Building Technology

Project Summaries

1980-1981

A11100 165551
(Cover photograph courtesy of the Department of Housing and Urban

Development.)
NATIONAL BUREAU

OF 3TANBABUS

LIBRARY

Building Technology

Project Summaries

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mi 1980-1981

NBSSP 446-5

Editors:

Noel Raufaste

Michael Olmert

Center for Building Technology

National Engineering Laboratory

National Bureau of Standards

U.S. Department of Commerce

Washington, DC 20234

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Malcolm Baldrige, Secretary

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS, Ernest Ambler, Director

Issued July 1981
National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 446-5

Nat. Bur. Stand. (U.S.), Spec. Publ. 446-5, 82 pages (July 198!) CODEN: XNBSAV

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON: 1981

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

Price $4.50

( Add 25 percent for other than U.S. mailing )
The mission of the Center for Building Technology

(CBT) is to increase the usefulness, safety, and economy

of buildings through the advancement of building

technology and its application to the improvement of

building practice. CBT's research activities support the

building technology programs of Federal, State, and

local governments; assist the 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 materials, components, and systems.

CBT's programs address construction productivity,

building safety, and energy conservation. Typical CBT

activities include: investigating failures, such as the

Willow Island cooling tower accident, to determine

needs for improved design and construction practices;

improving measurement techniques, such as development

of accurate equipment to measure the performance of

thick insulation; defining characteristics of building

performance, such as human response to time-varying

noise; and developing methods for comparing benefits

and costs, such as life-cycle cost approaches for selecting

optimal energy retrofit measures. All these activities are conducted in cooperation with other organizations in the

building community that participate in the studies or are

affected by the results. CBT does not promulgate building codes or standards.

CBT provides an objective source of technical information for national consensus standards and model code

organizations. Close cooperation with these groups leads

to standard practices that meet the needs of the

regulatory authorities of State and local governments.

Research providing the knowledge for these standard

practices is conducted in cooperation with Government,

university, and industry laboratories.

This report summarizes CBT's research for 1980-1981.

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

contact within CBT, and sponsor. The summaries are arranged according to the research

areas that comprise the scope of work at CBT, which is shown on page xi. The report has a Building Community

Index (p. 74), which keys CBT research to individual

segments of the industry.

The reader is encouraged to review two companion

documents: NBS Special Publication 439-1 The Center

for Building Technology: A Perspective which presents

the Center's approach to building research and its facilities; and NBS Special Publication 457, Building

Technology Publications, and its supplements.

As they are produced, reports detailing results of these

projects will be listed in future issues of Building

Technology Publications.

iii

Contents

Building Economics 2 Economic Methods for Building Standards

Economic Measures of Productivity in the

Construction Industry

Economic Impact of NBS Electronics Research Effort

Building Rehabilitation Technology 4 Application of Equivalency Methods to Regulations

Related to Health and Sanitation

Regulatory Provisions for Existing Buildings

Restoration Standards for Porcelain Finishes

5 Monitoring the White House Restoration

Quick-Response Studies for HUD

Development of Architectural Accessibility Guidelines

Building and Community Acoustics 8 Building Acoustics Technology

Highway Noise Criteria

Sound Absorption Measurement

9 Technical Support to the EPA

Lighting Technology 12 Lighting Technology

Task Lighting Criteria

13 Measurement of Illumination Systems Effectiveness

Laboratory and Field Illumination Measurements

Chromatic Adaptation

14 Visual Acuity Requirements for Nondestructive Testing

Building Service Systems 16

Performance

17

18

Performance of Water-Conserving Devices

User Acceptance of Water Conservation

Guidelines for Limited Venting and Single-Stack

Drainage Systems

Solid Transport in Horizontal Drains

Plumbing Vent Systems Network Analysis

Service Life of Electrical Wire Insulation

Structures and Foundations 20 Criteria for Structural Loads and Design

Performance Snow Loads on Nuclear Power Plant Structures 21 Application of Life-Test Analysis Concepts to Building Components

