ASHRAE 90-75 for NCSBCS, who in turn requested ASHRAE and

ANSI to develop a voluntary standard for use by

Robert R. Jones NCSBCS and national, state, and local code groups. The

(301) 921-3637 preparation, promulgation, and implementation of this

Building Thermal and Service Systems standard have occurred and the standard is now in use. It Division is the flrst national energy standard that has received

wide acceptance. But these efforts must be continued if Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards energy conservation design and construction is to be

truly followed in the U.S.

In this phase of the work, problems of technical

design, quantitative extrapolation of the standard's

requirements, and general availability and workability are being studied.

The first revision of ASHRAE 90-75 has been

drafted and has been sent out for public review before

issuing it as a revised ASHRAE Standard and as a National Standard imder ANSI procedures.

ASHRAE 90-75, Energy Conservation in New

Buildings, is now published and in use. ASHRAE made

the decision to first produce a standard for new buildings

and immediately follow up with an energy standard for

existing buildings—an area which offers the nation a much larger target for energy savings.

In this project, the results of research at CBT and at other places are being used to formulate energy standards

for six different classes of existing buildings. All draft

standards have been distributed for public review and

comment before publication.

After production of the standards as ASHRAE and

ANSI publications, the documents will be available for use by building code groups, government, and the

private sectors. CBT has conducted an in-house review

of these draft standards for DOE with special emphasis

on the procedures for implementation. It is expected that

the impact of these standards will be at least as significant as that of ASHRAE 90-75. When completed, these

standards will be available for adoption by code groups

and by the design and construction industries. The

Federal government may use these standards for its buildings.

Energy Conservation in Existing

Buiidings, ASHRAE 100

Robert R. Jones

(301) 921-3637

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

3
Effects of Resource Impact Factors This project is in support of the DOE/CBT research

program entitled "Building Energy Conservation

Stephen F. Weber Criteria," whose broad objective is to facilitate the

(301) 921-2308 development and implementation of energy conservation

Building Economics and Regulatory performance standards for the design and evaluation of

Technology Division

buildings. The performance criteria being investigated

under this program are expected to take energy prices

Sponsor: Department of Energy into account. This project addresses the question of

whether the energy prices used in developing standards

based on these criteria should be the actual market prices

paid or a price which has been adjusted to reflect the

social value of energy resources. One method of making

the required adjustments in market prices is through a system of multiplicative factors called "Resource Impact

Factors" (RIF's). This project assesses the effect of using

RIF's on the design energy consumption to be

incorporated into performance standards and on the

economic efficiency of such standards.

A preliminary CBT report has found that the use of

RIF's could lower the energy consumption allowed

under the standard by a significant amount. Under the

present project, this report will be revised on the basis of

comments and suggestions obtained from a broadly based

public review and published in the NBS Building Science

Series. Also, an article was published in the international

journal. Energy and Buildings.

This project will provide those involved in the

development of energy conservation standards with

guidance in determining what factors are appropriate to

be included in RIF's, how such RIF's can be integrated

into the actual standards development process, and how

the use of such RIF's would affect the standards being

developed.

Energy Analysis: Manchester Building

Thomas E. Richtmyer

(301) 921-3602

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

The Norris Cotton Federal Office Building in

Manchester, New Hampshire, is a seven-story, mediumsize office building that was designed to demonstrate

many energy saving concepts. The lower three floors use a system of heat pumps which, in winter, remove excess heat that builds up in the interior core and "pumps" it to

the perimeter areas where it is needed for space heating.

The upper four floors use various types of fan coils, radiators, and variable air-volume xmits for heating and

cooling. Thermal energy is supplied to the building by

modular gas boilers, oil-fired boilers, solar energy, and an

engine-driven generator that provides both electricity to

operate an electric chiller and hot water to drive an

absorption-type chiller. In addition, the building uses heavy masonry construction with exterior insulation,

double-glazed windows of relatively small area, and

thermal storage. Thermal analysis of this building,

therefore, would provide a unique opportunity to

examine the relative effectiveness of several different

energy saving concepts all operating under identical

4

I
climatic conditions.

To do this, a computer control system has been

installed at the building site. It gathers data from several

hundred sensors that measure air and water temperatures,

fluid flow rates, solar radiation, and electrical power

consumption. This information is then recorded on

magnetic tapes that are sent to CBT for input into a

central computing facility. Here the raw data are reduced to provide information on energy usage and

equipment effectiveness.

The information will be tabulated and, together with

all signiflcant findings and results, published in the form

of quarterly, special, and progress reports and also made

available to the general public through news releases,

magazine articles, and NBS publications.

The end result should be a better understanding of

how to design and construct a building which is not only

energy conserving but cost effective as well. As new

buildings are erected, this will translate into a direct

savings of the Nation's energy.

Performance Analysis: Manchester

Building

James E. Hill

(301) 921-3559

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Energy conservation is one of the most important avenues to be pursued to obtain near-term solutions to

the current U.S. energy problem. Since approximately

one-third of the Nation's energy is used in and around

buildings, it is particularly important to develop good

energy conserving practices in the design, construction,

and operation of the Nation's buildings. This project

provides a imique opportunity to gather data on the

actual performance of a medium-sized office building

designed specifically with energy conservation in mind.

Under this project, CBT will obtain actual energy

consumption data on the Norris Cotton Federal Office

Building in Manchester, New Hamsphire, as a whole and

on its systems and components (including solar). We will

also evaluate user acceptance of the various design

features as well as operational modes of the building that

have been instituted for the sake of energy conservation.

The illumination systems, their power consumption, and

related performance will also be evaluated. A

comparative life-cycle-cost analysis of this particular

building against a hypothetical reference building of

conventional design will also be made.

During the conduct and at the completion of this

project, the research results will be widely disseminated

so that the major conclusions derived from the project can be rapidly implemented in both government and

private building design, construction, and operation.

5
Energy Conservation in Biended

Cement

James R. Clifton

(301) 921-3407

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

The manufacture of portland cement consumes

about 2 percent of the energy consumed by the Nation's

industrial processes. As much as 20 percent of the energy

consimied by the cement industry could be conserved by

the increased production of blended cements.

In this project, the behavior of blended cements and

concretes containing fly ashes and blast furnace slags are being compared with those of portland cements and

Portland cement concretes to develop relationships

between position, microstructure, and performance.

These relationships will form the basis for developing

performance-based standards for blended cements, and

for fly ashes and slags added to concretes. In addition,

CBT is participating in ASTM committees concerned

with cements (CI) and waste materials (E38). Through

this participation, it is playing an active role in the

establishment of performance tests and criteria for

blended cements and for broadened use of waste

materials in construction.

Weatiierization Demonstration

Richard Crenshaw

(301) 921-2019

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: Community Services

Admininstration

To help poor people cope with the high and

increasing costs of energy, the CSA wants to predict

savings through optimum weatherization of homes of the

poor in all parts of the U.S. This information will allow

CSA to more effectively distribute Federal funds across

the country, to avoid the extra expenses incurred by

having to go back to houses for further weatherization,

to predict the savings in fuel and money that can be

achieved by the program, and to consider a loan program

as a source of additional money for weatherization.

Because wide variation has been observed between

calculated and field measurement data on possible energy

savings, CSA has decided that it wants to obtain field

data as a basis for predicting maximum energy savings.

To gather this field data, CSA has decided to conduct a

national demonstration on energy savings through

weatherization of low-income owner-occupied homes.

CBT's support includes selecting sites, homes, and

weatherization options; supervising the collection of data

from the demonstration homes; and analyzing the results

of the demonstration. During this fiscal year

weatherization options will be installed in as many homes

as possible across the U.S. and their effectiveness

evaluated. The homes will be selected across 16 climate zones and be representative of the types of buildings,

constructions, and heating system in each area. Computer

modeling, cost estimating, and field inspection will be

used to select the most cost-effective package of weatherization options for each climate zone and building type in

the sample.

6
Computerized Climate Data

Edward A. Arens

(301) 921-3595

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Since accurate building-energy prediction is necessary for energy conservation in design, and energy

prediction is increasingly performed by computer,

accurate and economical computerized climate data is extremely important. In this project, the influence of

each climatic parameter (temperature, humidity, sun, wind) on energy is being analyzed by multivariate

regression from a data base on the energy use of several

buildings calculated hourly for as many as 60 locations across the U.S.

This work will be a major step in building energy

prediction, both in reducing analysis costs and improving

accuracy, and should foster more optimization in design.

Federai LCC Guide for Energy

Conservation

Rosalie T. Ruegg

(301) 921-2330

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

CBT has analyzed all the life-cycle costing

procedures used by Federal agencies for evaluating

modifications to existing buildings and designs for new

buildings. The survey provided a basis for establishing

life-cycle costing guidelines for energy conservation

projects in Federal buildings. Drafts of two reports—the

survey of LCC practices and of the LCC guidelines

were delivered to DOE.

Products for FY78 include a revision of the LCC

guidelines in response to comments received from DOE

and othfer Federal agencies and a report on LCC

guidelines.

Building Illumination Systems

Albert T. Hattenburg

(301) 921-3454

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Energy used to provide illumination is estimated at 5

percent of national consumption and perhaps 20 percent

of the total used in buildings. Significant energy savings

could be realized by a reduction in illumination levels to

the minimum required for safety and efficiency. Serious

disagreement exists on the appropriate levels to be

specified, how they will be measured, the interaction

with other building systems (heating and ventilation),

safety codes, and the substitution of natural for artificial

light.

This project will use the knowledge of experts

practicing in the field to recommend an interim set of

criteria for energy-conserving building illumination,

identify the restrictions upon promising improvements

imposed by existing codes and practice, determine

significant gaps in illumination knowledge and

equipment, and perform or encourage research and

development in these areas. The result will be a set of

recommended energy-conserving building illumination

criteria, including an energy-budget method and analysis.

These criteria will be submitted to one or more

professional organizations for sponsorship through the

voluntary consensus standard process. Physical

measurement techniques for illumination components and

systems will also be developed and pubUshed.

7
simplified Dayllghting Calculations

John W. Bean

(301) 921-3586

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Although it has been shown by a simplified

calculation scheme that daylight could make the window

an effective element for building energy conservation,

the accuracy of the daylight calculations based upon the

simplified approach has been questioned. Two more

comprehensive and supposedly accurate computer

programs are GLIM and LUMEN II. These programs

wUl be procured and used to check the results for the

simplified calculations for various room designs and

window designs. A report will describe calculation

results and comparative analysis between the

comprehensive and simplified daylight calculations. The

simplified calculation routine, if validated, will be made a

part of NBSLD to allow the calculation of annual energy

savings due to the use of daylight. More reliable energy

conservation criteria for window design will be possible

once this project is complete.

Simplified Load Calculations: Project

Conserve

Tamami Kusuda

(301) 921-3501

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Project CONSERVE is a computer-based cost-andsavings questionnaire system administered by state

officials under the sponsorship of DOE to assist

homeowners in evaluating the effectiveness of various

energy conservation options. To be effective, the heating

and cooling load program used in the CONSERVE

system should be fast, simple, and yet accurate. CBT is developing a simplified version of NBSLD that can fit into the cpu time requirement of 3 seconds (UNIVAC

1 108) instead of the 3 minutes usually required by

NBSLD. The results of this simplified program will be

validated for accuracy by NBSLD runs on typical

houses. The subroutine wUl be compatible with the data

string generated by the main program of Project

CONSERVE that is being developed by Apphed

Urbanetics. This simplified program will be used by the

state officials to inform homeowners of possible energy

savings by various retrofit options. The final program is considered essential to the success of Project

CONSERVE.

Thermostat Specifications for Military

Housing

James Kao

(301) 921-3844

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: Department of Navy

The Navy is currently replacing thermostats in its residences, barracks, and office buildings. New

thermostats with energy saving features can be applied to

these buildings to save energy. A purchase specification

with energy saving data would not only improve the

quality of the buildings but also provide a significant

amount of energy savings.

To this end, CBT is investigating all thermostats on

the market, and is categorizing, comparing, and

quantifying their construction and performance. The

energy savings and cost-effectiveness of new thermostats

(such as clock thermostats for night setback) are also

8
being studied. The result of this research will be a

specification for purchasing thermostats.

MIUS Program Management

Clinton W. Phillips

(301) 921-3741

Center for Mechanical Engineering and

Process Technology

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

The Modular Integrated Utility System (MIUS)

concept addresses the increased cost of community

utilities. The MIUS concept of integrating the facilities

for providing electricity, space heating, space cooling,

domestic water heating, solid waste processing, and

wastewater treatment has a potential to reduce the life- cycle cost of these utilities while reducing fuel energy

consumption by up to 50 percent. For this latter reason,

MIUS is a legitimate part of the national energy

conservation program.

It has been estimated by HUD that the domestic

market for MIUS is on the order of 16 percent of new

construction. An even stronger foreign market is predicted. A domestic savings of 2.5 million barrels of oil

per month is possible based upon the above market

capture. Residential utility operating costs are projected

to be $60 billion in 1986, indicating a significant potential

for cost savings.

Since a MIUS is most cost-effective when installed

in phase with new construction and has a significant

potential as a near-term (pre-breeder) technology to

reduce energy consumption, rapid demonstration and

deployment of the technology is important.

The products of this project will be a catalog of

MlUS-related projects in countries; a Final Report of the

CCMS-MIUS project; talks, journal articles and seminar

materials on MIUS applications, design techniques, and

economics; and a report on the performance of a gridconnected total energy plant.

Standards for Solid Waste Sampling

David J. Mitchell

(301) 921-2224

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

There are no nationally recognized methods for the

field sampling and laboratory analysis of refuse and

refuse-derived fuels. Technical specialists in bomb

calorimetry are greatly concerned about the sample size

required for determining the heating values of refuse.

The challenge is to provide reliable methods of

laboratory-based ASTM-approved methods. This project

will identify the research needs and technical issues that

need to be addressed in applied measurement technology

for solid wastes and refuse-derived products. CBT will

also determine the performance characteristics of

laboratory equipment to establish consistent, replicable

laboratory analysis. The center will also develop a data

base of technical information, procedures, and test methods. An important part of this will be determinations

of the chemical and physical properties of field samples

of solid waste and refuse-derived products. These factors

will foster their acceptance and use as alternative fuels.

9
MIUS Demonstration

John R. Schaefgen

(301) 921-3741

Center for Mechanical Engineering and

Process Technology

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

In the residential construction industry each new

project represents a significant financial risk to the

developer. Since developers do not desire to compound

this risk, they iimovate slowly. A full-scale demonstration

of a new concept or technology can provide sufficient

data to permit investors to appraise the cost effectiveness

and risks of the concept. The Modular Integrated Utility

System (MIUS) is a new concept which, according to

numerous analytical studies, has a potential for saving

energy for reducing life-cycle cost of the basis utilities needed for communities.

The major NBS activity in this multi-agency

demonstration effort has focused on a detailed review of

the site developer's conceptual and preliminary designs

for conventional utilities and a MIUS. As a part of this

review, many independent analyses were developed

addressing technical options, cost of production, thermal

balance, energy sales rates, building energy demand and

consumption, and the financial viability of different

design options.

Total Energy Demonstration Analysis

John D. Ryan

(301) 921-3741

Center for Mechanical Engineering and

Process Technology

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

Total energy (TE) systems (also known as cogeneration systems) have the potential for significant

energy savings over existing modes of separately

supplying electricity, space heating and cooling, domestic

hot water, and industrial process heat. An estimated

600,000 barrels per day oU can be saved in certain

industrial sectors alone through use of this technology.

The technical approach imder the HUD-MIUS

Program is to install instrumentation, collect and analyze

data, and evaluate a diesel total energy plant serving a

residential development in Jersey City, N.J.

The major objectives of the program are:

1. To establish a performance concept for total

energy systems

2. To collect and disseminate data from an

operating total energy plant

3. To develop methods of analysis for total energy

4. To conduct an overall evaluation of total energy

The impact of this effort will be the availability, for

the first time, of detailed data on the performance of an

actual operating TE plant. This will allow designers to

design better TE systems and to compare conventional

systems on a basis of actual, not hypothetical, system

performance. Developers and utilities wUl be able to

appraise the cost effectiveness and risks of TE in a

clearer fashion based on the data being collected. The

Federal government will be able to properly assess the

costs and benefits of TE and formulate effective means

for its encouragement.

10
ATMES Technical Advisory Support

Clinton W. Phillips

(301) 921-3741

Center for Mechanical Engineering and

Process Technology

Sponsor: Department of Energy

DOE is planning major research activities in the area of integrated utility systems as part of their

community energy conservation program. The

technologies include total energy and cogeneration, solid

waste conversion to energy, community planning, district

heating, and other associated technologies. The multimillion dollar efforts being undertaken at the Argonne

National Laboratory in the ATMES (Advanced

Technology-Mix Energy System) and ICES (Integrated

Community Energy System) Programs in support of

DOE should draw on the experience developed since

1970 in the HUD-MIUS Program.

Products include technical reviews of ATMES draft

reports, planning documents, and data and research

results from the HUD-MIUS and HUD-Total Energy

Demonstration efforts. The impact of this project will be

a strong and viable Federal research effort in technology

development for community energy systems under DOE.

The data, methods, and evaluations available from these

Federal research efforts will lead to improved technical

and economic bases for decision-making by private

utihties.

Technical Support to BECC

Jim L. Heldenbrand

(301) 921-3892

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Significant reductions in energy conservation in

buildings can be achieved through improved practices.

However, the technical and institutional aspects of these

practices (design, construction, and operation) are many

and require comprehensive analysis. The approach to this

activity is to provide technical services in support of

DOE, which has overall responsibility for the research,

development, and demonstration of energy efficiency in

buildings. This effort is integrated with the NBS

responsibility for technical management of the researchbased DOE/NBS Building Energy Conservation Criteria

(BECC) program.

In carrying out this effort, specific tasks are

identified and defined for NBS involvement in activities

generally performed by others, but for which CBT has

expertise or programmatic need-to-know. Effective

performance results from an inter-disciplinary approach

oriented to energy conservation in buildings.

The products of this activity frequently take the

form of written recommendations and comments

intended to improve draft docimients prepared by others.

While primarily directed to the sponsor, comments and

recommendations are also shared with others toward the

objective of helping to shape a consensus for

constructive support of overall national objectives.

All segments of the building community are keenly

interested in the development of performance criteria for

energy conservation in buildings. Energy conservation in

buildings has become a dominant issue in the arena of

public policy. As DOE requirements become defined.

11
this effort will support the implementation of state energy development plans under P.L. 94-163, and

development of improved energy performance criteria.

Criteria for Retrofit Materiais

Robert G. Mathey

(301) 921-2629

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

This project covers criteria for retrofit materials and

products used in making existing buildings more energy

efficient. Although this project is sponsored by DOE and

is an important part of their weatherization program, the

information is of value to anyone interested in retrofitting

residences or in selecting retrofit materials and products.

Because of the need for energy conservation and the fact

that over 40 million residences in the United States are not adequately insulated or weatherized, the results of

this research will be distributed to researchers,

manufacturers, consumers, contractors, Federal, state,

and local government agencies, particularly those

involved with energy conservation programs,

specification and standard writing organizations, and

professional and technical societies.

instaiiation Standards for Energy This project will collect technical back-up data and

Retrofit the preparation of draft installation standards for

individual measures, such as insulation and window

Heinz R. Trechsel devices. The project also covers—within the limits of

(301) 921-3892 funding provided, the review of relevant reports and

Environmental Design Research Division guidelines prepared by others. Specific tasks undertaken

as part of the project are: Sponsor: Department of Energy 1- Develop installation guidelines for reflective,

rigid board, urea formaldehyde and duct

insulation;

2. Prepare guidelines for replacement oil burners;

3. Complete installation guidelines for replacement

windows, storm windows and thermally

improved glazing;

4. Review reports on installation guidelines on vent

dampers, ignition devices and other retrofit measures as prepared by others.

The project is being carried out through a cooperative effort of architects and engineers that are addressing the building envelope (fenestration and

insulation) and mechanical systems.

Prioritizing Housing Retrofit IMeasures The objectives of this project are to develop; a)

several matrices prioritizing various retrofit measures for

Heinz R. Trechsel existing buildings (1-4 dwelling units) and mobile homes,

(301) 921-3892 in relation to climate, economic criteria, cost of

Environmental Design Research Division alternative energy sources, and building design variables

in support of the utility retrofit program in the proposed

Sponsor: Department of Energy National Energy Act; and b) methods for adjusting

priorities to local costs for energy, labor, and materials.

Using modifications of the Project CONSERVE

12
computer program, this project will calculate annual

energy savings for various retrofit measures for

residential buildings. Analysis will cover representative

cities in all U.S. climatic areas, for typical energy costs,

material and labor costs, and useful life. Retrofit measures will be prioritized in terms of a suitable

economic measure for 1-4 family buildings and mobile

homes, and supplied to utility firms to illustrate process

for uniformity in approach.

Performance of Retrofit Insulations Older homes without insulation in their exterior

walls are being insulated because of high heating costs

Walter J. Rossiter, Jr. and the need to conserve energy. The common insulating

(301) 921-3109 materials used to retrofit walls are loose-fill cellulose,

Structures and Materials Division loose-fill mineral fiber and urea-formaldehyde based

foams. Comprehensive field surveys have not been

Sponsor: Department of Energy conducted to document the performance of these retrofit

insulations in service. Potential problems may occur

including settling of loose-fill materials, shrinkage of

foams, excessive moisture accumulation, and poor

workmanship during applications. Data need be gathered

so that a proper assessment of the performance of

insulations used to retrofit exterior walls may be made.

Results of this research will be used in connection

with the DOE Weatherization Program for low income

housing and with other building energy retrofit

programs. In addition, the results will be distributed to

researchers, manufacturers, consumers, contractors,

federal, state and local governmental agencies,

specification and standard writing organizations, and

professional and technical societies. Talks will be

presented at conferences and symposiums sponsored by

such organizations as ASTM, ASHRAE, and insulation

contractor associations. Specific activities will be

undertaken in consultation with the sponsor for

dissemination of the results.

13

Solar

Energy
Commercial Solar Energy

Demonstration

Robert D. Dikkers

(301) 921-3285

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

In view of the energy crisis and the increasing rise in

the cost of fossil fuels, DOE began a cooperative

program with CBT to determine the feasibility, use, and

performance characteristics of commercial solar energy

systems and buildings using such systems.

An interdisciplinary team, organized from CBT staff

members, participated in the preparation of draft

standards and performance criteria and will participate in

the evaluation of demonstration system performance.

Experience gained from the evaluation will be fed back

into the development of improved criteria. The

evaluation process during the demonstration program

will involve comparisons of actual with predicted system

and component thermal performance, the evaluation of

operational problems (accidents, equipment failures, etc.)

and the examination of institutional constraints (e.g., code

problems).

Data being collected for the commercial

demonstration program are being reviewed for

information concerning the possible problems

encountered in the design and construction of the

demonstration units due to the existing building

regulatory codes. An initial report on the findings will be

prepared. In the end, this project will ensure that solar

powered equipment does not adversely affect pubhc

health and safety, that it provides satisfactory reliability

and performance, and that solar systems will be accepted

with confidence by the consumer.

Solar Energy Program For Housing

Systems

Robert D. Dikkers

(301) 921-3285

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

This project will help ensure that solar-powered

equipment wUl not adversely affect public health and

safety. It will also develop regulations and testing

methods to bring reliability and performance standards to

the solar marketplace. Experience gained from the

evaluation of system performance will be fed back into

the development of improved criteria. The evaluation

process during this demonstration program will involve

comparisons of actual with predicted systems and

component thermal performance, the evaluation of

operational problems (accidents, equipment failures, etc.)

and the examination of institutional constraints (e.g. code

problems). It is through these steps that solar systems can become fully accepted. This project continues the CBTHUD cooperation in solar studies that has been

continuing since 1974.

16
Solar Hot Water Test Program

Arthur H. Fanney

(301) 921-3754

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

The principal objective of this project is to provide

experimental data xmder controlled conditions for the

evaluation of selected analytical models as well as test methods proposed by ASHRAE Project Committee 95-P

for solar domestic water heating systems.

The first step will be to review the existing widelyused computer programs such as TRNSYS, f-chart, and

Solcost to identify assumptions made concerning tank

stratification, tank and pipe thermal losses, and heat

exchanger effectiveness. In addition, a survey will be

made to identify the important types of solar domestic

water heating systems to be addressed in this project.

Second, a number of laboratory tests will determine the

extent to which the assumptions in the relevant computer

programs are valid. Tests will be conducted in those

situations where sufficient uncertainty exists about the

computer program routines and assumptions being

analyzed.

The review and laboratory experiments will be used

to identify a small number of complete systems to be

installed in the field for controlled experimentation. The

primary purposes of this task will be to run selected

systems for at least 12 months and compare the test results with predictions made by the computer programs,

and perform standard tests on the system as proposed by

ASHRAE Project Committee 95-P.

Solar Commercial Handbook

Rosalie T. Ruegg

(301) 921-2330

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Building owners, builders, architects and engineers,

lenders, manufacturers of solar energy equipment, and

research analysts all need a convenient, inexpensive

method for determining if solar energy is an

economically viable approach to space heating and

domestic water heating in commercial buildings. The

purpose of this project is to provide information on the

economic feasibility of solar energy systems. This is to be

done by preparing and disseminating a report and

handbook on the economic performance of well-defined

solar heating and hot water systems in selected types of

office buildings in different regions of the U.S. This

information will promote interest in the use of solar

energy and reduce the uncertainty associated with its use.

Passive Solar Data Requirements This project will establish the thermal performance

factors to be used in evaluating various types of passive

Elmer R. Streed solar heating and cooling systems. It will also determine

(301) 921-3871 the requirements for measured data, which includes the

Building Thermal and Service Systems type of measurements to be made and their accuracy

Division range and frequency. CBT will also identify the

instrumentation required for monitoring the building

Sponsor: Department of Energy system and major components for extended time periods

(includes sensors, data acquisition and recording

apparatus), and will recommend data analysis techniques.

17
reporting format, and information disposition methods.

Emphasis will be placed on surveying the various kinds

and types of passive systems in an attempt to classify

them into categories. In addition, the results of all experiments where passive systems have been

instrumented and data reported will be reviewed to

determine the experimental techniques that have been

used in the past.

The output of this project will be a report to the

Department of Energy outlining the recommended

procedures for doing an experimental evaluation of

passive buildings. The implementation phase will involve

the Department of Energy's requiring that all research

contractors follow the recommendations in evaluating

their buildings. In addition, it is the intent to have all passive buildings in the national demonstration program

be evaluated using the procedures. Depending on the success of the project and the experience gained over the

next several years, the procedures could ultimately be

adopted as an ASHRAE test standard for such buildings.

Collector Durability and Reliability Test

Program

David Waksman

(301) 921-3285

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

The reliability and long-term performance of solar

collectors has not generally been demonstrated. Recent

studies have indicated that significant changes in

collector performance (greater than 10 percent) can

occur as a result of exposure to "no-flow" conditions for

three to nine weeks. A number of component and

materials tests have been proposed as a means to evaluate

the reliability/durability of solar collectors. However,

these testing procedures have yet to be proved. This

project is intended to provide a coordinated testing

program that will result in the establishment of vahdated

testing procedures to relate laboratory, accelerated field,

simulated operational exposure, and actual field

demonstration data for solar collectors used in building

heating and cooling applications.

A review of existing and planned testing procedures

useful in evaluating the reliability/durability of collector

units and their materials will be conducted and a detailed

program plan will be prepared. Laboratory and outdoor

field exposure tests will be performed on solar collectors

and their materials. The results of these tests will be

correlated and compared with actual in-use performance.

Long-term field exposures will be conducted at a number

of different sites to evaluate climatic effects. Test

specimens representative of various collector types will

be used.

Validated testing procedures for predicting the

reUability/durability of solar collectors and their

materials can be incorporated into the solar performance

criteria and MPS documents that CBT is responsible for.

In addition, they will be submitted to ASTM and other

concerned organizations for adoption as consensus

standaids.

18
standards for Solar Cover Plates

Elizabeth J. Clark

(301) 921-2635

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Many solar collector designs incorporate a cover

plate whose purpose is to transmit solar energy while

protecting the inner areas of the collector from damage

and reducing the heat loss. Any loss in the transmittance

of solar energy through the cover plate results in a decrease in the efficiency of the entire solar heating and

cooling system. The transmittance and other important

properties of some cover plate materials are frequently

deteriorated by sunlight and the temperatures

encountered in solar collectors.

Many standard test methods are available to evaluate

materials such as glass and plastic. However, the

performance requirements for cover plates of solar

collectors are not entirely covered by the existing test methods. The purpose of this project is to prepare a draft

performance standard for cover plate materials for flat plate solar collectors.

Initially, performance criteria, performance

attributes, degradation factors and currently available

tests will be identified. Tests will be assessed to

determine if modifications are necessary to reflect in-use

solar conditions. Laboratory studies outdoor weathering

exposures will be performed to obtain data needed to

prepare definitive test standards. Draft standards will be

prepared in conjunction with ASTM committees and

submitted to ASTM for consideration as consensus

standards.

Standards for Solar Seals

Larry W. Masters

(301) 921-3458

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Numerous standard test methods have been

developed for sealants and gaskets for use in buildings.

However, the performance requirements for sealants and

gaskets used in solar energy systems are not entirely

covered by the available standards. The purpose of this

study is to prepare draft standards for rubber seals. The

standards will be based upon the results of laboratory

studies to evaluate available materials according to the

performance required in service. Among the factors that

could affect gasket performance are temperature and

temperature cycling, moisture, ozone, stress, ultraviolet

radiation, and contact with transfer fluids. The final

product of the project, drafts of standard test methods

for rubber seals, will be submitted to ASTM for

consideration as consensus standards.

19
Thermal Test Methods for Solar

Components

James E. Hill

(301) 921-3539

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Standardized testing procedures for solar collectors

and thermal storage devices have been proposed by

CBT. Three test stands for conducting outdoor tests of

solar collectors and a laboratory facility for testing of

thermal storage devices have been constructed. A roundrobin test program consisting of testing two solar

collectors at NBS as well as at 20 other independent

outdoor and indoor testing facilities at sites aroimd the

United States has been conducted. The purpose of the

round-robin test series was to determine the feasibility of

the collector test procedure and to compare the results of

test conducted in different geographical locations as well

as with natural and simulated solar radiation.

Testing has been completed on 6 different

manufacturer's collectors and a 1.9 m^ (500-gallon) water

tank in the CBT test house. Additions have been made to

the solar collector test procedure as originally proposed

to allow for the determination of the collector "time

constant" and "incident angle modifier." The test procedures for both solar collectors and thermal storage

devices have been adopted by ASHRAE as Standards

93-77 and 94-77, respectively. All test data taken as part

of the round-robin test program have been analyzed and

will be pubUshed.

Tests will be completed on additional solar

collectors that can be identified to have unique

characteristics which might possibly influence the solar

collector test procedure. Alternates or additions to the

present collector test procedure will examined including:

all-day testing, relative-type testing using a standard

collector heat-loss factor, correction factors to correct all data to some standard conditions, and the effect of using

alternate heat heat transfer fluids such as oils for the test. Thermal storage tests will be completed on a pebble bed

storage device and a phase-change storage device both

using air as the heat transfer fluid. All project findings

will be used directly by ASHRAE to update Standard

93-77 and 94-77.

Standards for Solar Collector Insulation

McClure Godette

(301) 921-3120

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Any loss of heat, other than that through the

transfer fluid, reduces the efficiency of a solar collector.

For this reason, the ability of thermal insulation to

provide resistance to the flow of heat from the back of

the absorber plate or side of the collector is of primary

importance. For the user, proper insulation results in an

increase in the heating or cooling efficiency; for the

Nation, it promotes our energy independence.

The project will involve a detailed study of solar

insulation materials. Environmental conditions within the

solar collectors, and properties of the insulation material

that contribute to the performance and durabihty of

insulation will be identified and evaluated. Assessment of

this work will lead to the development of draft

performance standards to be submitted to ASTM for

20
consideration as consensus standards. The research

findings will provide the basis for evaluating insulation

materials for solar collectors, improve the basis for

selecting insulation, and further the development of

better insulation materials.

Standards for Solar Absorptive

Coatings

Larry W. Masters

(301) 921-3458

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

While numerous standard tests have been developed

for coatings in building construction, the performance

requirements involved in solar systems are quite

different. For example, temperatures on the absorptive

surface may reach 250 °C or greater, but standard test methods for coatings seldom involve temperatures as high as 100 'C.

The purpose of this project is to prepare such draft

standards. These standards will be based upon results of

laboratory studies and will be submitted to the ASTM

for consideration as consensus standards. The research

findings will ensure improved absorptive coatings

performance, provide a basis for selecting proper

materials, and enhance acceptance of solar systems by

making the systems more reliable.

Standards for Solar Materials: Problem

Definition

Leopold F. Skoda

(301) 921-2640

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Solar heating and cooling systems are unlikely to be

widely accepted until performance requirements are

quantified in the form of standards and compliance with

these performance requirements is demonstrated. This

project will identify the studies needed to develop such

materials standards. The CBT approach is to identify

available solar systems that are currently in-service;

identify materials used in the available systems that may

exhibit problems; identify by communicating with

manufacturers and other knowledgeable sources and

actual field inspections, the materials problems that are being experienced; identify currently available materials

standards and assess the standards to determine their

applicability for use in solar systems; identify needs for

new standards; make recommendations for future

laboratory studies; and prepare tentative guidelines for

the selection of materials. An initial report NBSIR 77-

1314, Solar Energy Systems-Survey ofMaterials

Performance, has been distributed to DOE, other Federal

agencies, and standards-setting groups such as ASTM for use in the development of materials standards.

21
Non-Instrumentation Data Center—

SHACOB

Patricia McGuire

(301) 921-3285

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

Prior to actual operation of the Solar Data Center

(SDC), a prototype system was constructed to prove the

feasibility of the "design" for the data base. When it was

satisfactory to SDC users and developers, the SDC at NBS began formal operations. Once the design of the

data files had been determined, procedures were

developed for data to be transformed into machine-readable inputs, programs were written to produce computer

reports of the data and the reports are now being

disseminated on a regular basis.

The data base consists of six files of technical and

non-technical data, collected by various HUD

subcontractors. Each file is in a different stage of

implementation. As data are collected to populate the

computer file, feedback from the users of the data allows

us to upgrade programs and procedures that relate to the

data. In FY 78, the design of the data base will integrate

the separate files into interrelated files to better service

the needs of the SDC users. More user-oriented

interfaces to the data base will be developed to allow the

remote user access over a terminal. Programs will be

developed that display the technical information for CBT

scientists to use in their evaluation studies. The Franklin

Institute Research Laboratories (FIRL) are responsible

for dissemination of the data to other technical groups

and the general public. Frequent interaction wUl be

needed between SDC, FIRL and the data users to assure the quality of data and services.

Development of Solar Regulatory

System

Joseph Greenberg

(301) 921-2758

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

To make solar energy a viable and maturing

nondepletable energy source for the Nation, the

regulatory system must not impede technical

development. At present, the model building codes do

not address solar energy and there is no definitive plan in

existence for the establishment of an overall solar

regulatory system.

This project wUl address the short term needs of the

Nation by developing interim solar provisions that could

be processed through the three model code organizations

for eventual adoption by the using jurisdictions. In

addition, a long range plan will be developed to identify a defmitive solar system including research needs,

implementation strategy, training requirements, etc. This

effort will be conducted through contacts with regulatory and professional organizations under the

management and guidance of CBT.

22
standards for Rubber Hose &

Connections

R. D. Stiehler

(301) 921-3371

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Rubber hose is an economical and efficient

connector in solar energy systems between the solar

collectors and manifolds on the supply and return lines.

Also rubber hose is sometimes used at the inlet and outlet

of pumps, storage tanks, and other components in the

system. At present, however, there is no standard for

hose used in solar systems.

The environment and other conditions surrounding

solar energy systems necessitate a high quality hose

having a long life, good resistance to ozone and other

atmospheric pollutants, and retaining good performance

at high and low temperatures. Standard methods of

testing hose for most of these characteristics are given in

ASTM D380-77. The principal task here is to establish

minimum requirements for the hose, based on these tests,

to assure satisfactory performance in solar energy

systems.

The approach will consist of identifying

performance requirements, important properties related

to performance, factors which could affect the

performance and existing tests to measure performance of

rubber hoses and connections. Laboratory studies will be

performed to determine if materials meet the

requirements and to develop procedures, as needed, to measure performance. Based on the laboratory studies,

draft standards will be prepared.

Standards for Nonmetallic Containment

Materials

Elizabeth J. Clark

(301) 921-2635

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Standards for materials used in solar heating and

cooling systems are urgently needed. Materials used to

contain, transport, or store fluids in solar energy systems

are called containment materials. Plastic containment

materials are being used increasingly in solar collectors,

solar ponds, tanks containing heated storage liquids, and

piping. Numerous field problems have been reported

with plastics. These problems stem primarily from the

poor thermal and UV stability of some plastic materials.

Thus, there is an overriding need for standards to be

developed for nonmetallic containment materials.

Many standard methods are available to evaluate

plastic materials. However, the performance

requirements for containment materials in solar systems

are not entirely covered by the existing test methods.

The purpose of this project is to prepare draft standards

for nonmetallic containment materials used in solar

systems.

Initially, performance criteria, performance

attributes, degradation factors and currently available

tests will be identified. Tests will be assessed to

determine if modifications are necessary to reflect in use

solar conditions. Laboratory and field studies will be

performed to obtain data needed to prepare definitive test standards. Draft standards will be prepared in

conjunction with ASTM committees and submitted to

ASTM for consideration as consensus standards.

23
Metal Containment Materials

Paul W. Brown

(301) 921-2993

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

There are no standard tests for selecting containment

materials for solar heating and cooling applications. CBT

is helping to fill this gap by undertaking cooperative

laboratory research to determine the applicability of tests proposed by ASTM Task Group E2 1.10.22. The result

will be an ASTM-recommended practice for metallic

containment materials for use in solar heating and

cooling systems.

24
Economics
Economic Analysis of the IManchester

Building

Phillip T. Chen

(301) 921-2278

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

The energy conservation features being field-tested

in the Manchester Office Building will provide valuable

technical and economic data for developing energy

conservation performance standards for new buildings.

The purpose of this project is to compare the life-cycle

cost of the energy conserving Manchester building with

the life-cycle cost of an equivalent conventional building.

The approach is to develop a general life-cycle cost

model, collect construction cost and operating energy

cost for the Manchester building, estimate construction

cost and operating energy cost of an equivalent

conventional building, calculate and compare life-cycle

costs of both buildings, and assess the cost-effectiveness

of energy conservation measures. The research findings

will help building owners and architects, engineers, and

equipment manufacturers deliver more energy

conserving buildings.

Economics of Masonry Wails

Stephen R. Petersen

(301) 921-3126

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Various groups in the building industries, as well as DOE, FHA, and HUD, are demanding better data on the

thermal performance of masonry-wall construction. The

masonry industry is pressing for recognition of the

benefits of thermal mass, while various government

agencies have been pressing for reductions in U-values of

exterior walls without regard to their mass. The primary purpose of this project is to determine

the benefits and costs and alternative design strategies for

insulating masonry walls in new single-family houses.

The lowest-life-cycle-cost insulation applications can then

be identified and the resulting thermal performance of

the walls be calculated for use in establishing

performance guidelines for masonry walls. These

guidelines will be of considerable use to builders, the

masonry industry, building researchers, and various

government agencies.

The approach is to conduct a literature search to

determine the accepted methods of construction of

masonry walls, with and without insulation. Then we

will use the NBS computer program NBSLD to

determine the thermal response of these alternative wall

designs and their contribution to the annual heating and

cooling loads of a residence. A benefit-cost and

sensitivity analysis will then determine the least-life-cycle

cost designs for a range of climates and energy costs.

26
Techniques for Economic Evaluation The purpose of this project is to develop, refine, and

apply methods of benefit-cost analysis in building

Harold E. Marshall evaluations. FY77 accomplishments included articles and

(301) 921-3701 reports dealing with the economics of reduced-size

Building Economics and Regulatory venting, economic impacts of building codes, economics

Technology Division of solar heating, and the economics of removing the lead

paint hazard from buildings.