CBT Wind Tunnel: Performance Criteria and

Final Design

22 Criteria for Design of Cladding Subjected to Wind Loads

Performance of Residential Siding

Construction of Housing in Mine-Subsidence Areas

23 Requirements and Format for the Siting of LNG

Facilitieo Foundation and Excavation Standards

Geotechnical Measurements of In-Situ Soil Properties

v
24 Ultimate Limit States for Joints and Fasteners in Light-Frame Construction

Reliability-Based Design of Containments and

Category I Structures 25 Anchoring Mechanics for Mobile Homes

Mobile Home Anchoring in Flood Plains

26 NDE of Building Materials

NDE for Concrete Strength

Interpretation of Ultrasonic NDE Results

27 Cement Hydration

Fly Ash Use in Cement and Concrete Products

28 Organic Coatings

Corrosion of Steel in Prestressed Concrete

29 Short-Term Evaluation of Steel Coatings

Field Adhesion Tester

Properties of Single-Ply Roofing Systems

30 Measurements and Standards for Nuclear Waste

Management

Tri-Services Technical and Scientific Support

Earthquake Hazard Reduction 32 Seismic Provisions for Buildings

Seismic Limit-States for Structures 33 Romania Earthquake Rehabilitation

Computer-Controlled Test Facility

Cyclic-Loading of Masonry Building Components

34 Cyclic-Strain Approach to the Determination of

Liquefaction Potential of Level Sandy Sites Improving the Standard Penetration Test as a Measure of the Liquefaction Potential of Sands

Building Safety 36 Construction Load Evaluation

Excavation Safety

Effectiveness Evaluation of Symbol Use

37 Effectiveness of Safety Symbols in the Workplace

Building Circulation Evaluation System: Phase I 38 Modeling Occupant Circulation Systems

The Use of Hazard Pictorials/Symbols in Mines

39 Technical Support for Correctional Facilities Design Standards

Energy Conservation in Buildings 42 Building Energy Performance Criteria

Integrated Energy Systems

Energy Analysis Procedures

43 Energy Analysis of the Norris Cotton Building

Energy Analysis of Control Strategies

44 Thermostat Test Standard

CBT Controls Laboratory

45 EMCS Algorithms

EMCS Measured Performance

Retrofit Instrumentation Technology/EMCS Sensors

46 Dynamic Performance of HVAC Systems and Controls

vi
Laboratory Tests for Thermographic Standards

Air Infiltration in Large Buildings

47 Evaluating the Performance of Heat Pumps

Heat Pump and Air Conditioner Test Procedures

48 Furnace and Boiler Test Series

Underground Heat Distribution Systems

Daylighting Prediction

49 Radon Transport in Building Materials

Building Thermal Envelope 52

Systems and Insulating Materials

53

54

Thermal Conductivity Apparatus

Thick Insulation Test Series

Thermal Insulation Analysis

Calibrated Hot Box Construction

Calibrated Specimen Round-Robin Tests Multi-Room Thermal Modeling

Installation Criteria for Building Retrofit

Field Measurements of Building Thermal Mass

Guidelines for Controlling Attic Condensation

Field Determination of Wire Temperatures

Building Solar Systems Technology 56 Collector Durability and Reliability Test Program