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards Because of the rising costs of building materials, the

increasing costs of construction due to safety and

environmental requirements, the rising costs of clean

water, and the rising costs of fuels, the building

community continues to need more sophisticated

economic tools for evaluating alternative building

technologies and financing mechanisms to help provide

affordable buildings.

In the past, more cost-effective building designs have

resulted from the use of our technical findings.

Anticipated impacts are more widespread use of

economic principles in building design as a result of

CBT's guidelines and methods.

Design Economics for Energy

Conservation

Harold E. Marshall

(301) 921-3701

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Congressional committees, state legislatures,

professional societies, government agencies, and the

building industry in general are seeking information on

the application of economics to energy conservation in

buildings.

The purposes of this project are: to develop a

practical, easy-to-use guide on design economics that can be used by architects, engineers, and other members of

the design community in evaluating alternative building

decisions regarding energy conservation, and to develop

economic methods/design guidelines for designers and

policy makers.

The approach is to send speakers to high-profile,

national meetings of organizations concerned with

economical energy design to describe the methods and

guidelines developed by CBT; to develop a report that

provides principles and guidelines to building designers

for using economic approaches in evaluating energy

conservation design decisions in buildings; to present to

practicing architects a two-day joint course with the

University of California at Berkeley on design

economics, using the report as a base and testing it for

applicability through classroom interaction with

practicing professionals; and to develop integrated text,

tables, formulas, and illustrations for a practical, easy-to- use guide.

27
Energy Economics for Financial

Institutions

Stephen R. Petersen

(301) 921-3126

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

DOE is currently developing a demonstration

program to encourage first mortgage lenders to increase

mortgage limits for existing housing to finance energy

conservation improvements at the time of the sale. The

purpose of this project is to provide guidelines for

lenders and homebuyers that can be used in determining

the extent to which various conservation features, such

as increased insulation, are worth investing in. These

guidelines will be based on climate factors, energy costs,

conservation costs, and the cost of borrowing.

The approach requires the use of an existing

computer model for estimating the energy savings due to

various conservation features. This energy savings data

will then be used with energy cost data to determine the

value of those savings relative to the cost of achieving

them. This must be done for a range of energy costs,

climates, and conservation costs. The end product will be

guidelines for determining which retrofit items are likely

to fit successfully into DOE's demonstration program.

Building Design Economics—Energy

Conservation

Harold E. Marshall

(301) 921-3701

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Energy is rapidly becoming the primary determinant

of building form. Escalating energy costs and growing

uncertainty about energy availability have created a whole new series of problems upon which building

design decisions must be made. What is needed today are

guidelines for making efficient energy conserving design

decisions.

CBT's approach is to take two publications

developed under the Design Economics for Energy

Conservation project and convert them into a design

tool. This guide will be useful to the student, but it will

be directed specifically to the practicing building

designer who needs a reference document for determining the economic benefits from energy conservation

investments. The product will be a practical, easy-to-use

guide that can be used by architects, engineers, and other

members of the design community.

Cost-Estimating Factors: Residential

Energy Conservation

Stephen R. Petersen

(301) 921-3126

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Within the many Federal agencies concerned with

energy conservation in buildings, a need exists for

credible, consistent cost data for energy conservation

features related to the design of new housing. The

purpose of this project is to provide such data in an easyto-use format, based on previous data collection by the

NAHB Research Foundation. The product will be a handbook that will contain the methodology, data, and

examples. The handbook will provide more consistency

in government estimates of construction-related energy

conservation costs and will speed up the estimation

process now used in benefit-cost analysis of various

conservation projects.

28
Solid Waste Cost-Allocation Methods

Stephen F. Weber

(301) 921-2308

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor:

Agency

Environmental Protection

Currently, the municipal taxes or private fees paid

by an individual household or building occupant for solid

waste management services bear little relation to the

actual cost of disposing of the wastes produced by that

household or occupant. Generally, a fixed monthly fee or

a portion of local property taxes is paid for the disposal

service, regardless of either the amount of waste

generated by a particular household or the actual costs

imposed on the waste management system by that

household. Thus, there is no incentive for those who

generate solid waste even to consider the disposal costs

associated with the products they use, let alone to modify

their consumption patterns accordingly. A product

charge is currently being discussed as one method of

internalizing the disposal costs of products entering the

solid waste stream.

The principal objective of this study is to evaluate

alternative methods for allocating the costs of collection,

transport, and disposal among the separable components

of the waste stream. WhUe most data on solid waste

management systems are reported in terms of weight, it is apparent that at least some disposal costs depend on

volume. Thus, major issues addressed by this research

are: (1) how to convert weight data to volume data by

measuring densities; and (2) how to include both weight

and volumes in a cost function so as to reflect properly

each characteristic's relative contribution to total

disposal costs. This research is expected to provide

information useful for the development of a cost-based

product charge in the event such a charge is imposed.

Economics of Residential HVAC

Equipment Design

Stephen R. Petersen

(301) 921-3126

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

This project is in direct support of a larger NBS

program. Building Energy Performance Criteria, which

is intended to provide sample energy budgets for a singlefamily dwelling prototype. The purpose of this support

project is to apply life-cycle-cost-minimization techniques

to the selection of domestic heating and cooling

equipment and to calculate the corresponding energy

requirements of a prototype dwelling unit with known

heating and cooling requirements. These heating and

cooling requirements are based on NBSLD analysis of a

typical detached single-family dwelling in a wide range

of climates and for several levels of overall envelope

integrity.

Energy conserving modifications to combustion

heating equipment, heat pumps, and air conditioning

equipment will be analyzed in a life-cycle cost context.

Combustion equipment modifications will include an

intermittent ignition device, a flue gas damper, external

combustion air intake and a range of heat transfer surface

areas. Modifications to heat pumps will deal primarily

with variations in capacity in order to improve seasonal

performance in cold regions of the U.S. Air conditioners over a range of design COP's wUl be examined to

29
determine the most economical performance level. All of

these analyses will include considerations for climate,

load size, energy cost and equipment costs. The final result of this analysis will be estimates of

annual energy requirements for the space heating and

cooling of a prototypical single-family detached house

that has been designed to minimize life-cycle energy

related costs for the envelope and energy conversion

devices as a combination. These estimates will be a major

input into the Building Energy Performance Criteria

program.
Thermal

Studies

This apparatus simulates heat transfer characteristics of underground

heat distribution systems. The insulated hot water test pipe at right

will be inserted into a conduit, whose end is shown at the end of the box.
Thermal Measurement Technology

Chock I. Siu

(301) 921-3536

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

This project is a continuation of a several-year

project in which a new type of thermal conductivity

measuring apparatus and automated air leakage apparatus

were developed. The former is needed for more speedy

and accurate measurements of thermal conductivity for

various building materials, while the latter is an

important addition to the air leakage measurement

capability of CBT. The existing facility for the automatic

air leakage instrumentation is very bulky and difficult to

transport from one test building to another.

The "Robinson" apparatus will be used to make

comparative measurements of various thermal

conductivity reference specimens at various temperature

levels and thicknesses to validate the precision of the

apparatus. A design of the new apparatus suitable for

very thick specimens will be initiated during this fiscal

year.

The present apparatus for the automated air

infiltration meter is too bulky and difficult to handle for

field operation. A new design for the unit will be made

to carry it in several pieces.

A report describing operating experience and

calibration accuracy will be prepared on the new

"Robinson" apparatus. The instruments being developed

under this project are critical to the energy conservation

of buildings.

Thermal Performance of Major Building

Elements

Paul R. Achenbach

(301) 921-3106

Center for Building Technology

Headquarters

Sponsor: Department of Energy

This program will be carried out through a comprehensive plan developed in cooperation with the

DOE, BRAB, and the building material and component

industries. The following major elements are involved: a

testing program in industry laboratories to generate a

data bank on current and innovative building envelope

systems; research at NBS, ORNL, LBL, and elsewhere

to develop new guidelines on control of heat

transmission, air leakage, and moisture transfer in major

building elements and whole structures, to characterize

heat transmission in attics, crawl spaces, slab-on-grade

construction, and massive building elements; laboratory

and field research to integrate the benefits of daylighting,

solar effects, and thermal resistance of windows and

skylights; new measurement technology and test procedures to standardize the methodology for

characterizing building element performance; and

development of analytical models for predicting the

thermal performance of composite building elements to

minimize large-scale testing. The results from this activity

will be greater and more predictable energy

conservation, a sound basis for competition in the

building industry, and greater assurance of building

durability, habitability, and economy to the consumer.

32

I
Attic Ventilation Criteria

Douglas M. Burch

(301) 921-3620

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

This study will determine the kinds of moisturerelated problems found in attics and the extent to which

these problems are due to the type and amoimt of

thermal insulation used in attic spaces.

The FHA/HUD Minimum Property Standards

provide guidelines for the minimum amount of attic

ventilation to prevent moisture damage. These guidelines

were derived from limited data on attics with limited

amoimts of ceiling insulation. Today, a strong need exists

to marshall information on the moisture question with

respect to attics having large amounts of ceiling

insulation.

The approach for this project is to search the

literature and organize findings in a compendiimi, to

survey experts in the subject area, and to go into the field

and examine firsthand the moisture content of attics that are heavily insulated. A report will detail the results of

this research. This report will compliment the document

to be published in late FY 78 on attic ventilation

measurements in Houston, Texas.

Natural Ventilation for Home Cooling

Charles M. Hunt

(301) 921-3560

Building Thermal and Services Systems

Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

This project will determine when outside air may be

substituted for air conditioning, what ventilation rates are

required, and how much energy is saved. It will also

develop algorithms to simulate the effects of natural

ventilation under different ventilation schedules and

different climatic conditions.

Cooling rate measurements will be made in a home

under different rates of ventilation and quantify the

conductive and convective components of heat loss. It is further proposed to quantify the effect of closing a house

during the day and opening it at night during different

rates of ventilation. Tracer measurement of infiltration rates at high rates of air exchange will be explored. A

mathematical model of natural ventilation will be

developed. It is also hoped to develop methods for

measuring natural cooling of a house in the outdoor

environment and correlate it with on-site weather data.

Also included in this research is the pulsed air leakage

through cracks due to atmospheric turbulence, and the

development of methods for constant monitoring of air

leakage by sensitive pressure transducers.

The project will be coordinated with several other

ventilation projects that deal with attic ventilation,

whole-house fans, and ventilation controls. This research

is also being funded by DOE and with the Lawrence

Berkeley Laboratory.

33
Latent Cooling Performance of a FanCoil Unit

James Kao

(301) 921-3844

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: Department of Defense TriServices Committee

Fan-coil units are installed in many military

dormitories and other types of buildings. When these

buildings are located in high humidity regions, they

simply do not remove enough moisture from those

spaces, resulting in mildew and fungus growth. This

report will test a fan-coil unit by varying its control

schemes, air flow rates, and other parameters in

environmental chambers to evaluate its sensible and

latent cooling performance. Tests are conducted for both

steady-state conditions and in saturated rooms.

This study will result in a report on the test results

and the recommended fan-coil unit system modifications

to improve dehumidification capacity. The sponsor

intends to use the results for design and specification

criteria for existing and new barracks. In addition, the

knowledge gained from this research should allow CBT

to recommend changes in the existing ASHRAE

standard on fan-coil units.

Underground Heat Distribution Systems

Tamami Kusuda

(301) 921-3501

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: Department of Defense TriServices Committee

Although numerous underground heat distribution

systems are on the market, only the air-conduit systems

are approved for Class A (high water table) application

by the Tri-Services. There are, however, several non-airconduit systems that appear to be acceptable for Class A

application. Critical evaluation and testing are required

to determine the suitability of these new systems. At the

request of the Tri-Services, CBT will acquire new

underground systems and develop suitable test procedures to determine the adequacy of these new

systems for Class A application. Also required are

several field visits to observe the in-situ performance of

these systems.

In the past, CBT has been considered the central source for technical information on underground heat

distribution systems and is frequently consulted by other

government agencies and industries.

Effects of IMoisture in Retrofit

Insulation

Robert G. Mathey

(301) 921-2629

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Large increases in the use of thermal insulation in

buildings will be required by the national energy policy.

However, there are serious questions about the

accumulation of moisture in insulation and its effects on

the efficiency of the insulation and on the permanence of

the flame retardants used in some of them.

In this project, the absorption isotherms of common

insulation for buildings will be determined, as will the

rates of transfer of water vapor into insulation under

different relative humidity, temperature, and total

pressure conditions. The effects of differences in

composition within a class of insulation on moisture

absorption will be investigated. Movements of watersoluble constituents of insulation under temperature and

RH gradients, including ones in which condensation

34
occurs, will also be investigated. The results of the work

will be reported and guidelines for the selection of

insulation will be presented.

The results will be published in the open literature

and talks will be presented at conferences such as those

conducted by ASTM and ASHRAE. The improved

guidelines and criteria will aid the selection of cost- effective insulations. Knowledge of the permanency of

flame retardant treatments of insulations will help reduce

the risks of fire.

Large-Scale Test Facility for Insulated

Building Elements

Tamami Kusuda

(301) 921-3501

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

This project will develop several conceptual designs

of a large-scale test facility for insulated building

elements such as walls, ceilings, floors, wall/ceUing

joints, and wall/floor joints under laboratory-controlled

environmental conditions.

Although the existing test facUity for air-moisture

and heat transfer through building walls serves as an

evaluation of a wall section in terms of heat conduction,

moisture penetration, and condensation, it is inadequate

for the comprehensive studies of joints between the roof

and wall and between the floor and wall, where crucial

air leakage, condensation, and the cold bridge effect

(thermal short circuit) take place.

In coordination with the ASTM C-16 committee,

ASHRAE TC committee on thermal insulation,

industrial research laboratories such as Owens/Coming,

Johns Manville, and with the Federal Construction

Council, BRAB/TAU group, several large-scale design

concepts for test facilities will be developed and

evaluated during the fiscal year with respect to

feasibility, accuracy, application, and cost. Included in

the studies will be the instrumentation and material

handling aspects and automated data acquisition. The

facility, when completed, is expected to make a large

impact on energy conservation standards such as ASHRAE 90-75, HUD Minimum Property Standards,

and the NCSBCS Model Code, as well as on ASTM

C-236.

Air and Smoke Migration in Building

Tamami Kusuda

(301) 921-3501

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

It is important to predict the movement of smoke

and hot air within a building through doors, cracks,

elevator shafts, and ventilation systems. Aiding this work

will be a number of computational techniques that have

been used to predict the distribution of heating and

cooling air. The Center for Fire Research at NBS has

been developing a sophisticated computer program to

predict smoke migration under simulated fire conditions.

This program will be modified to include normal heat

transfer processes within a room under non-fire

conditions for use in predicting air motion and

35
temperature. A modified computer program, a user's manual, and a technical report summarizing work will be

produced.

The program will be carried out jointly by CBT and

the Center for Fire Research. Both Centers will select

technical personnel to oversee and use the improved

computer program. The computer program should be

able to generate a technical data base for the

modification of current energy conservation standards

and design practices, which do not now consider the

spatial distribution of air and temperature. The impact on

the building community will be the availability of a very

comprehensive analytical tool to study the multi-room

energy transfer problem.

Thermally Efficient Roofing Systems The nation's inventory of low-slope roofing is approximately 25 billion square feet and the average

Robert G. Mathey thermal resistance (R) of these roofs is less than 7. Over

(301) 921-2629 40 percent of the low-slope roofs contain no insulation at Structures and Materials Division all. The magnitude of the energy savings that could be

realized by an increase of 10 in the thermal resistance of

Sponsor: Department of Energy the nation's 25 billion square feet of low-slope roofing in

commercial/industrial buildings in a 5000 degree-day

climate could result in a savings of 155,000 barrels per

day equivalent. Conversely, during a cooling season, a

potential energy savings of 700 million kilowatt hours or

$15.4 million could be achieved in a cliniate requiring

1,000 equivalent operating hours.

Other serious problems associated with roofing are the performance of roof systems containing increased

amounts of insulation and the effect of moisture on the

components in the system. Small amounts of moisture in

some insulations will significantly reduce thermal

efficiency. Moisture in roof systems has also led to

premature membrane failures such as blistering, splitting,

ridging, and wrinkling.

This project is a cooperative effort with industry,

the private sectors and government. The objective is to

develop and provide the technical basis for increasing the

thermal efficiency of new and existing low-slope

(industrial type) roofing systems while retaining essential

characteristics of serviceability of the total roof system

and durability of the roofing membrane.

Under this project, CBT will take the lead in

supplying the building industry including ASTM with

criteria and guidelines for increasing the thermal

efficiency of roofmg systems. Together, these should

result in the selection of effective and compatible

materials for serviceable and durable roofing systems and

in enormous energy savings.

36
Thermal Insulation, ASTM C-16

Frank J. Powell

(301) 921-3637

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The efficient use of thermal insulation has become

the first line of defense against fuel wastage. ASTM and

Federal standards are widely used to implement

incentives and requirements contained in legislative and

building codes and standards, for both new and existing

buildings of all types. For this reason, CBT takes an

important part in the task of generating, maintaining, and

up-dating methods of test and material and performance

specifications sponsored by ASTM. CBT contributes by

direct participation at committee meetings and by

preparation of written materials and analyses between

meetings on a year-round basis.

Dow Chemical Research Associate

Program

Tamami Kusuda

(301) 921-3501

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

In line with CBT's efforts to develop evaluation

criteria for mobile homes, the nation's largest group of

low-cost housing units, Dow Chemical Company

provides a research associate to work with CBT

engineers for testing its innovative mobile home

prototype in the NBS environmental chamber. The

evaluation entails the use of a sandwich panel, cladded

with fire-retardant gypsum interior finish board. The

environment chamber tests include heat loss, heat gain,

air infiltration, thermographic study of wall heat leakage,

and energy consumption. Similar tests have been

conducted in previous years on a conventional mobile

home (fiberglass insulation between the wooden studs).

The results of these two systems will be compared to see how effective the Dow sandwich panel design is from

the standpoint of energy consumption and air leakage.

The findings of this program will be made available to

the public. They are also expected to impact the mobile

home codes such as NFPA 50 IB (ANSI A119.9).

Building Infiltration Evaluation

Charles M. Hunt

(301) 921-3560

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Reduction of outside air is one of the strategies

proposed to save energy in the heating and cooling of

buildings. There is need for better information on natural

ventilation rates of buildings with outside air dampers

closed. High-rise buildings present special problems.

Such information is needed before we know where we

stand with respect to existing ventilation standards, as well as the possible revision of standards.

Milestones for the current year will focus on the

measurement of the effect of wind and temperature

effects on the natural air leakage rate of the NBS

Administration Building. A computation scheme recently

developed at the National Research Coimcil of Canada

for predicting air infiltration rates in tall buildings will be

experimentally tested. If successful, the results will

provide strengthened methodology for predicting the

natural ventilation rates of high-rise buildings.

37
Thermal Modeling of Slab-on-grade

Floors

Douglas M. Burch

(301) 921-3620

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

This project will improve existing handbook data

ground-floor heat loss for slab-on-grade floors by

conducting numerical calculations of heat conduction

equations. Steady and non-steady finite difference

equations are being solved to develop a model that

simulates the heat transfer of slab-on-grade floor.

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

38
Mechanical

Systems

Drs. Walter Parken (left) and George Kelly, Building Thermal and

Service Systems Division, monitor the performance of a residential heat pump in one of CBTs environmental laboratories.

39
ASHRAE Standards for Heating and

Cooling Equipment (Heating)

David A. Didion

(301) 921-2994

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Currently, testing and rating requirements for

central furnaces and boilers are described in a number of

standards, including ANSI Z21.47-1973 and ANSI Z91.1.

1972 for gas and oil-fired furnaces, ARI 280 for electric

furnaces and boilers, ANSI Z2 1.13-1974 for gas-fired

low-pressure boilers, and the Hydronic Institute's

"Testing and Rating Standard for Cast Iron and Steel

Heating Boilers" for oil-fired central heating boilers.

These standards all require a steady-state performance

test and do not account for any part-load or seasonal

performance. To estimate the seasonal efficiency and

annual operating cost of fossil fuel heating systems, it is necessary to account for the various heating system

losses under cyclic operating conditions and for the

effect of combustion and draft control air on infiltration.

The state-of-the-art in our industry has now reached

the point that we are capable of determining a more

realistic estimate of the true annual cost of operation.

Under this project, CBT will help ASHRAE develop a standard testing and rating procedure that will enable a manufacturer to determine the seasonal performance of

any central furnace or boiler (gas, oil, electric) with an

input rating <420,000 Btu/hr.

ASHRAE Standards for Heating and

Cooiing Equipment (Air Conditioning)

David A. Didion

(301) 921-2994

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Testing and rating requirements for imitary air

conditioners are described in the ARI Standard 210-75

and for heat pumps in the ARI Standard 240-75. Test

procedures used to evaluate them are given in ASHRAE

Standard 37-69. However, since these procedures are based on steady-state tests at only one rating point,

estimating the cost of operation of an appUance in a given climate is not very realistic. The state-of-the-art of our industry has now reached a point where we are capable of determining for any climate the seasonal

performance of an appliance using either steady-state or

cyclic tests, the latter offering more accurate results but

at a cost of more involved testing. The Federal

government under its Appliance Labeling Section of PL

63-194 has already proposed a part-load test and seasonal

performance rating procedure for residential central air

conditioners.

Under this study, CBT will help ASHRAE develop

a standard testing and rating procedure that will enable a manufacturer to determine the seasonal performance of

any central air conditioner (single phase, air cooled condenser) that has less than 65000 Btu/hr output. This

standard is the ASHRAE Standard 103. IP Method of

Testing for Cooling Seasonal Efficiency of Unitary Air

Conditioners and Heat Pumps.

40
Performance Prediction iUlodeiing for

Heat Pumps and Air Conditioners

David A. Didion

(301) 921-2994

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The objective of this project is to develop a

theoretical simulation model for predicting the dynamic

performance of a unitary heat pump or air conditioner.

The product of this project will be a model, similar to

the NBS furnace/boiler model, which will act as the

backbone for our empirical program of predicting energy

performance of all heat pumps and air conditioners of

residential size.

The results of this project as well as the laboratory

projects under DOE/FEA sponsorship are to be

implemented through the ASHRAE Standards

Committee 103, under which round robins and data

exchanges are to be conducted to develop a simplified,

less costly dynamic rating procedure.

Deveiopment of Standard Test and

Rating Procedure for Heat Pump

Systems—iModified Temperature Bin

Method

Walter Parken

(301) 921-3774

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

The BLAST computer program wUl be used to

model and predict hourly residential heating and cooling

loads. Several residential constructions wUl be modeled

and hourly heating and cooling loads predicted in several

regions around the country using actual weather data.

From the hourly load data, a correlation wUl be

developed to predict the building heating and cooling

loads. The correlation will then be used to develop a modified temperature bin procedure which calculates the

heating and cooling seasonal efficiency and seasonal

energy consumption. This manual calculation procedure

will be compared with more exact methods using

computerized hour-by-hour analysis.

A modified temperature bin calculation procedure

will be developed which predicts the building heating

and cooling load, as well as seasonal energy usage and

seasonal efficiency, more accurately than the present

method. The calculation procedure will purposely be

kept simple, not requiring the use of a computer. A

permanent data file will be available containing hourly

cooling load data for several residential models in several

regions throughout the country, using actual weather

data. This data file may be used by building researchers

in the future for building heating and cooling load

analyses.

Deveiopment of Standard Test and

Rating Procedure for Heat Pump

Systems—Test iMetiiod for EngineDriven Heat Pump

Barry R. Maxwell

(301) 921-3844

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

With the sponsorship of DOE, a number of

innovative heat pump systems are currently imder

development around the country, including heat enginedriven heat pumps. There is, however, no standardized

test and evaluation procedure available for these

innovative systems. Industry and Government are unable

to evaluate and compare these new heat pump systems

and to make sound decisions regarding which are worthy

of further development. A standardized test and rating

procedure, incorporating provisions specifically tailored

to the nature of each innovative system, is required so

41
Furnace Efficiency

David A. Didion

(301) 921-2994

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

that the published results of different research teams

working on different types of heat pump systems may be

effectively compared on the same technical basis. The

objective of this particular project is the development of

a generic test and rating procedure for engine-driven heat

pumps.

The initial phase of the study will be a survey and

review of experimental and analytical results obtained on

engine-driven Rankine cycle heat pumps by other

researcher agencies. The survey will not be restricted to a particular type of engine, but rather, will include a range of heat engines (Stirling cycle, Diesel cycle,

Rankine cycle, Brayton cycle, etc.) which are potentially

suitable for heat pump applications. This information will

then be integrated with: a) NBS experience and test results on Stirling cycle engine and diesel engine driven

heat pumps, b) existing NBS test and rating procedures

on electric driven Rankine cycle heat pumps and other

heating and cooling devices, and c) appropriate ASMESAE-ASHRAE test and rating codes. It is expected that

this approach will result in the draft of a comprehensive

test and rating procedure sufficiently general that it may

be used for most of the engine driven systems likely to be

employed in building in the near future.

Based on our extensive fieldwork in residential oil

burners, we have concluded that the major obstacle to

improving operational efficiency is that servicemen do

not take the necessary time to perform time-ups

accurately. The basic measurements required are on

smoke, flue temperature, and COj in the exhaust. The

present field test requires approximately 30 minutes. This

project will develop a meter system to measure the three

parameters with equal accuracy in less than 10 minutes.

The prototype will be made available to manufacturers

for development. The two innovations in the new meter

are continuous gas flow absorption and a method for

predicting steady-state temperature based on warm-up

temperature readings.

After a thorough review of possible COj detection

methods, the continuous-flow ORSAT technique has

been selected and is under development. In the end, this

device will facilitate the adoption of CBT's furnace tuneup procedure because it will shorten the time-up time. At

least one major meter manufacturing firm has agreed to

undertake mass production if feasibihty is proven.

42

i
Part-Load Efficiency

David A. Didion

(301) 921-2994

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Considerable energy waste is known to result from

mismatching and oversizing (safety-factor padding) of

mechanical equipment in large HVAC systems. This

practice has come about, in part, because of the lack of

published data describing the part-load and/or dynamicload characteristics of the equipment.

The role of CBT will be one of the central

coordinator of all major equipment part-load data. This

role entails determination of equipment priorities, the

type of data needed, and the method by which the data

will be gathered; designation of who should gather

specific data; and development of the format in which

the data should be presented. It is anticipated the format

will take either an algorithmic expression for computer

program subroutine or a design book for manual

calculations. The methods of data generation could

include searching and transcribing from existing

literature, theoretical modeling, laboratory or factory

experiment, and field evaluation.

The overall (3 years) plan has been developed:

generally with details filled in as the project proceeds. It amounts to a listing of the major equipment items and a determination of the status of part-load performance data.

If the data are known, the best source of information is determined. If data are unknown, the best method of

generating the data is determined. The output of the

project will take on forms which will be useful for either

computer or manual design calculation schemes.

Automated HVAC Controls

James Kao

(301) 921-3844

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Automated heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning

systems can control building comfort, energy use, fire

alarms, security alarms, maintenance alarms, and several

other functions. Their application has greatly increased

since the energy cost increase of 1973. Even though all the systems supplied by different manufacturers use the

same basic components, different techniques in system

design and application make the selection of the most

effective system quite complex. For this reason, CBT is studying system performance and developing a purchase

specification for consumers. Based on prior experience with building energy

conservation, a performance criteria and specification

will be drafted. Topics will include ease of control,

system reliability, future expandability, maintenance and

serviceability, flexibility in software/hardware program

changes and costs.

43
Appliance Energy Usage Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975

requires that CBT assist the Department of Energy in

George E. Kelly developing test procedures for certain products. CBT is (301) 921-3839 helping to meet this obligation by developing test Building Thermal and Service Systems procedures for furnaces, boilers, heat pimips, and central

Division air conditioners. DOE wUl use this procedure in deciding

the final test procedures that manufacturers will be

Sponsor: Department of Energy ^^^^^^ ^ '^^^^^g ^^^^ products.

Laboratory testing and computer modeling is being

carried out to develop and verify the test and calculation

procedures for furnaces, boilers, heat pumps and central

air conditioners. Close contact is being maintained with

various manufacturers and standard-writing organizations

to assure the accuracy, fairness and acceptability of the

test procedures.

The project will result in three reports containing

the test and calculation procedures for furnaces/boilers,

heat pumps, and central air conditioners. Several

technical publications on the topics of seasonal

efficiency, annual operating costs, expected energy

savings resulting from different design options, will also

be published. This work will result in labeling furnaces,

boilers, heat pumps, and central air conditioners with

accurate estimates of their seasonal performance and

annual operating cost. Consumers then can select the

most efficient appliance and thereby help conserve our energy resources.

Household Energy Usage

Richard A. Grot

(301) 921-3470

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

This project provides data on the actual usage of

major household appliances, the energy efficiency of the

appliances, the environment in which the appliances

operate, and the user habits that affect their operation. A

series of data tapes obtained from a group of twelve

townhouses over a period of two years will be analyzed

to obtain actual performance of water heaters, refrigerators, dishwashers, clothes washers, clothes driers,

ranges, central furnaces, and central air conditioners.

This analysis will be used to help verify laboratory test methods for evaluating household apphances for their

energy efficiency and water usage. This work helps

establish minimum energy and water-usage standards for

household appliances.

44
Plumbing

Shower heads are being tested to determine their water conserving

potential.
VA Hospital Plumbing Criteria

Paul Kopetka

(301) 921-3470

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: Veterans Administration

In this project, full-scale vent stack and header test configurations will be instnmiented in the Plumbing

Research Laboratory with high speed data acquisition

components coupled to CBT minicomputer. Dynamic

measurements of pneumatic parameters will provide

reduced-size venting (RSV) and vent header design data.

Larger header bend configurations will be tested to

determine limit design conditions of flow circulation

exchange, pressure losses, and friction drop. The result of

this will be methods for measurement and control of

RSV/Header Testing. Data will be collected and

analyzed for design and recommendation reports to the

VA on variable RSV, vent header limits, vent header

return bends and mechanical vents. The results will also

be made available to the model code groups and to the

ANSI A40 Committee for National Plumbing Code

Revision. Selected portions will be prepared as technical

papers to the American Society of Plumbing Engineers

and journals. Overall, incorporation of RSV systems in

Veterans Administration hospitals could result in large

cost savings within two years.

Field Evaluation of Reduced Size

Venting

Richard Grot

(301) 921-3470

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: Department of Defense, TriServices Committee

To date, data on reduced-size venting evaluations

have been broadly useful to CBT as a basis for initiating an information library useful in updating the water

demand design curve, i.e., "Hunter's Curve." The results

of our numerous RSV tests have been presented in

several NBS reports and talks to a variety of audiences

including the ANSI A40 Committee and NCSBCS.

Overall, the success of this project has not been

limited to showing the effectiveness of RSV. It has

demonstrated how innovative approaches can gain

recognition and how the performance-oriented approach

can lead to materials and energy savings.

National Plumbing Code, ANSI A40

Lawrence S. Galowin

(301) 921-3293

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The ANSI A40 National Plumbing Code was last

revised in 1955; later efforts to update it were

unsuccessful. The current revision of the Specification

Code is anticipated to have impact on model codes and

now has possibility of gaining ANSI acceptance. The

Performance Code is being developed as complementary

to the revised code and is independently beginning to be

developed; the effect on other codes is expected to be

significant.

CBT will prepare inputs for developing revisions to

the ANSI A40 code. CBT will also provide technical

inputs to selected guidelines; develop recommended

language and statements of chapters; supply commentary

in reviews of final revised code and ballot on completed

document.

CBT contributes by direct participation and by

presenting written materials to the various subcommittee

46
chapter leaders of the revised code. The dehvery of

performance recommendations occurs at meetings

between CBT staff and model code officials and at professional and trade associations, and through papers

prepared for USNCCIB-W62, CIB-W62, ASPE, ASSE,

and NCSBCS. The documents provided by CBT have

considerable influence on the shaping of the Code. The

constituency affected by these CBT inputs includes

design engineers, local inspectors, and elements of

Federal specifications.

Plumbing Systems Design Criteria

Paul Kopetka

(301) 921-3470

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

CBT is a primary source of national research in

plumbing. The acceptance of innovative engineering

solutions to problems requires improvement in method,

development of guideline criteria, and design

requirements based upon a substantial data base. The

plumbing community has identified the need for revision

of storm drainage systems requirements from new

weather load data information. Further, the support of

Veterans Administration Hospital plumbing systems

studies is derived from the Plimibing Research

Laboratory dynamic measurement capability. The study

of the dynamics of reduced size venting for the V.A.

"building system" requires adaptation of the existing

laboratory, data acquisition, and minicomputer programs

for that test program. Likewise, other studies support the

CBT advocacy and participation in the thrust to develop

an ANSI A40 Performance Based National Plumbing

Code as a national consensus standard.

Technology of Water Conservation

Richard A. Grot

(301) 921-3470

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Although water shortages are being experienced

across the United States, present sources of water and

existing treatment plants could remain adequate for a number of years if reduction in potable water usage

could be achieved. However, this will require a great

deal of CBT research, especially in determining the effect

on domestic water use of new flow-rate standards that

mandate flow reduction devices, the effect on hygiene

and waste transports due to reduction in toilet flush

water, the energy savings from reduction in hot water

usage, and the minimum potable water requirements for

residences. As a first step, CBT is developing test procedures for evaluating water conserving toilets, and

methods for evaluating the effect of reduced flow on the

transport of solids in horizontal drainage systems.

This research will provide technical bases for

changes in codes and standards for water consuming

devices. Also, planning officials, including professional

societies, model code groups, and the ANSI A40

Committee, will be provided with technical findings to serve as a water usage resource base.

47

Environmental

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Warnings and other safety-related information are frequently communicated through visual displays. CBT researchers are studying

the color and legend requirements for these signs.

49
Building Access/Egress Studies The U.S. has a very high incidence of injury and

death due to fire. One of the critical aspects of these

George E. Turner tragic losses is pedestrian egress and escape movements

(301) 921-2102 during an emergency. To predict how people will react

Environmental Design Research Division during an emergency, we must have a solid base of

information as to what they do during normal operations.

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards During the sixteen days of the 1976 Summer Games

in Montreal, time samples of crowd flow along the major

circulation routes within the stadium were collected

using super-8 film and videotape. From these data, measures of flow and queue formation at key points

throughout the movement system will be made. From

working drawings of the stadium and from detailed

plans, the physical route dimensions, configurations, and

information deUvery systems can be determined. By

linking these environmental factors with the data on

observed pedestrian flows, the impact of the former on

the latter can be determined.

Because of the relationship between a study of

pedestrian movement and earlier projects on door and

stair use, unpublished technical and consmner reports

from these projects will be available. The result will be a complete archive on doors, stairs, and circulation.

The major benefit of this study will be the

identification of those features of complex circulation

systems that regulate flow throughout the remainder of

the system. The identification of such "control points" or "choice points" will be useful in designing and assessing

the effectiveness of large pedestrian movement systems

such as those found in large transportation facihties and

those designed for emergency egress from places of

assembly.

Building Access/Egress Research Codes and standards relating to building access and

Planning egress are based almost entirely upon engineering

principles. Accordingly, they appear to be blind to

Fred I. Stahl considerations for human behavioral and psychological

(301) 921-2627 factors beUeved to influence effective egress and access. Environmental Design Research Division This gap is believed to be especially acute where

occupants suffer from mobility, perceptual, and/or

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards developmental disabihties. Moreover, such research has

suggested that the behavioral science state-of-art related

to building access and egress provides no data base

sufficiently adequate for the preparation of specific performance criteria of regulatory statements. Ck)nsequently,

the research program developed through this project

shall address the long-range objective of providing the

building community with supportable technical bases for

complex and multifaceted design decisions. The special

problems covered under this broad objective include

emergency egress by normal building occupants, as well

as access and egress by handicapped persons under both

emergency and non-emergency conditions. The

50
development of a comprehensive technical base for

design criteria implies a multidisciplinary approach,

involving architectural, behavioral science, and

engineering expertise.

Simulation of Human Beiiavior in Fires

Fred I. Stahl

(301) 921-2627

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: Public Health Service,

Department of Health, Eduation and

Welfare

A computer program that simulates human behavior

in building fires was prepared. The long-range objective

of this simulation is to provide a tool with which

building designers and code administrators could better

assess the life safety potential of both planned and

existing structures. The immediate purpose of the study

has been to explicate the emergency egress phenomenon,

and to identify areas where new empirical investigation

will be required. This project addresses itself to the

completion of the computer programming effort already

under way, and to the conduct of simulation studies

aimed at providing data useful to the calibration and

validation of the simulation program.

iManchester Buiiding—User Acceptance The Manchester energy conservation demonstration

building has several innovative design features. But it is Gary T. Yonemura essential to determine how these innovations compare

(301) 921-2680 with one another, not only in energy costs but in terms of

Environmental Design Research Division occupant acceptability and performance. Occupant

reactions to the envirormient are not only general and

Sponsor: Department of Energy long term, but also are highly specific and time

dependent—i.e., they change within a single day. Two

approaches will be employed—one based on

questioimaire surveys and the other on an automated

system that permits responses by pressing a button, thus

allowing reactions to be collected and yet not disrupt the

working activities of the employee. Emphasis wUl be

concentrated on the thermal and luminous environment

and windows.

One of the major innovations of the building is the use of smaller windows as a means of conserving energy.

This design characteristic is controversial—especially

since very little is known concerning the effects of

reducing window size on building occupants. The

building includes five different luminaire systems, having

approximately the same power, but with probable

differences in the effectiveness of the system for visual

performance. A series of CBT reports covering all these

matters will detail how these occupants are responding to

these latest energy conservation schemes.

51

I
Noise In and Around Buildings

Simone L. Yaniv

(301) 921-2263

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The objective of the project is to develop improved

procedures for measuring and characterizing

environmental noise in buildings in terms that are relevant to human responses. In turn, these will become

the basis for equitable regulation of noise and of isolation

against environmental noise. Noise abatement and control

ultimately rests upon the ability to describe the effects on

people of a given noise accurately and precisely.

Architects, engineers, and builders seek reliable criteria

and means for analyzing and controlling noise

propagation within and into buildings. However,

measurement procedures are often not standardized

because, there are no agreed-upon noise criteria.

Human response to noise is partially dependent upon

three parameters: amplitude, frequency spectrum, and the

variations of both of these quantities with time. To

provide a complete description of the noise enviroiunent

requires a combination of these three parameters, using a conversion scheme. The result is a psychophysical scale

and algorithm that relates the important noise parameters

to a subjective response that cannot be measured

directly. Work in that direction is continuing at the

Center.

Noise Control for Designers

Arthur Rubin

(301) 921-2177

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Adverse noise effects are increasing, and they are most pronounced in urban settings. The Enviroimiental

Protection Agency estimates that 10 million people Uve

in environments whose sound level is seventy decibels or more. The objective of this project is to provide

architects, engineers, and planners with improved

knowledge of acoustic characteristics and sound

attenuation techniques as a base for better design

practice. The project will produce an audio visual

presentation that realistically reproduces soimds

commonly found at or near building sites and sounds

generated within buildings, while simultaneously

showing the source of sound and the sound's acoustic

profile. In this way the audience will come to understand

numbers, graphs, and sounds in a linked fashion. These

base sounds will then be attenuated or reduced by

architectural modification of the physical environment,

and the resulting sounds, numbers, and graphs will be

presented for comparison. Alternative attenuation

techniques will be demonstrated and methods of calculation and prediction will be presented by means of

selected references to NBS publications.

52

ii
Highway Noise Criteria

Simone L. Yaniv

(301) 921-2263

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: Department of Transportation

Noise from highways and urban traffic has been

shown in social surveys to be a major source of

annoyance to the public. Research is underway to

develop improved criteria for rating time-varying

highway noise. Recordings of real and simulated traffic

noise have been obtained in the field. These recordings

are being analyzed for representative stimuli to be used in

laboratory psychoacoustic studies. Laboratories use four

different psychoacoustic procedures to ascertain himian

response to time-varying noise. The data thus obtained

will be evaluated in terms of several conceptual models

of human response, in conjunction with previously

reported data, to develop practical and relevant highway

noise criteria.

The data obtained will be made available to

voluntary standards organizations such as ANSI and

ASTM and are likely to result in the development of new

voluntary standards. These data will be useful in

developing criteria for building envelope design, building

site analysis, and in making decisions for the retrofit of

existing buildings to reduce highway noise.

Coior and Appearance The long-range objective of this project is the

continued development and application of color science

Gerald L. Howett and technology with the aim of optimizing the use of

(301) 921-2670 color in the promotion of safety, communication, visual

Environmental Design Research Division performance and comfort, and esthetic satisfaction.

Current emphasis is directed toward safety.

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards The tasks undertaken as part of this project tend to

divide into the categories of surface color and

illumination color. The surface-color part concerns itself

primarily with color standards, color-order systems, and

the dissemination of color information to those

concerned with specific applications. The principal

accomplishments last year were facilitating and adoption

of ANSI Z53.1, Safety Color Code for Marking Physical

Hazards, and publication of NBS Spec. Pub. 440, Color:

Universal Language and Color Names.

The illumination-color part will now be expanding

its research activity, with the completion of the Color

Applications Laboratory. This equipment will be used

for scaling-type studies of the visibility of warning lights.

The idea is to permit any signal light to be given a numerical rating on a common, standardized scale that

represents people's reactions. A standard reference light

will be developed, to which all other lights will be

compared. Then, the quantitative effects on conspicuity

of intensity and flash rate will be studied, and a paper

describing the scaling methodology will be published.

In addition, a seminar on Color in the Building

Industry will be convened, to determine the most

pressing color problems.

53

s
Building Illumination Standards

Albert R. Hattenburg

(301) 921-3454

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The building illumination community is engaged in a major controversy over the optimum design of lighting

systems versus the national need to conserve energy. The

basis for recommended illumination levels is being

seriously challenged, and often rejected, by practitioners

in the field, but no sound method is available to replace

it. A key element required is the provision of precise

physical measurement techniques to provide the

foundation for vision research, guide systems design, and

evaluate effectiveness of installed systems.

To this end, CBT is developing a laboratory capable

of precise physical measurements under both laboratory

and field conditions. The result will be a more precise

way of measuring bi-directional reflectance for a variety

of standard tasks. Eventually, the research should lead us away from today's wasteful habit of requiring more light

in buildings than is actually needed to complete simple

tasks.

Visual Environment

Gary T. Yonemura

(301) 921-2680

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The first part of this project deals with establishing an empirical basis for recommending levels of

illumination for visual task performance. The study

recognizes that two lighting systems flooding the same

task surface with identical levels of luminuous flux can

differ significantly in the effectiveness of the light for

task performance. The difference is dependent on the

placement and design of the luminaires. To study these

areas, work is proceeding on developing a reference

lighting system from which the relative performance of

lighting systems can be obtained, a standard task that is representative of commonly encountered tasks, and

instrumentation to measure contrast rendition.

Researchers are also looking into some of the basic

concepts involved in the prediction of contrast. To this

end a program to simplify calculation and understand

contrast rendition has begun.

Visual Alerting

Brian C. Pierman

(301) 921-2237

Enviroimiental Design Research Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Visual alerting is an essential element in the safe and

effective use of buildings, grounds, and facilities—largely

through color coding, signs, signals, symbols, and other

marking codes. But for these mechanisms to be complete

and effective, uniformity is essential. Industry,

government, standards organizations, building designers

and users, and the general public must use alerting

systems that are both clear and consistent. The proliferation of alerting systems can degrade safety and building

effectiveness.

The central ANSI Visual Alerting Secretariat,

administered by CBT, encourages a nationally unified

system of color, signs, and symbols in American National

Standards and assists in the development of international

standards by participating in the International Standards

54
Organization (ISO). Among the direct responsibilities of

VASEC is to administer the administrative requirements

of ANSI Committee Z535, including respective

subcommittees for safety colors, safety signs, and

symbols.

Criteria for Signs in Woricpiaces

Robert A. Glass

(301) 921-2670

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: Occupational Safety and Health

Administration

Warnings and other safety-related information are frequently communicated through visual displays, both

within fixed workplaces and aroimd temporary work

sites, indoors and outdoors. Safety-related visual displays are usually intended to serve two fxmctions: alerting

personnel to the presence of some situation requiring

attention; and transmitting further information

concerning the nature of the special situation and/or the

action to be taken by the viewer. In relation to such

signs, there is a growing proUferation of requirements at the international. Federal, and state levels addressing

aspects of color or legend. And in general, there is a lack

of experimental research to support the criteria for these

requirements. Moreover, there are no formalized procedures for measuring compliance with the requirements.

This project will address these problems through

literature searches, as well as laboratory experiments.

Results from this research will bring OSHA's current

standards on signs into agreement with the latest research

findings and with national and international agreements

moving towards a universal set of conventions for visual

displays.

Tasic Lighting Criteria There are designers who question the validity of the

current North American recommendations for levels of

Gary T. Yonemura illumination. Studies done at CBT indicate that the

(301) 921-2680 experimental basis for the current determination may be

Environmental Design Research Division invalid for many of the tasks encountered in practice.

Preliminary studies conducted with gratings at CBT

Sponsor: Department of Energy indicate that when visual performance is measured by

equality of contrast, the function obtained (contrast

plotted against luminance) is different from that obtained

when the visual task is detection. Follow-up studies

conducted with real-life tasks and alphabets gave

functions similar to those obtained with gratings. The

psychophysical quantification of the functions will be

accomplished by using a fluorescent system with reproductions of the NBS Microcopy Test Chart as the

stimulus. These data will serve as the primary reference

function from which recommended levels of illumination

will be derived. The project is also working on the

measurement and prediction of lighting system

effectiveness. Preliminary studies indicate the prediction of

lighting system effectiveness may be simplified, so that it can be more easily understood and used by the average

55
designer. The effect of these simplifications and other

assumptions involved will be tested with various lighting

systems.

A Guide for Window Design

S. Robert Hastings

(301) 921-2107

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

This work will result in a graphic table containing

critical window design concerns on one axis, window

component options on the other axis, and condensed

information (presented graphically where appropriate) in

the body of the table. This table will be a part of a pamphlet for building designers and owners, with a list of

references for detailed information. Its contents would

also be made available for incorporation in Architectural

Graphic Standards and other building community

publications.

Pedestrian Fiow on Buiiding Ramps

George E. Turner

(301) 921-2102

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The study of pedestrian flow on ramps is a project

where measures of human movement are intended for use

in ramp design guidelines and building regulations for

ramps. Compared to other building circulation elements,

there is relatively little pedestrian flow and design data

available about ramps, tending to limit their wider use as a design alternative. It is anticipated that regulatory

requirements for handicapped access to buildings will

mandate much greater use of ramps.

Data in the form of video tapes of both ingress and

egress at Baltimore Memorial Stadium comprise the data

base from which pedestrian movement measures on

ramps will be made.

From examinations of relationships between flow

variables, predictions of their values can be made for the

purpose of determining links between ramp

characteristics and pedestrian flow. The major benefit of

this project will be its contribution toward a better

understanding of the relationship between the

enviroimient and human activities.

56

i
Materials
Organic Coatings

Paul G. Campbell

(301) 921-3114

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Defense, TriServices Committee

The annual costs of organic coatings in the U.S.

exceed eight billion dollars. Maintenance costs alone

would be significantly reduced if better systems,

including surface preparation, were available. In

developing test methods and specifications, this project

contributes directly to the improvement of the coatings

technology used by the military and also contributes to

improvement of the nation's coatings technology through

publications, specifications, and participation in ASTM

activities.

Field tests are being monitored to evaluate the

performance of the new coating systems. In each case, the results obtained from a range of commercially

available materials will be used as the basis for Federal or

military specifications. The Paints and Protective

Coatings Manual will imdergo revision and wUl include

sections on legislative restrictions of paint components,

surface preparations, and a matrix table on paint

compatibilities, etc. Also, advisory and consultative

services, based upon laboratory and field tests will be

performed. This year, a report will be pubUshed on the

5-year field test of lead-pigment free coatings. The Paints

and Protective Coatings Manual will also be revised.

Improved guidelines for the selection and use of organic

coatings will lead to greater efficiency in the use of these

materials.

Corrosion-Preventive Coatings

Paul G. Campbell

(301) 921-3114

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: U.S. Air Force

Inadequate performance of coatings on steel is costing the Air Force more than $50,000,000 per year.

Most of their steel facilities must be recoated every 3 to 5

years despite the fact that modem industrial coating

practices should give 10 to 20 years of useful Ufe.

CBT's approach to this subject is in three phases:

field surveys, laboratory studies, and the development of

a guide specification. Initially, an informational

questionnaire will be sent to all Air Force bases requesting their coating failure experience, which wUl be

followed by selected on-site inspections. The laboratory

phase will begin with a survey of candidate coatings,

application procedures, and surface preparation methods.

Based upon the laboratory and field tests, a guide

specification wUl be developed for an effective corrosionpreventive system.

Results of this work will be distributed to

researchers, manufacturers, consxmiers, contractors, and

Federal, state, and local agencies. Publications in the

open literature, specifications, and talks at professional

and technical meetings will also accompany the

completion of this study.

58
Durability of Coatings for Steei

Larry W. Masters

(301) 921-3458

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Protective coatings for the steel and wood used in

buildings cost 4.5 billion dollars each year. The Steel

Structures Paintmg Council seeks to reduce the costs of

painting steel structures by increasing the painting cycle,

but its work is hindered by the restrictions being placed

on the constituents of paints (e.g., volatile solvents and

lead pigments) by OHSA, EPA, and many other

regulatory agencies. New and improved methods for

evaluating the durability and protective qualities of

coatings for steel are urgently needed if the new co^teffective coatings are to be recognized.

Under this project, the ASTM Methodology for

Durability Prediction, developed by CBT, will be

adapted to coatings for steel. The results will facilitate

development of improved durability tests for coatings for

wood and, consequently, improved selection criteria will

be forthcoming.

White House Painting Study The White House has been painted many times since

the early 1800's. Since paint failures have been a Paul G. Campbell continuing problem, this may be related to the following

(301) 921-31 14 factors: the architectural design of the building.

Structures and Materials Division sandstone substrate, moisture infiltration, and adhesion

problems related to the old paint layers. Data concerning

Sponsor: Department of Interior this unique building are needed to provide an optimal

approach to decisions concerning surface preparation,

types of coatings, painting cycle, application methods,

and the need for minimum disruption of the activities of

the White House.

This project will initially include critical analyses of

the historical records concerning painting practices and

resulting difficulties. The literature will be searched for

information on the types of potentially useful coatings,

recommended surface preparation, and application

procedures. Laboratory tests, e.g., adhesion, moisture

retention, color retention, etc., will be made on a sandstone substrate and, based upon the results, field tests on selected areas of the White House will be conducted.

Based upon laboratory and field investigations, a guide specification will be developed for painting the

White House. This specification will be part of a final

report that will also contain detailed material

requirements, project accomplishments, and

recommendations for interim activities before the optimal

program begins. The results will also be applicable to the

maintenance of other historic buildings.

59
Preservation of St. Louis Courtliouse

James R. Clifton

(301) 921-2630

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Park Service

The old St. Louis Courthouse is one of the most

important historic structures located west of the

Mississippi River. CBT is participating in a survey of the

condition and composition of the materials used in the

Courthouse. The first phase of the work will consist of a

field inspection of the old St. Louis Courthouse for the

purpose of identifying material problems. Samples of

brick, mortar, and paint will be selected and analyzed.

Based on the field inspection and laboratory work,

recommendations will be developed to assist the NPS in

the preservation of the Courthouse. Recommendations

on preservation methods will then be developed. This

project will contribute to the preservation of an

important historic structure. In addition, through the

project, methods for analyzing the materials of other

historic structures will be developed.

Protected iMembrane Roofing

Walter J. Rossiter, Jr. (301)921-3109

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Defense, TriServices Committee

Because protected membrane roofing systems use

insulation above the membrane, the membrane is not

subjected to large temperature changes, and is protected

from traffic, solar radiation, and most external forces.

Research has been carried out on the thermal

performance of protected membrane roofing systems and

tests have been conducted on their wind and fire

resistance. Other than these data, little information is available on the performance of these roofing systems

since they are relatively new and their performance has

not been evaluated objectively.

In this project, the factors that affect the

performance of test roofing systems will be identified.

Properties of the various materials used in their

construction will be reviewed as well as the interactions

of the materials with each other. A field survey will be

conducted to observe the condition and performance of

the systems in different climatic locations. Information

obtained from the literature search, discussions with

knowledgeable personnel, and the field survey will be

used as the basis for recommending guidelines.

Guidelines produced for the use of protected

membrane roofing systems will provide increased

performance of these systems and lead to less premature

failures. Increased performance and less premature

failures will result in economic savings. Further, energy

will be conserved since insulated roofs that perform

poorly or fail prematurely may not conserve energy

efficiently.

60
U.S.-Canada Project for Monitoring

Exposure Conditions

Larry W. Masters

(301) 921-3458

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Reliable evaluation of the performance and

durability of new materials is important to the

advancement of building technology. Although

laboratory and natural exposures are used in evaluating

the performance of materials, no generally satisfactory

relationships between the effects of different exposure

conditions have been developed. Better monitoring of

exposure conditions is essential to improvement of

durability technology, but electronic instruments can not

be used at remote outdoor exposure sites because of the

maintenance required. An alternate approach to

measuring the intensity of solar radiation to which test samples are exposed involves the use of light sensitive

plastics. This approach is being studied jointly by CBT

and the Canadian National Research Council.

In this project, CBT will identify candidate materials

and check their linearity of response to radiation in the

laboratory. The sensitivity of the materials to factors

other than sunlight will also be determined. Candidate

materials will be exposed at CBT and NRC sites and

calibrated against instrumental measurements of total and

UV radiation. In the end, recommendations for new

standards for radiation monitoring will be made to

ASTM and ISO.

Roofing and Coating Research for tlie

Army

Robert G. Mathey

(301) 921-2629

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: U.S. Army

The U.S. Army is the owner of many buildings that

vary in construction type and are located in a wide

variety of geographic and climatic areas. Since roofing

and coatings have been the source of problems for most

types of buildings in the U.S. Army, it offers an

opportunity to apply laboratory research studies and

practical field experience to the solution of special

problems. Through problem-solving activities, areas of

research may be identified and information may be

obtained to help develop or modify standards,

specifications, and criteria.

This work includes carrying out laboratory tests and

evaluations in the solution of problems as well as field

investigations. Recommendations will be made with

regard to the selection of materials and application

methods. The solution to these problems will also benefit

other governmental agencies and the private sector by

eliminating or reducing unanticipated early roofing and

coatings failures.

Performance of Roofing

Robert G. Mathey

(301) 921-2629

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Biu-eau of Standards

Two bilUon dollars are spent annually on the repair

and replacement of waterproofing membranes on lowslope roofs. Unsatisfactory performance of roofing

membranes is attributed to many factors, including

inadequate resistance to wind-upHft forces and splitting

caused by excessive stresses in the membrane. ASTM

and others (roofing contractors, architects, building

61
maintenance personnel, building owners, and materials

producers) consider it urgent that action be taken to

develop a standard test method to minimize losses from

uplift forces caused by wind. There is a need to describe

mathematically the performance of membrane roofing. It

is also relevant that CBT is participating in an

international committee, RILEM 31 -PCM, to assist in the

development of performance criteria for roofing.

In the wind-uplift study, the main candidates as standard tests will be evaluated in cooperation with

ASTM. The performance of stressed roofing membranes

will be modeled and compared to available data.

Performance criteria will be developed based on

available data as part of the RILEM committee activity.

This international cooperation in the development of

performance criteria for roofing will help avoid

unnecessary duplication of efforts and to direct the resources toward a common goal.

Polystyrene Roof Insulation

Robert G. Mathey

(301) 921-2629

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Defense, TriServices Committee

The energy crisis has increased the interest in the use of foamed plastic insulation for roofing. Although

polystyrene has excellent thermal resistance, it has

properties which may lead to unsatisfactory performance

of the roofing system. Criteria are needed for the design

of roofing systems and the selection of materials for

roofing systems that include polystyrene insulation

between the deck and the membrane. The sponsor, the

Tri-Services Committee, other government agencies, and

the private sector need information to allow the selection

of roof insulation materials that will perform

satisfactorily as part of a composite roof system.

Among other studies, this work will include

laboratory tests on various polystyrene rigid board

insulations to measure properties such as shear strength,

impact resistance, compressive strength, flexural strength,

coefficient of thermal expansion, and water vapor

permeability. A final report will be prepared with

recommendations.

Visual Techniques in Non-Destructive In radiography, magnetic particle, and penetrant

Evaluation (NDE) techniques in NDE, the human eye is used to detect and

measure imperfections. Since the eye is being used,

Gary T. Yonemura standardized visual tests are required to evaluate the per-

(301) 921-2680 formance of the human eye. Much is known about visual

Environmental Design Research Division processes, per se. but the visual conditions, techniques,

and information capacity required of the observer, as Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards specifically related to NDE, are not firmly estabhshed.

Field observations and interviews with NDE experts to

identify the visual information associated with typical

NDE tasks will be conducted. Microphotometric and

microdensitometric measurements will be made of NDE

tasks encountered in practice. These quantitative

62
descriptions of defect parameters will serve as the base

from which visual standards and methodology to assess and calibrate the eye will be derived.

These visual standards in turn will minimize the

variability in fault detection performance, a serious

problem in visual NDE methods. The information and

recommendations resulting from the study will be > forwarded to the American Society of Non-Destructive

Testing, ASME, and other special-interest groups (Air

Transport Association, U.S. Air Force) for their

consideration.

NDE of Building Materiais

James R. Clifton

(301) 921-2630

Structiires and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The application of nondestructive evaluation (NDE)

techniques to building materials is gaining increased

importance because of the need for the rapid and reHable

inspection of in-place materials. The present range of

conventional techniques for inspection is often

inadequate to meet the requirements encountered in

modem rapid construction practices, in the rehabilitation

of buildings, in the preservation of historic structures,

and in the maintenance of buildings in-service. In such

cases, there is a need to supplement conventional testing

methods with NDE techniques. In this project, the state- of-the-art of the use of NDE techniques during the

inspection of new construction and in the inspection of

existing structures will be addressed during a Federal

workshop (April 1978). In addition, research needs

related to the application of NDE techniques to building

materials will be identified. The feasibility of using

microwaves to measure the moisture flow patterns in

inorganic biiilding materials, such as concrete, stone and

earth, will be investigated. This project will contribute to

developing an NDE method that can be used in

inspecting new construction and existing structures.

NDE of iMoisture in Roofs Early detection of moisture in roofing is needed if deterioration is to be prevented. However, the usual

Lawrence I. Knab methods of inspection for moisture are slow, costly,

(301) 921-3169 require cutting samples from the roof, and seldom

Structures and Materials Division provide conclusive results. The best hope for

improvement of inspection procedures and improvement

Sponsor: U.S. Air Force of roofing maintenance programs is through

nondestructive evaluation (NDE) that will permit

reliable identification of wet areas of insulation and

membrane.

There are currently a number of promising

nondestructive evaluation methods such as nuclear

radiation, electrical capacitance, infrared thermography,

and infrared photography. Still, many uncertainties exist,

and a comprehensive study is needed to compare the

accuracies of these methods and their applicability so

that their proper role in roofing maintenance and repair

63
programs can be established. This project will study

these areas. In it, CBT will analyze results from the

various techniques, and guidelines and criteria will be

established for selecting the more effective methods.

Creep and Drying Shrinkage of

Concretes

Thomas W. Reichard

(301) 921-2186

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The trend toward lighter weight in buildings

coupled with the increasing scarcity of good-quality,

natiu-al concrete aggregates has led to the increased use of manufactured, lightweight aggregates. Confidence in

the use of the natural, normal-weight aggregates has

developed, through experience, over a long period of

time. Equivalent confidence in the use of the lightweight

aggregates is developing, but would be enhanced by

long-term performance data on concretes made with such

aggregates. The magnitudes of long-term length changes

in concrete are such that they lead to increased

deflection, loss of prestress, cracking, and movement in

concrete elements, all resulting in maintenance costs. While improvements have been made in the ability to

predict these changes, they are basically long-term effects

and there is a need to update existing data with long-term

observations to allow better prediction of the changes

and lead to reduced maintenance costs. In 1964, NBS published Monograph 74 which

included short-term data on the mechanical properties of

concretes made from 25 different lightweight and 5

different normal weight aggregates. Subsequently, data

on the strengths, creep and drying shrinkage for ages up

to 12 years were developed for the same concretes.

These data will be evaluated to supplement or replace

the pubUshed data.

Modeiing of Concrete Performance

James R. Clifton

(301) 921-2630

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Portland cement concrete is the most widely used

building material in the U.S. About 700 million tons is used annually. However, the selection of materials for use in concrete is largely empirical. Conservation of

energy and materials are encouraging the substitution of

blended cements for portland cements and the use of

waste materials as constituents of concrete. To ensure

that material substitutions do not cause unnecessary risks, a better basis for predicting the performance of concrete

is needed.

Under this project, a concepttial model and

computer program for modeling the hardening of cement

will be developed. Beginning with the mixing of cement

with water, the course of the chemical reactions taking

place will be modeled and used to predict setting,

strength development, heat evolution, and volume

change. The validity of the model will be checked

against laboratory data for single cement compounds and

against data for portland cements. The composition of

the liquid within the pores of hardened cement will be

64
used to predict the potential of different cements for deleterious reactions with aggregates in concrete. Finally, the

model will be applied to prediction of the early age

strength development of concrete at different

temperatures.

In the end, the model will provide researchers with

a tool for testing hypotheses about the performance of

cement and concrete which will aid in the planning of

research. It will also contribute to understanding differ- ences in performance between different cements.

Lead Paint Hazards

Philip P. Cramp

(301) 921-3180

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

The objectives of this project are: (1) the evaluation

of new portable x-ray fluorescent (XRE) lead analyzer

prototypes, developed under HUD contracts; (2) the

development of lead paint reference materials for use in

assessing the performance of lead analyzers and

calibrating them; (3) the provision of technical services

to HUD and other public agencies regarding the use of

lead analyzers and housing survey methodologies; (4) the

evaluation of the relationships between lead poisoning of

children and the incidence and levels of lead in various

environmental components; (5) the evalluation of

materials and techniques proposed for use in lead paint

hazard abatement by means of engineering judgment,

laboratory testing, field testing, and field demonstrations;

and (6) economic studies of the techniques used in the

Experimental Hazard Elimination Program (EHEP).

Two outputs of the study will be a paper on the

evaluation of the XRF lead detectors and new standard

reference materials for use with them, and an economics

report outlining EHEP cost models and how they can be

used by public officials and housing and building owners.

Test Methods for Fly Ashes

James R. Clifton

(301) 921-2630

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

A proposed use of waste glass from mimicipal refuse

is as an aggregate in portland cement concrete. However,

the alkalies in portland cement react with many types of

glasses to form expansive products that can lead to the

cracking of the concrete. These expansive alkaliaggregate reactions often can be mitigated by the

addition of certain fly ashes.

In this project, the effectiveness of different fly ashes

in mitigating expansive alkali-aggregate reactions will be

evaluated using both the synthetic aggregate specified in

ASTM C-441 and a beltane opal, the use of which as the

standard aggregate has been recently proposed. In

addition, the effects of varying the mix proportions of the

cement mortar will be investigated.

65

Safety
Slip-Resistance Criteria for Walkways

Sandford Adler

(301) 921-3180

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Current standards for slip-resistance of walkway

surfaces are inadequate in that they do not contain

quantitative criteria. Available data on floor friction are too closely associated with the type of apparatus used,

operator techniques, and other variables to be given

broad significance. The lack of accepted reference

surfaces makes it impossible to accept the validity of sHpresistance measurements taken at different laboratories,

with different testers, or under different conditions. This

has a direct impact on public and private standards

organizations and on the flooring, wax and polish, paint

and varnish, building maintenance, and shoe industries.

The concept of "generally accepted industry practice" is meaningless without quantitative criteria.

The NBS/CBT-Brungraber slip tester will measure

the slip-resistance of a variety of materials and identify

candidate reference materials. Candidate materials will be

precisely evaluated utilizing a laboratory calibration

table. A report entitled, "Proposed Reference Standard

Surfaces for Laboratory or Field Calibration of Devices

Used to Measure Walkway SUp-Resistance," will be

prepared. In the end, the development of reference

surfaces is equivalent to establishing a "yardstick" for

slip-resistance measurements. Without a set of generally

accepted surfaces, it is virtually impossible to relate slipresistance measurements surfaces taken at different

laboratories.

OSHA Technical and Scientific Support

Brian Pierman

(301) 921-2237

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: Occupational Safety and Health

Administration

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration

(OSHA), under Public Law 91-596, is charged with

assuring a safe and healthful enviroimient for workers. In

conjunction with this charter, OSHA promulgates

standards for all workplaces associated with interstate

commerce. OSHA is currently upgrading all its standards. Many have been found to lack technical soundness and provisional justification. Research is necessary

in these cases to develop provisions that provide the

necessary minimimi level of safety, based on sound

technical rationale. These standards must be provided

quickly to avert the economic and human consequences

of delay. CBT provides technical assistance through the

preparation of performance criteria, research, consultation and advisory services to OSHA.

The overall goal of this project is to provide support

in a systematic fashion, incorporating the individual

activities of all the projects into an effective general

product for OSHA's use. This includes coordinating

project outputs with OSHA's standards upgrading,

formal notices, and activities.

68
Safety Requirements for Construction

James O. Bryson

(301) 921-2474

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

At present, OSHA relies on ANSI Committee A10

as the principal source of standards information for its regulations. But there is an urgent need for updating

existing ANSI standards with the most recent scientific

and engineering data to serve as an adequate technical

base for the development of realistic standards directed

towards safe and cost-effective construction procedures.

CBT has the lead role in developing and providing

the basic technical information for updating specific

safety standards, particularly in the area of concrete

construction, trenching, and excavations, but also including such construction systems as scaffolding, safety nets,

etc. CBT participates in committee activities and

contributes to updating standards in areas where new

research information is available or where studies are currently underway.

Fire Zone Safety: Economic Analysis

Robert E. Chapman

(301) 921-2330

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

This project will provide decision-makers with an

easy-to-use procedure for comparing the costs of

alternative methods of retrofitting a fire zone in a health care facility to bring about compUance with the Life

Safety Code. Comphance with the Life Safety Code will

be determined by the equivalency methodologies of the

Fire Safety Evaluation System developed by the Center

for Fire Research. This project should therefore promote

the use of more cost-effective means for upgrading the

fire safety attributes of health care facilities. The approach will first require a review of selected

portions of the Life Safety Code to identify alternative

fire zone retrofit options. Costs as a fimction of specific

building and fire zone characteristics will then be

determined. A computer model that identifies the

expected costs of retrofitting the fire zone will then be

developed. The cost model will then be tested for

accuracy by validating its results against cost data

collected under field retrofitting operations.

Door and Window Security

Demonstration

John S. Stroik

(301) 921-2107

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

In an earlier project, the Center developed door and

window security standards for the Department of Justice.

In this project, the standards are being field tested in two

public housing sites. The field test demonstration is recording the actual performance of specific door and

window components to measure just how well they

survive actual break-in attempts. The outcome of the

project will be a set of model specifications for bidding,

installation, and maintenance of door and window

components and assemblies bmlt to door and window

security standards for use by local housing authorities.

Further, the study will develop recommendations for

changes in model building codes and the Department of

69
Housing and Urban Development's Minimum Property

Standards. These recommendations will result in revised

and/or amended standards and building codes that will

provide for more burglar-resistant doors and windows

and thereby contribute to reducing the number of

burglaries.

Building Security Technology: This project is aimed at preparing and managing a Research and Symposium co-sponsored (CBT and ASTM) national symposium. A

good theoretical base for security that can be used by

John S. Stroik building managers, owners, designers, and programmers

(301) 921-2701 is nonexistent at this time. This project will contribute a Environmental Design Research Division significant and comprehensive literature base from which

future security planning can benefit and to which future

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards symposia can add.

Members of the Symposium include representatives

of hardware manufacturers, security planning

consultants, and the Federal government. The ASTM

Executive Committee has agreed to give its full support

and assistance. This symposium is expected to be held in

the spring of 1979 and the final publication to be issued in

the fall of 1979. This publication will be a combined

ASTM/NBS pubUcation and be distributed by NBS and

ASTM.

As part of this project a technical report on past

CBT research on door and window security will be

prepared. In addition, a paper will be prepared that will

explain how the CBT study of door and window security

was planned and what the results can be expected to

imply for future door and window design.

This project will support the adoption of a security

standard for windows by ANSI/ASTM. The project

leader will serve as chairman of ASTM Committee F-12

on Security Systems and Equipment and in addition,

assist in the technical study recently recommended by

the International Conference of Building Officials

(ICBO) for the purpose of adopting parts of the door and

window security standards into the Uniform Building

Code.

Security standards for doors and windows have been

developed by CBT in the recent past under the

sponsorship of the Department of Justice's Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA). This support

stopped before implementation of the standards was

completed.

Based on the present security standard for windows,

a Standard Method of Test has been prepared in draft

form and was presented to the ASTM window task

group and appropriate sub-committees. Included will be

the necessary defense, response, and possible reiteration

Building Security Standards ASTM F-12

Participation

John S. Stroik

(301) 921-2107

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

70
of the standard for ultimate approval by the subcommittees and adoption by ANSI/ASTM. In detail, this

will be done by the preparation of presentations and

correspondence, by attending and calling meetings of

sub-committee and committee members. The products of

this project include an ANSI/ASTM Standard Methods

of Test for the Security of Windows and the adoption by

ICBO of door and window security requirements as part

of the Uniform Building Code.

Electrical Distribution Systems There is a need to alter the prescriptive approaches

imposed by the National Electrical Code on electrical

Robert W. Beausoliel wiring systems for residential use. The increased costs of

(301) 921-3454 housing as a result of regulatory constraints are the

Building Thermal and Service Systems concern of HUD as well as builders, developers, and

Division consumers. There is a need to modify existing codes and

an emerging need for special codes applicable to

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards rehabilitation of buildings. The expanding confusion of

regulations requiring Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters are being questioned with respect to cost-effectiveness,

safety, and total energy usage.

Further, innovative energy conserving or alternative

energy sources, such as fuel cells, wind power, and solar

electrical power supply, will require new regulations and

requirements for special circuitry frequencies and voltage

levels. The national energy conservation retrofit program

requires added thermal insulation in attics which will

bury existing electrical wiring and boxes and can produce temperatures exceeding the allowable limits for

conventional wiring systems.

In view of these matters, CBT will conduct a

detailed review of the NEC to identify prescriptive code

language that restricts innovative electrical systems in

buildings. CBT will also develop electrical service

systems and controls requirements with performanceoriented criteria and guidelines. Further test needs will

also be established.

The project results will be given to the appropriate

panels of NEC and ANSI and to manufacturing groups

and professional societies such as the National Electrical

Manufacturing Association and Institute of Electrical and

Electronic Engineers. Present HUD and ERDA program

interests in community requirements for evaluation of

small-scale electrical power supplies will be provided

with output from a load-demand review.

71
Innovative Electrical Wiring

William J. Meese

(301) 921-3661

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

Restrictions on the use of noimietallic-sheathed cable

in the National Electrical Code and other Codes and

Standards are alleged to result in unnecessarily high costs

of electrical wiring systems. Also, technological progress

is alleged to be unduly hindered because innovative

electrical wiring systems cannot be introduced into the

building construction process until satisfying certain

performance criteria. Because of the very serious hazards

presented by electrical wiring systems, changes in Codes

and Standards should be made only when justified with

adequate technical data. Fire-starting mechanisms and

other parameters involving electric shock and fire

hazards are being characterized and quantified with

appropriate electrical and thermal measures. After

developing a basic understanding of the technical

parameters involved, performance criteria and test methods will be developed for the evaluation of

innovative and conventional electrical wiring systems.

To implement the results of this research changes in

the National Electrical Code and changes to or development of other appropriate Codes and Standards

will be proposed. Data and information will be provided

to groups such as NCBCS, IEEE, NEMA, and ANSI.

Mobile Home Egress

Sanford Adler

(301) 921-3180

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

This project will provide a quantitative basis for

modification of the egress requirements of the HUD

Mobile Home Construction and Safety Standards. Under

it, interdisciplinary library and laboratory research will

be carried out in the areas of physical and behavioral

analysis of mobile home occupants, characteristics of

egress devices, performance test development, hazard

analysis, and economic impact. A smnmary report will

document the technical basis of the recommended

performance goals and justify expanding the scope of the

standards. The report will include a proposed revision of

the egress requirements of the standards. HUD will use the research and recommendations to make specific

modifications to the Mobile Home Construction and

Safety Standards. Research results may also serve as input to the NFPA Life-Safety code (NFPA 101) and

other egress-related standards. The research will

significantly upgrade the egress requirements of the

HUD Mobile Home Construction and Safety Standards.

72
Mobile Home Purchase and

Modification

Sanford Adler

(301) 921-3180

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

This project will provide a quantitative basis for

modification of the egress requirements of the HUD

Mobile Home Construction and Safety Standards. CBT

will use a late-model mobile home and construct egress

devices that permit adjustment of the device

characteristics such as size of opening, number of

operating devices, and forces required to operate devices.

HUD will use the research and recommendations to

make specific modifications to the Mobile Home

Construction and Safety Standards. Research results may

also serve as input to the NFPA Life-Safety Code

(NFPA 101) and other egress related standards.

73

75
Wind-Induced Response of Tall

Buildings

Edgar V. Leyendecker

(301) 921-3471

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Within the past few years, the body of information

concerning wind forces on structures, the physical

parameters of the structures, and actual measurements of

the response of structures to winds has grown

considerably. Wind forces have been recorded on wind

tunnel models and in a few cases on full scale structures.

Provided that the loading is a stationary random process,

the response spectrum of the structure can be estimated.

Likewise, when the response of the structure is known,

the effective load spectrum can, at least in part, be

estimated. The accuracy of these estimates depends upon

the validity of the mathematical model of the structure

used, and the accuracy of wind load spectra applied,

along with the assumptions about the correlation of the

pressure fluctuations over the structure's surface.

The models that have been used to date have only

been applied to the determination of the along-wind

structural response. However, in some instances, the

cross-wind response may be greater than the along-wind

response and very few investigators even mention

torsional response. This study seeks to deal with the

cross-wind and torsional response spectra in addition to

the along-wind response.

A result of the study will be the application of some

new basic wind research information to the problem of

estimating the response of a structure, along with an

evaluation of the modeling process. Some idea of the

influence of neighboring structures on the response of

structures would also be obtained. The results of the

study will be made available through widespread

publication in technical journals. Results will also be

presented to ANSI A58 as resource documents for

possible modification and/or improvement of wind load

provisions.

Criteria for Wind Tunnel Modeling The testing of structural models in a wind tunnel is a very effective method, and often the only available

E. V. Leyendecker method, for establishing pressure, lift, and drag

(301) 921-3471 coefficients for the design of full-scale structures to resist

Structures and Materials Division e^e^ts of wind. When properly conducted, these tests can result in substantial savings when compared to

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards designs based entirely on the minimum load requirements

specified in codes and standards. In recognition of this,

the next edition of American National Standard A58.1

(Minimum Design Loads) will quite likely allow wind

tuimel test data to be substituted for the usual wind load

provisions. Therefore, it is essential to establish a set of

requirements that will ensure the validity of wind tunnel

set results.

Existing information on wind tunnel simulation of

atmospheric surface flows will be reviewed. Results of a round-robin test sponsored by the Commonwealth

Advisory Aeronautical Research Council will be of

considerable value in determining the sensitivity of load

76
and response measurements to the various dimensionless

scaling parameters in wind-tunnel modeling. It is anticipated that the degree to which these parameters must

correspond in model and full-scale testing can be

expressed in terms of the accuracy of the test results. The

development of minimum requirements for wind tunnel

modeling will substantially increase the range of

structures covered by the A58. 1 Standard and will lead

to better load definition and, therefore, improved

reliability and economy.

Probability Distributions of Extreme

Winds

Emil Simiu

(301) 921-2346

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Science Foundation

CBT is the Secretariat for the ANSI A58.1

committee developing a revised standard for the design

of structures to resist extreme winds. The revision of

such a standard is required as many of the assumptions

employed in previous standards have been shown to need

updating. The project involves the collection of existing

data from the National Climatic Center records; the

evaluation of such data; the recording of the data in a format useful to the designer and code writer; the

statistical analysis of the data; the development of criteria

for estimating statistical errors; the development of

criteria for specifying appropriate mean recurrence

intervals for design purposes as functions of wind climate

characteristics and the wind sensitivity of the structure.

The results of the research will be used by designers and

code writers as a basis for defining wind loads on

structures.

Administration of Secretariat, ANSI ASS NBS has provided the administrative continuity for

evolving standards committees on building code

Bruce R. EUingwood requirements for design loads on building structures over

(301) 921-2170 the past 50 years. The interest evoked by the current

Structures and Materials Division ANSI Standard A58. 1-1972 has demonstrated the need

for such a consistent nationwide standard. However, its Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards use by the model building codes has to be further

encouraged; the latter are not consistent with respect to

loadings on building structures. A consistent set of design

loads should be used and a particular structure in a

particular geographical location should have the same

load on it regardless of which code is applied. This is not

the case now. One problem arises due to differences in

design philosophy; another problem that the committee is currently addressing is the confusion in the use of loads

for steel and concrete structures. In recognition of these

problems, the trend in Europe and Canada has been

directed toward development of a common basis for

design which would be applicable to all buildings. In the

U.S., ANSI A58.1 appears to provide a logical vehicle

for similar efforts to simplify design. CBT is coordinating

the activities of Committee A58 to revise portions of the

current standard by 1980.

77
Criteria for Loads and General Design

Bruce R. EUingwood

(301) 921-2170

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Current design standards rely on different

philosophies and criteria for design, depending on the

material or construction technology used. This tends to

complicate design when different technologies are employed in the same structure. Moreover, differences in

philosophy (e.g., ultimate strength vs. working stress design) and a failure to consider imcertainties explicity causes a lack of consistency in the levels of reliability

afforded different buildings. In recognition of these

problems, the trend in Europe and Canada has been

directed toward development of a common basis for

design that would be apphcable to all buildings

regardless of their material or construction technology.

To ensure adequate performance, the unifying concept of

limit states has been used, along with a probabilistic

treatment of the uncertainties invariably found in

engineering design. In the U.S., ANSI A58.1 has

appointed a committee to investigate the feasibihty of

developing probability-based criteria for limit states design. However, while the general methodologies

developed above should be helpful, the specific criteria

and numerical values cannot be assumed to be applicable

to building standards in the U.S. Moreover, there is a need to clearly relate the proposed criteria to existing

standards in the U.S. to gain professional acceptance.

The research envisioned will assist in developing criteria

for the design of building structures that would ensure adequate reliability against structural failure and

unserviceability and would be appropriate for all materials and construction technologies.

The development and implementation of suitable

technology-independent design criteria for all limit states would reduce building costs by simplifying the design

process and stimulating market competition between

construction technologies. Improved serviceability

requirements would also result in less maintenance and

increased occupant satisfaction.

Structural Performance of Solar

Collectors

Emil Simiu

(301) 921-2346

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

In designing solar collectors and their supports the

effects of the aerodynamic loads induced by wind, the

snow loads caused by drifting and accumulation around

the collectors, the loads induced by seismic events, the

resistance of collector systems or elements to the action

of hail, and the temperature response of their structural

supports, all must be known. For certain collector

systems the technical information required for safe and

economical design is not available. The purpose of this

project is to identify these types, to obtain the required

information, and to develop structural performance

criteria and guidelines. The results of the research will be

used by designers and code writers as a basis for design

of solar collectors.

78

i
Seismic Design Provisions

James R. Harris

(301) 921-2776

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: National Science Foundation

The problem of potential earthquake loss was

significant enough for Congress to provide the National

Science Foundation several million dollars to fund

research and development over the past few years in a program to produce new seismic design provisions. This

project is designed to facilitiate the goals of earthquake

disaster mitigation by assuring that the design provisions

produced are used in building regulations.

Three levels of analysis are used in work: (1) each

provision will be examined for consistency and

completeness, using decision tables where applicable; (2) a detailed information network will show all the provisions and their status of evaluation; (3) a detailed

network of provision descriptors will be generated and

used to test the scope and arrangement of the provisions.

The first phase of the project was to analyze intermediate

drafts and make appropriate recommendations. The final

phase of the project will be to document the final draft

by pubUshing a report containing decision tables and

topological information for all of their provisions, with

comments to guide future users of the provisions, future

writers of similar provisions, future revisors of these

provisions, and future users of our technology for

analysis of standards and codes.

Seismic Design Provisions: In 1974, the National Science Foundation and the

impiementation National Bureau of Standards, as part of the Cooperative

Federal Program on Building Practices for Disaster

Charles G. Culver Mitigation, undertook a project with the Applied Tech-

(301) 921-3126 nology Council of the Structural Engineers Associations

Structures and Materials Division of California to develop comprehensive nationally

appUcable seismic design provisions for buildings. These

Sponsor: National Science Foundation design provisions were completed in FY 77 and reflect

the current state of the art in earthquake engineering in a form adaptable for implementation by standards

organizations, model code groups, Federal agencies, and

other regulatory groups.

In view of the magnitude of the implementation

effort and the need to include participation by a number

of groups, a well-planned coordinated effort is required.

The implementation phase must be national in scope and

participation by national or regional organizations will be

encouraged. Representatives from the current project

noted above will participate to insure continuity.

A two-phase effort will be conducted to facilitate

this participation. In the first phase, CBT will select the

organizations and individuals to be involved in

developing the plan. In the second phase, this input will

be synthesized into a comprehensive plan. Detailed work

statements will be prepared for all activities defining the

objectives, procedures for conducting the work and the

participants.

79
The implementation plan will be used to direct

efforts toward incorporating the design provisions in

codes and standards for use by state and local

governments and Federal agencies. Adoption of these

provisions in codes and standards should significantly

reduce earthquake losses.

Seismic Resistance of Reinforced

iMasonry Sliear Wails

S. George Fattal

(301) 921-2184

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

One of the most urgent problems in earthquake

resistance masonry construction is the scarcity of

research data on lightly reinforced masonry shear walls

under the action of earthquake loads. This need was

identified at the 1976 CBT/NSF National Masonry

Workshop and was highlighted by the fact that most

masonry research is focused on heavily reinforced

masonry construction used in high seismic risk zones,

although 90 percent of masonry built in the U.S. is outside these zones. The proposed research will examine

the effect of light reinforcement on the seismic load

capacity of diverse types of masonry shear walls.

Simultaneously, the potential advantages of a new test method for use in seismic-related experimental research

will be examined.

The proposed test method will be used to

realistically reproduce actual stress and boundary

conditions in masonry shear walls imder the combined

action of earthquake and gravity loads. The analytical

component of the project will explore the experimental

results to examine the effect of Ught reinforcement on

precracking and postcracking shear wall limit states. An

understanding of these limit states is fundamental in the

formulation of improved design criteria for lightly

reinforced masonry shear walls.

Building Practices for Disaster

Mitigation

Charles Culver

(301) 921-3126

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Property losses from natural disasters such as floods,

earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes exceed one billion

dollars annually. Disaster assistance legislation (PL 93-

288) and the Earthquake Hazard Reduction Act of 1977

(PL 95-124) emphasize the need for hazard mitigation

activities.

This continuing research program is directed toward

developing improved building practices for structures

subjected to extreme environments. Laboratory research,

post-disaster investigations, and work with professional

practitioners focus on developing these improved

practices. Outputs planned for FY78 include: (1) seismic

design provisions applicable to all areas of the United

States; (2) a plan for implementing the seismic design

provisions in model codes and Federal regulations; (3)

preliminary reports on research needs for large-scale

testing of structural components; (4) research proposals

to other Federal agencies dealing with wind engineering

and earthquake engineering.

80
The implementation plan for the seismic provisions

will be developed by working with design professionals,

professional organizations, trade associations, Federal

agencies, and the building regulatory community. Largescale testing research will be developed in conjunction

with university researchers and government officials

from the U.S. and Japan working through the U.S. Japan

Panel on Wind and Seismic Effects. Proposals to other

agencies will be developed by working directly with

Federal officials responsible for building practices

directed toward hazard mitigation.

Post-disaster investigations have demonstrated that

the application of improved building practices can

significantly reduce losses due to natural hazards.

Adoption of the seismic design provisions by state and

local governments and incorporation of NBS research

results in design and construction should reduce annual

hazard losses due to wind and earthquake by 25 percent

by the year 2000.

Concrete Construction Technology Existing standards for concrete construction are non- uniform and ambiguous and are often the underlying

H. S. Lew factor in needless increases in construction costs. This is (301) 921-3169 due primarily to a lack of research data and information

Structures and Materials Division in the area of concrete construction technology.

Traditionally, design and erection of formwork and other

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards construction-related work are based more on rule-ofthumb procedvu-es rather than on sound engineering

principles.

Significant reduction of concrete building cost can be achieved through increased rate of construction cycle

and repetitive use of formwork, as the cost of formwork

can be as much as 60 percent of the total concrete

construction. The rate at which concrete construction can progress is dependent largely on the rate of strength

and stiffness gain of concrete, and an accurate

determination of construction load distribution between

the structure and the formwork. CBT will undertake a

field study of construction practices to document

erection imperfections, and carry out analytical

investigation of shore capacities. A computer model simulating the construction process will be developed to

study parameters that affect the distribution of loads

between formwork and the structure during construction.

Finally, CBT will develop shoring and reshoring criteria.

Technical information developed in this study will

be made available to both the ANSI A10.9 Standards

Committee and ACI 347 Standards Committee on

Concrete Construction.

81
Thermal Loads on Concrete Slabs

Bruce R. EUingwood

(301) 921-2170

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Federal Highway

Administration

Thermally induced stresses or strains may affect

significantly the performance of structures in service.

Many sources of thermal-type loads exist in buildings and

the resulting expansion and contraction may open joints or cause cracking. It is known that thermal loads may be

severe for certain types of composite construction. In this

project, a computer program will be developed to

predict the magnitude of strains generated by heating a

portion of a concrete slab. The program will be generally

applicable to slabs with various support conditions and

boundary constraints. Output from the program will be

strain or stress levels at various points on the bridge deck

(both heated and unheated areas) at various times during

heating and subsequent cooling. The location of any

areas of predicted cracking will also be defined. The

computer analysis will be checked by analyzing two

bridge decks that have been heated and by comparing

the computer predictions with cracking actually

observed.

Consolidation of Masonry Standards The volume of masonry construction in the United

States now exceeds $5 bUlion. In spite of this voltmie

Edgar V. Leyendecker present masonry standards are fragmented and sometimes

(301) 921-3471 contradictory. The only existing national standard, A41,

Structures and Materials Division ^vas issued in 1952 and does not reflect the current stateof-the-art. The chairmanship of ANSI A41 is held by

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards CBT. Under this chairmanship a draft empirical standard

has been prepared and is in final review before

distribution for balloting by committee. This draft

standard will be completed and balloted during FY78

and ready for issuing by ANSI during Fy79 as a national

standard for non-engineered masonry construction. The

conclusion of this activity will be an opportune time for

the ANSI committee to consolidate with other masonry

committees. Initial contacts with the American Concrete

Institute and the American Society of Civil Engineers

have been favorable towards the idea of consolidation.

Industry contacts have also been favorable towards

accepting the recommendations of a consolidated

committee.

FIre-Reslstant Structural Design

Bruce R. EUingwood

(301) 921-2170

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Losses due to fire in the U.S. exceed losses from the

effects of other extreme environmental factors normally

considered in structural design. Fire resistivity of

structures is currently measured by the endurance of

temperature rise in certain members subjected to a standard ASTM fire test. Such tests are very costly and

provide little basis for extrapolating to situations not

covered by the limited data base. There is also evidence

that the ASTM fire test is an inadequate indicator of

structural performance during an actual fu-e. Finally,

uncertainties in the .duration and severity of fires and in

82
material properties suggest that design criteria should

have a probabilistic basis. Analytical procedures being

developed at CBT and elsewhere show promise in

predicting structural behavior under severe fires. These

procedures should be validated experimentally, however,

before they are used to develop design criteria.

Moreover, the feasibility of considering other fires for

design besides the standard ASTM fire, should be

investigated.

Under this project, the aim is to develop fire- resistant design procedures that allow structural-memberperformance criteria to be satisfied and that reflect

imcertainties in structural behavior. With the assistance

the NBS Center for Fire Research (CFR), alternate

design fire curves will be established and member

behavior under current fire design criteria will be

examined. Computerized thermal and structural analyses

will be validated through a collaborative test program

with CFR and CBT. Effects of variation in fire and

material parameters will be studied using simple beam

and slab configurations.

Alaska Pipeline Vertical Suppprt

IMembers

Richard D. Marshall

(301) 921-3132

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Transportation

The design of the vertical support members (VSM)

of the Trans-Alaska Crude Oil Pipeline System has been

under review and discussion by a number of experts in

permafrost engineering for quite some time because this

type of system has not been used extensively in

permafrost before. Conditional approval of the design

was issued by the Alaska Pipeline Office in 1976. Because

of the unusual design of the VSM and the influence of

their performance on the structural integrity of the

pipeline, an indepedent review of documentation on the

system is being funded by the Office of Pipeline Safety

Operations (OPSO), Department of Transportation. The

adequacy of the aboveground support system is likewise

of concern to the House Subcommittee on Energy and

Power and this review is also being conducted in

response to that concern. Appropriate docimientation concerning analysis and

design of the VSM under earthquake loading,

metallurgical properties of the VSM, low-temperature

effects, load testing and miscellaneous studies relating to

the VSM will be reviewed. Critical comments regarding

the use of good engineering practice relating to the

design load criteria for the VSM system and the resultant

effects of low temperatures on the steels used in the

VSM will be provided. If this assessment of the design

indicates the need for remedial action to assure structural

integrity, general guidance will be provided to OPSO.

83
Evaluation of Air Mobile Shelter

Systems

Charles W. C. Yancey

(301) 921-2137

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: United States Air Force

The Air Force accepts its mobile shelters based on

the results of structural tests that are believed to simulate

the transportation and operational loads that the shelters

experience during their service life. However, this

procedure can lead to shelters that are over-designed

with respect to certain service loads; it can also be costly

when the shelter fails to pass some of the required tests. In this project, analytical models are developed to predict the response of particular shelters to loads that the

shelters will experience in use. Field tests are then used

to test the validity of the models. The models in turn will

lead to better shelter designs. Based on the verification of

the transportation and handling loads and shelter

response to the loads, it will be possible to establish

performance specifications for the shelters.

It is expected that the performance criteria will be

incorporated into the procurement procedure for air

mobile shelters. The criteria will replace some of the enditem tests now used in the acceptance evaluation of

shelter systems. The U.S. military will have increased

capability in evaluating the various shelter designs and in

procuring shelter systems for its many applications. The

performance criteria developed during this project

should enable the Air Force and other military branches

to make more reliable predictions of shelter response to

transportation, handling, and field service loads. As a consequence, the services should be able to purchase

more cost-effective and more maintenance-free shelter

systems.

Improvement of Honeycomb Cores

Thomas W. Reichard

(301) 921-2186

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: U.S. Army, Natick Laboratory

All branches of the military use lightweight, air- transportable, rigid structures that serve as combination

shipping containers and shelters for many types of

tactical and life-support services. The use of these

shelters has increased so rapidly in recent years that life- cycle costs have become a major economic factor. These

shelters are fabricated from either paper honeycomb core

or foamed plastic sandwich panels. The honeycomb

panels have been found to be more satisfactory for some

types of shelters. However, field experience has indicated

poor performance of some honeycomb shelters. The poor

performance has been attributed to one or more of four

basic factors. These factors are: improper panel

fabrication procedures (adhesive bonding), inadequate

performance of the honeycomb core, poor choice of

materials, and inadequate design.

CBT researchers will contribute to the development

of both military and ASTM specifications for materials

and processes to be used in fabricating honeycomb core

panels for military shelters. In addition, data from laboratory studies will be prepared for the sponsor. Research

results will be transferred at meetings attended by

technical personnel from all branches of the military and

from most segments of the shelter industry. These

84
meetings are held under the auspices of an ASTM

subcommittee (E6.22). The information and data

circulated will be used almost immediately by the

military shelter industry.

Review of Liquified Natural Gas

Facilities

Edgar V. Leyendecker

(301) 921-3471

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

(FERC) is authorized to issue certificates of pubUc

convenience and necessity for the construction and

operation of natural gas facilities subject to its jurisdiction. CBT has been requested by the FERC to

critique structural and geotechnical aspects of proposed

LNG facilities on a case-by-case basis. The CBT review

is used by the FERC in their overall evaluation for the

consideration of approval for construction.

The design criteria for the facilities will be evaluated

by comparison with sound engineering practice, state-ofthe-art techniques, and requirements for nuclear power

plants. Where data are insufficient to complete

evaluation, a hst of required information will be provided

to the FERC.

85

Geotechnical

Engineering

Field test is being performed on the standard penetration test

apparatus.

87
OSHA Excavation Standards Study

Felix Y. Yokel

(301) 921-2457

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Occupational Safety and Health

Administration

Excavation for building construction is a matter of

major concern to the industry. Recent OSHA regulations

for braced and unbraced excavations have considerable

impact on the cost of construction and are therefore a

subject of criticism and concern by engineers and

contractors. In many cases improper side slopes in

shallow excavations or inadequate shoring of deep

excavations result in collapse with tragic consequences.

A measure of the seriousness of this problem can be

derived from the fact that in 1973 alone, 226 people lost

their hves as a result of slope failures in shallow

excavations. At least three times as many fatalities occur

as a result of the collapse of deep excavations.

This project will develop improved guidelines for

such excavations. OHSA provisions are incomplete,

difficult to enforce, and in urgent need of revision. The

key to effective excavation safety provisions, which will

protect workers at a reasonable and acceptable cost, lies in the ability to accurately predict the forces acting on

excavation bracing and determine the maximum slope for

stable soil condition.

Calibration of Standard Penetration

Tests

Fehx Y. Yokel

(301) 921-2457

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The Standard Penetration Test (SPT) is used in

about 90 percent of the routine foundation engineering

designs in the U.S. At the present time test results are

fluctuating due to many non-standardized variables.

There is also considerable confusion in the interpretation

of European and Japanese test results relative to U.S.

data due to variation in delivered kinetic energy during

the test. This confusion in turn raises doubts about the

validity of our interpretation of available data in critical

problem areas such as Uquefaction caused by

earthquakes.

To settle these questions, a portable field instrument

will be built to measure fall height, hammer velocity, and

force in a drill stem, and present these quantities in the

form of energy immediately following a test. To ensure

reliability of measurement, the instnmient will use two

systems: an optical system measuring hammer velocity

and energy above the striker plate, and a mechanical

system measuring the stress wave traveling through the

rod to measure the energy in the rod below the striker

plate. After field tests and calibration, a study will be

conducted to evaluate the delivered energy, both above

and below the striker plate, and show the variation of

energy, some of which may be due to hammer

configuration.

The draft standard resulting from this research will

be submitted to ASTM Committee D18.02 for

consideration. The expansion and improvement of the

data base will drastically improve our knowledge on

important phenomena, such as liquefaction.

88
Performance Standards for

Foundations and Excavations

Felix Y. Yokel

(301) 921-2457

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

Damage to structures and improvements directly

attributable to failure or distress associated with

foundation problems exceeds $3 billion annually. In

addition, many major engineering projects, such as mass

transportation systems, sewerage, water supply, and

other utilities, require large-scale excavation in urban

areas. These are expensive to construct and can cause

extensive damage to adjacent structures. Major

difficulties, costly failures, and much litigation result

from the fact that provisions for foxmdations and

excavations in existing codes are inadequate and in some

instances ambiguous, conflicting, overly rigid, and

prescriptive. There is a need for national standards that can be adopted by the building codes and imiformly

applied throughout the U.S. CBT is taking part in the

drafting and the consensus review process of getting

these standards accepted.

Anchoring {Mechanics for Mobiie Homes Next to fire, wind is the leading cause of deaths and

injuries of mobile home occupants and damage to mobile

Felix Y. Yokel home property. Approximately 5,000 imits are heavily

(301) 921-2457 damaged or destroyed by wind storms each year.

Structures and Materials Division Another important source of property damage are floods.

Mobile homes themselves are vulnerable to flood

Sponsor: Department of Housing and damage; furthermore, mobile homes which are Urban Development inadequately anchored can float and cause substantial

secondary damage downstream by obstructing the flow

through channels and bridges. Thus, it is crucial to

adequately anchor mobile homes to the ground so they can resist the uplift and lateral forces associated with

wind and floods.

Criteria for the determination of wind forces were

developed in a recent NBS project. This project will

address itself to three topics: (1) development of criteria

for the determination of forces associated with floods; (2)

determination of the soil-resistance of miscellaneous soil

anchor systems; (3) development of performance tests to

determine the adequacy of soil anchor systems.

The project will impact the problem through

mandatory provisions in the Federal Mobile Home

Construction and Safety Standards. The project also will

provide HUD with basic information required to

formulate design criteria and performance tests appropriate for inclusion in the Federal Mobile Home

Construction and Safety Standards. These research

efforts will have a significant impact on the safety and

durability of mobile homes because future anchoring

provisions of the mandatory standards will be based in

large part on the fmdings of this study.
Research Needs and Priorities for

Geotechnicai Earthquake Engineering

Appiication

Felix Y. Yokel

(301) 921-2457

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Science Foundation

Soils are a critical constituent of most civil

engineering structures including earth dams, foundations

for buildings, buried utilities and life lines, highways,

harbors, and urban development tracts. Examples of poor

soil behavior in past earthquakes are the $1 billion loss

associated with soil liquefaction in the Niigata, Japan

earthquake; catastrophic landslides, and damage

associated with soil liquefaction in the 1964 Alaska

earthquake; the great fire in the 1906 San Francisco

earthquake which was the result of the destruction of

water lines; the catastrophic landslide in the 1972 Peru

earthquake; and the near failure of the San Fernando

dam in the 1971 earthquake, which could have resulted

in the loss of 80,000 lives.

To provide guidance to researchers and to the

National Science Foundation, a 2-day workshop was held

at the University of Texas at Austin on June 2-3, 1977,

for the purpose of obtaining and synthesizing professional

opinions from knowledgeable people concerning research

needs and priorities in geotechnicai earthquake

engineering. Seventy-three participants from the United

States, Canada, and Mexico attended. The workshop was

composed of a series of group discussions of small

nimibers of experts on the following seven topics areas:

(1) dynamic soil properties and measurement techniques

in the laboratory; (2) dynamic soil properties and

measurement techniques in the field; (3) analytical

procedures and mathematical modeling; (4) design

earthquakes, ground motion, and surface faulting; (5)

assessment of seismic stability of soil; (6) soU structure

interaction; and (7) experimental modeling and

simulation.

A report summarizing and synthesizing opinions

expressed and recommendations made by these group

discussions will be published as an NBS Building Science

Series report.

90
Construction of Housing in IMine

Subsidence Areas

Felix Y. Yokel

(301) 921-2457

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

Subsidence caused by the collapse of abandoned and

active underground mines poses a major threat to

buildings and utilities on the ground surface. At present,

7.5 million acres in the United States are undermined and

about one-third of this area experiences serious

subsidence problems. Coal is now being mined at a rate of 100,000 acres per year and it is planned to quadruple

this rate in the next 2 to 3 years. It would not be

economically feasible to prohibit residential development

in all these areas. Thus, mine subsidence poses a serious

problem to the United States' economy.

In this project, interim guidelines based on present

knowledge were developed for the construction of

housing in mine subsidence areas. The guidelines are being reviewed by a consulting panel. The guidelines

deal with three areas: site development, site evaluation,

and building construction. As there are now no other

U.S. guidelines or standards in this area, this work will

have considerable impact on construction practices in

mine areas.

91

Codes

&

Standards

93
Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings The cost of construction of new buildings will

continue to increase faster than the cost of living.

James H. Pielert Extending the useful life of the available housing stock

(301) 921-3447 through the renovation of existing buildings can provide

Building Economics and Regulatory an economical way to alleviate this trend. However,

Technology Division adequate technical bases for building regulations

necessary for upgrading buildings to provide acceptable

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards levels of health, safety, and serviceability do not

currently exist.

Under this project, a program plan will be

developed for CBT activities relative to the regulatory

aspects of building rehabilitation. The specific elements

of the program will include (1) support in the

development of model rehabilitation code provisions

including the formulation of performance provisions,

limit states and compliance levels, where possible. The

model provisions will be developed by NCSBCS and the

model code organizations with funding largely outside

this project, (2) development of general guidelines for the

application of system trade-offs in applications of

performance based code provisions, as well as, outlines of

manuals containing state-of-the-art Usting of technical

data for the following attributes; (a) health and sanitation,

(b) accident safety, and (c) strength and stability. The

anticipated data will include test methods for evaluation

of existing constructions, methods of analysis, inspection

and evaluation methodologies, data on performance of

aichaic systems, and data on rehabilitation experiences;

and (3) state-of-the-art collection of the type of

regulatory processes employed in a sampling of local

govenmient jurisdictions involved in various types of

rehabilitation activity.

Building Codes and Standards This project is directly related to implementation of

Improvement NBS building research results through building standards

and codes. It will provide strong ties between CBT

James. H. Pielert research and the entire building standards and codes

(301) 921-3447 community which will expedite early acceptance and

Building Economics and Regulatory timely implementation of CBT research into building

Technology Division codes and regulations, provide effective technical

consultation on building research relating to proposed

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards code changes, assist in developing and implementing

performance criteria to replace prescriptive requirements,

provide technical assistance and research results in

fxirtherance of greater uniformity in building regulations,

and provide technical assistance in support of adoption

and implementation of uniform building regulations.

94
Performance of Building Construction

ASTM E06

James G. Gross

(301) 921-3447

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

ASTM Committee E06 "Performance of Building

Construction" includes in its scope "the standardization

of methods of test for building construction, elements,

connections and assemblies, under actual or simulated

service conditions applicable to the evaluation of such

factors as materials, design, construction and

fabrications." Since this scope is closely related to the

work in CBT, ten staff members participate on the Main

Committee and Subcommittees of E06. This project

provides the coordination of this committee activity.

NIBS Technical Support

James G. Gross

(301) 921-3447

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS)

was established by Public Law 93-383. The Center's role

is to provide technical services and technical studies to

the Board of Directors of NIBS to assist them in organizing NIBS to develop, promulgate, and maintain

nationally recognized performance criteria, standards,

and other technical provisions. CBT has become more

involved in technical studies in the following general

areas: utilization of building standards in building

regulation, identification of technical issues and problem

areas related to development of performance standards

and criteria, and preferred structure and format for

performance standards and criteria.

This project is closely related to the implementation

of CBT research results. Since NIBS is broadly

representative of the building community, it is expected

to be a major user of CBT research, converting such

research into performance-based standards for use in

building regulations.

Research Conference on the Building

Regulatory Process

Patrick W. Cooke

(301) 921-3146

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

This annual conference is intended to inform and

assist decision-makers in the regulatory area by reporting

on building regulatory developments that advance or

retard technological change. Why is this necessary?

Because regulatory policy is too often made and enforced

without the benefit of objective knowledge of the

impacts of those policies on the building community and

whether those policies are achieving the desired effect.

Two prior conferences have been successfully completed

under joint sponsorship with NCSBCS and have shown a

steady increase in interest and attendance by all sectors

of the building community. The proceedings of the First

NBS/NCSBCS Joint Conference (Providence, RI,

September 1976) were published as SP 473, Research and

Innovation in the Building Regulatory Process and have

been well received by many audiences. For instance, the

publication has been used as the primary text in a graduate seminar in architecture at the University of

Illinois.
Assessment of Building Reguiatory

Systems

Patrick W. Cooke

(301)921-3146

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

In the last ten years, the extent and degree of

building regulation has considerably expanded. Building

codes and standards and the associated mechanisms by

which they are adopted, administered, and enforced have

been identified as containing and creating several

problems for society in general and the building

community in particular. Rarely, if ever, are these

regulations and practices systematically reviewed to

assess if regulatory goals (health, safety, and welfare) are achieved, or to oversee costs and benefits, unforeseen

side-effects, and efficiency.

The project will use state-of-the-art studies to

examine the building regulatory system and the manner

in which its various component parts operate and interact

on the buUt environment and the nation's builders. From

these evaluations and in conjunction with other

authorities, support for specific recommendations for

improvement will be developed.

Technology for Building Standards &

Codes

James R. Harris

(301) 921-2776

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

This project focuses on the development of methods,

guidelines, and computer aids for the formulation of

specifications, standards, and codes along with prototype

applications of technology. The approach will include

tasks to be carried out between various universities as well as engaging the services of private consulting

architectural and engineering firms and model code

groups and standards-generating organizations.

Opportunities to participate in standard writing projects

at CBT will be accepted to provide case studies for the

application of the methods and for the exposure to new

users. Related projects funded by other agencies, such as the "Formulation and Expression of Seismic Design

Provisions," will be coordinated with this project to

achieve overall program objectives in an efficient manner. In the end, the project will reduce dangerous

and expensive errors by making the meaning of standards

clearer. It will also speed formulation of improved

standards by assuring attainment of the intended scope

and by clearly expressing technical improvement.

International Standards Activities This ongoing CBT research activity regarding

international activities in building standards and

Charles T. Mahaffey regulations has revealed the two-way impact of the U.S.

(301) 921-2682 joining the metric building world. This U.S. action is Building Economics and Regulatory closing the last link in a technical conmiunication chain.

Technology Division best exempUfied by standards, associated with the worldwide movement to SI. As revealed by this research

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards project, the U.S. building community now has many new

opportimities to participate, meaningfully, in international

standards activities of importance to manufacturers

designers, regulators and building owners. This research

activity has enabled the CBT to observe and participate

in the building standards activities of the International

96
Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Working

Party on the Building Industry of the United Nation

Economic Commission of Europe (UN/ECE). Both

groups are cooperatively engaged in a large international

standardization project aimed at harmonizing national

building regulation through the application of the

performance concept.

Out of this research project will come

recommendations for a dimensionally coordinated U.S.

approach to metric, performance-based building

regulations whose national applications have a built-in

international compatibility.

Metrication and Dimensional

Coordination

Charles T. Mahaffey

(301) 921-2682

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The United States is the last of the major

industrialized nations to embark on the change to a metric system of measurement. CBT is providing support

to the construction community and input to rewriting the

technical data base of the community. CBT will be

involved in the investigation and analysis of optimum

industry-wide solutions to metric dimensional coordination. Also, we will assist the industry in developing a system of dimensional coordination appropriate to the

construction commimity. This will be encouraged by a

continuation of the secretariat role on the Design, Codes

and Standards and the Products Sector of the

Construction Industries Coordinating Committee,

ANMC. A series of technical documents wUl be

developed and disseminated to both private and public

organizations. Draft standards will be developed and

processed through the voluntary consensus process.

IMetricatlon Consultancy

James G. Gross

(301) 921-3447

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The Metric Conversion Act of 1975 called for the

appointment of a Metric Board to coordinate our

conversion to metric measurement. It is likely the Metric

Board, when appointed, will look to CBT for technical

assistance and support. Mr. Hans Milton, Assistant

Secretary, Housing and Community Development of the

Australian Government, was instrumental in the metric

conversion of Australia's building industry. For that

reason, Mr. Milton joined the CBT staff. During his stay

at NBS, he began development of a series of draft

standards on metric dimensional coordination, and on the

determination and selection of preferred numerical values

in conjunction with metric conversion. As a result of this

work, several technical publications in the metric and

dimensional coordination subject area are planned:

"Metric Dimensional Coordination" (several documents);

and "Preferred Numerical Values for Building Codes and

Standards." In addition, NBS, through Mr. Milton, will

provide input to metric technical reference documents

(AIA, ASHARE, and others). Likewise, Technical Note

938, Recommended Practice for the Use ofMetric (SI)

Units in Building Design and Construction, is being
processed through the voluntary consensus procedure to

become a national standard.

Development of Preferred Metric

Values

Hans Milton

(301) 921-3447

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The American building community is at the

threshold of planning for conversion to the metric system

of measurement. Critical to this plan must be the review

and conversion of the data base upon which the building

community largely depends. This undertaking can be

termed the metrication of building standards and codes.

It can be more explicitly described as the conversion,

rounding, and rationalization of niunerical values and

dimensions in building specifications, standards, and

codes. An urgent and important task is to develop a general method to assist decision-makers in effective,

reliable, and technically sound substitution of metric

values and dimensions for customary values in building

specifications.

The major task of the work is to develop the method

for use in the metrication of building specifications,

standards, codes, and reference data through the simple

and rational analysis of potential preferred metric

replacement values related to the variance from the

customary value. This mathematical method will not

select new values, it will simply organize them. It will

assist in the selection of new values through organization

and accomplishment of the following: (1) the rational and

comprehensive examination of a range of alternative

values; (2) the listing of the most preferred numerical

values in the metric environment; and (3) the demonstration, in percentage terms and customary units, of the

quantitative changes associated with preferred metric

values.

Through this project, metric values of equal or

greater numerical simplicity in building specifications,

standards, and codes will be achieved, thus ensuring that

calculations and verifications are not made more difficult

through metrication.

Participation In ANSI A119, Mobile

Homes and Recreation Vehicles

James H. Pielert

(301) 921-3447

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

This project aims at putting the results of CBT

mobile home research into use through the Federal

Mobile Home Standards and the voluntary consensus

process (ANSI Standard Al 19). The significant role of

CBT in the mobile home standards development process

is recognized by mobile home industrial groups. Federal

agencies (HUD, VA), and mobile home standards

development groups. While it is gaining recognition for

its research effort in the mobile home area, maximum

impact from the project will be gained by transmitting

technical data to the building commimity. But the real

benefit will be the reduction of loss of Ufe in mobile

homes due to fire and wind, reduction of energy use in

heating and cooling, and in general improvement in the

living environment of mobile home occupants.

98
Housing

&

Building

Technology

99
Federal Building Technology

Roger Rensberger

(301) 921-2710

Center for Building Technology

Headquarters

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The Federal Building Technology program serves as an effective coordinating link between the CBT and the

Federal Construction agencies. The program addresses

many critical issues and concerns of the Federal sector

involved in building construction. To this end, the

project sponsored nine Federal agency workshops last year. Special workshops were held on indoor air-quality

control. CBT also took part in the Federal Construction

Council (FCC) by publishing the FCC Newletters—

"General Newletter" and "Energy Newsletters"—and

the Engineering Studies List, and by coordinating FCC

committee appointments. CBT also serves as the

secretariat of the Federal Agency Metric Construction

Panel of the Interagency Committee on Standards

Policy. These and other similar activities—including nine

more one-day Federal workshops—will continue in 1978.

Housing Teclinology

Thomas K. Faison

(301) 921-3704

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The U.S. population has a continuing need for

adequate housing at reasonable cost. One approach to

achieving this objective is to focus new technologies and

research on housing problems to reduce costs and

improve the performance of housing systems and

components. Government-sponsored research in the field

of building technology is both diverse and divergent.

More than a dozen Federal agencies carry out research

in this area. In spite of, or perhaps because of, the

enormous amount of information being generated, it is extremely difficult to keep current with all this research

and to coordinate related efforts.

This project is intended to establish and maintain

contact with the major segments of the private housing

industry as well as Federal, state, and local government

housing agencies. The major objective of those contacts

is to identify and define housing problems whose solution can be achieved by the appUcation of research.

Architectural Barriers to the

Handicapped

Sanford Adler

(301) 921-3180

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: Architectural and

Transportation Barrier Compliance Board

The Architectural Barriers Act of 196^8 and the

Rehabilitation Act of 1973 provided for a barrier-free

environment for those with motor or sensory handicaps.

However, the present collection of rules and

recommendations promulgated by nine different Federal

agencies does not adequately address this problem. In

general, there does not exist an adequate technical basis

for rational, performance-oriented Federal standards that

will assure the usability of buildings by the handicapped.

Under this project an NBS "Research Plan

Development Team" will be formed, including

representatives from a member of CBT/NBS operating

imits and consultants. Team members will individually

become familiar with the existing standards and the

problems of the handicapped as viewed from their own

disciplines' perspective. Team meetings wUl be scheduled

100
on a regular basis to develop a comprehensive research

plan.

At the sponsor's request, a special review of the

literature relating to "flooring materials as a barrier to

wheelchairs" will be completed. A research plan will

then be developed that identifies major barriers to the

handicapped, and proposes research activities to develop

a technical basis for performance standards.

Research fmdings will be disseminated to

appropriate standards organizations and Federal agencies

that have statutory responsibility for providing a barrierfree environment. The project output is an initial step in a process which will lead to adequate, uniform standards

to insure barrier-free access to buildings to the

handicapped.

Housing Evaluation IMethodoiogy This project will provide evaluation instruments and

a housing research design method suitable for

Stephen T. Margulis educational and research purposes to encourage housing

(301) 921-2102 research and to increase its methodological

Environmental Design Research Division sophistication. Given the high cost of instrument and

research design development and the scarcity of

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards published examples of housing questionnaires and of

housing research design models and procedures, the

value of such a pubUshed report is underscored.

Instrument evaluation includes a revision of a prototype housing questioimaire to increase its applicability and ease of use. Additional instruments,

used in an evaluation of federally-sponsored housing, will

be included and experiences will be summarized.

Research data, not previously available, will be included

to illustrate item coding as well as to indicate research

results. Practical discussions of questionnaire

development, survey research principles, and research

design models will be included allowing others to

incorporate or build on our experiences.

Planned products include the project report plus

two articles suitable for publication in a technical journal.

The articles will focus on the research design model and

the field study based on it. These products will be of

educational value to students and of direct practical

significance to researchers and others in the housing

design, construction, and management fields.

Building Teclinoiogy information Information is the Center's ultimate product. This

project is aimed at effective delivery of that product

Noel J. Raufaste through skillful dissemination techniques and an

(301) 921-3106 understanding of the information needed by the building

Center for Buildmg Technology community. To this end, the Center has established a Headquarters multidimensional information program. It broadcasts

research fmdings, answers specific inquiries, and interacts

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards with the building community through joint activities

with building groups, tours and conferences at the

Bureau, and meetings and conventions of building

101
organizations. All this permits a two-way information

program in meeting the needs of the building

community's research, policy-making, application, and

consuming sectors. Recent products were summaries of

all the Center's research activities: Building Technology

Project Summaries; Building Technology Publications, a cumulative listing of the Center's publications; brochures

on CBT building research activities; and a draft report

scheduled for printing in late 1978, Building Research

at the National Bureau of Standards. 1968-1974.

In addition, this project provides on-going data

acquisition and data analysis capabilities and interfaces

with several CBT laboratories for the purposes of

laboratory automation, automatic data processing and

display, and the processing of management information.

In FY76 the CBT plumbing laboratory was connected

with the CBT mini-computer and currently the vision

laboratory is being tied into the CBT computer.

IPT/NBS Cooperative Program

Thomas K. Faison

(301) 921-3704

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Instituto De Pesquisas

Tecnogicas, Brazil

As part of an overall Memorandum of

Understanding between NBS and the Instituto De

Pesquisas Tecnogicas (IPT) of Sao Paulo, Brazil, CBT

provides opportunities for the staff of IPT to gain

training through direct participation in on-going projects

within CBT. CBT gains the support provided by the

trainee during the assignment at NBS. Further

opportunities are made available to the trainee to

experience activities outside CBT, such as: visits to

Underwriter Laboratories, participation in professional

society activities (ASME, ASHRAE), and field training

with building code groups.

During the past year, training has been provided in

the areas of plumbing and electrical systems engineering.

Currently there are trainees in materials durabUity and

thermal engineering; additional trainees in material

properties will be included in the Program.

International Building Research

Noel J. Raufaste

(301)921-3106

Center for Building Technology

Headquarters

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

This project provides a forum for researchers from

CBT and foreign research organizations to exchange

information, help in coordinating their research activities,

and host tours of CBT facilities. The project responds to

foreign requests for technical information on building

technology, supports complementary building research

activities, provides a mechanism to exchange technical

staff, offers a means to participate in international

conferences as members in international organizations,

and furnishes technical assistance to developing

countries.

CBT has conducted international programs with

Brazil, Canada, France, Japan, Philippines, England,

Soviet Union, Spain, Indonesia, and other countries, and

has served on numerous international panels (such as the

International Council for Building Research Studies and

102
Documentation, International Organization for

Standards, the International Union of Testing and

Research Laboratories for Materials and Structures, and

the International Institute of Refrigeration). This year

such work will be expanded to cover cooperative

research with Poland and Israel, among other nations.

The Center also publishes an annual NBSIR document,

International Research—Survey of CBT's International

Programs.

Classification Committee Staff Support

George E. Turner

(301) 921-2102

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

This project provides staff support to the steering

committee assembled to select a universal building

classification scheme. The support will aid the committee

in the identification of current activities directed toward

the establishment of uniform classifications and their

potential impact on the building process. In addition, aid

in determining the technical feasibility of developing a

single classification and the factors inhibiting its potential

adoption will be addressed. The benefit of such a

classification scheme: a way of looking at buildings that

at once covers fire safety, energy, economic, and other

factors. In other words, a holistic approach to building

regulation.

Technical Support to ttie Tri-Services

Committee

Robert T. Mathey

(301) 921-2629

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Defense, TriServices Committee

This project provides technical and scientific

support and consultative services on building materials

and systems as required by Tri-Services. The work will

include carrying out laboratory tests and evaluations in

the solution of building problems as well as field

investigations. Recommendations will be made with

regard to the selection of materials and systems and their

application or operation.

Today, the Tri-Services are experiencing serious

building-related problems. They also are interested in

using new materials and systems for which standards and

criteria are not available. The solutions to problems and

information on new materials and systems wUl also

benefit other governmental agencies and the private

sector by eliminating or reducing unanticipated early

building materials and systems failures.

HUD Studies

Thomas K. Faison

(301) 921-3704

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

CBT will perform tasks for a wide variety of HUD

research needs throughout fiscal year 1978. Each task

shall be performed within certain prescribed time limits

and will cover such areas as: (1) durability testing and

criteria, (2) hazard determination, and (3) building

technology assessments. Specific tasks may encompass

such examples as conducting performance tests on

questionable materials or assemblies, a racking test on a

panel wall, testing soil for leaching of termite poison.

103
making air-quality tests in homes where asbestos

materials have been used, measuring the capability of an

in-situ brick testing device, writing a state-of-the-art

report on plumbing trees, and developing criteria for

hallway width; such were the studies completed in the

recent past.

CBT's involvement in this work is a continuation of

its traditional role of support to other government

agencies. The unique characteristic of this project is that

it will give both HUD and CBT the capability of

responding quickly to those day-to-day problems that

require immediate technical attention and action.

Design and Construction Technoiogy

Application Program (DAC/TAP)

Porter Driscoll

(301)921-3106

Center for Building Technology

Headquarters

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The objective of this program is to improve building

design and construction practices by identifying

researchable problems in cooperation with those who

design and build buildings, by assisting in the formulation

of responsive research projects and programs, by

delivering usable technical information to the building

design and construction communities, by participating in

cooperative technology application demonstrations and

by evaluating the impact of new technology. The

approach is based on close interaction with the design

and construction communities directly and through their

professional and trade organizations.

Design and construction community input will be

provided to research project leaders for the precise

definition of the research problem to be answered and as a continuing resource during the research activities.

Research findings and other technical information will be

converted as necessary into forms usable by the design

and construction communities. Cooperative efforts will

be mounted with professional and trade organizations in

the building design and construction commimities to

track and to evaluate the effectiveness of the problem

identification and information delivery process, the

method of application by the design and construction

communities, and the impact of using newly applied

104

ft U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1979 O - 285-115
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