Standards for Solar Absorptive Coatings

57 Standards for Solar Cover Plates Standards for Optical Property Measurements

58 Thermal Test Methods for Solar Collectors Test and Evaluation of Solar Collectors

Standards for Nonmetallic Containment Materials

59 Standards for Rubber Hose and Connections

Standards for Phase-Change Storage Materials

60 Thermal Energy Storage and Building Codes

Development of Solar Regulatory Provisions

Cement Hydrates for Energy Storage

61 Solar Energy Program for Housing Systems

Kinetics of Glycol-Based Antifreeze Degradataion

62 Evaluation of IPC Corrosion Test Methodology

Solar Hot Water System Test Program

Passive Solar Data Requirements

63 Evaluation of Thermal Comfort in Passive Solar

Buildings

Health and Safety Criteria for Passive Solar Systems

Modeling for the Analysis of Thermal Comfort in Passive Solar Buildings

Thermal Test Methods for Passive Components

64 Modeling of Passive Solar Buildings

Standards for Passive Solar Materials, Components,

and Systems

The Influence of Micro-Changes on the Engineering

Properties of Solar Materials

65 Materials Problem Definition: Solar Industrial Process Heat Applications

The Industry Impact of Solar Equipr ent Standards

Economic Consultation for the Solar federal Buildings

Program

vii
66 Economics Sessions of the Solar Design Workshops

Conservation and Solar Energy: An Integrated

Economic Evaluation Framework

Comparison of Selected Solar Economic Evaluation

Models

67 Cost-Benefit Studies of Solar Federal Building

Projects

Residential Solar Data Center

Solar Systems User Data Base

68 Federal Guide Specifications for Solar Heating and

Hot Water Applications

Reliability and Maintainability of Solar Heating

and Cooling Systems

Performance Criteria for Solar Heating and Cooling

Systems in Commercial Buildings

69 Technical Assessment of Buildings Being Considered

for Solar Retrofit

Thermal Performance Data Requirements and Evaluation

Procedures

Solar Utilization in Cities and Towns

70 Commercial Solar Energy Demonstration

Monitoring of Radon Concentration in Passive Solar

Buildings

71 Technical Support to the Solar Standards Committee

International Cooperation in Solar Energy

Building Community Index

viii
Abbreviations Used in the Text

ACF Area Cost Factors AID Agency for International Development

ACI American Concrete Institute AIA American Institute of Architects

AIARC AIA Research Corporation

ANMC American National Metric Council

ANSI American National Standards Institute ARI American Research Institute ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers

ASPE American Society of Plumbing Engineers

ASSE American Society of Sanitary Engineers

ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials

ASHRAE American Society for Heating, Refrigerating,

and Air-Conditioning Engineers

ASME American Society for Mechanical Engineers

BECC Building Energy Conservation Criteria

BFIRES A Computer Program Dealing with Human

Performance During Building Fires

BLAST An Energy Analysis Computer Program

BOCA Building Officials and Code Administrators

International, Inc. BRAB Building Research Advisory Board

BUR Built-up Roofing

CAM Center for Applied Mathematics (NBS)

CBT Center for Building Technology

CERL Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (U.S. Army)

CFR Center for Fire Research (NBS)

CIB International Council for Building Research,

Studies, and Documentation

CICC Construction Industries Coordinating Committee

CSA Community Service Administration

CPSC Consumer Product Safety Commission

DoD Department of Defense

DoE Department of Energy

EDA Economic Development Administration

EIA Energy Information Agency

EMCS Energy Monitoring and Control Systems

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

FAA Federal Aviation Administration

FCC Federal Construction Council

FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency

FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

FmHA Farmers Home Administration

FHWA Federal Highway Administration

FIRL Franklin Institute Research Laboratories

FSES Fire Safety Evaluation System

GSA General Services Administration

HHS Department of Health and Human Services

HID High Intensity Discharge

HUD Department of Housing and Urban Development

HVAC Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning

ICBO International Conference of Building Officials IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers

IERI Illumination Engineering Research Institute

ix

350-401 0-81-2
IES Illumination Engineering Society

ISO International Standards Organization

LBL Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory

LCC Life-Cycle Costing

LNG Liquid Natural Gas

MIMA Mineral Insulation Manufacturer Association

MIUS Modular Integrated Utility Systems

MPS Minimum Property Standards

NAHP 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 Nondestructive Evaluation

NEC National Electric Code

NEMA National Electrical Manufacturers Association

NFPA National Fire Protection Association

NIBS National Institute of Building Sciences

NIOSH National Institutes of Occupational Safety

and Health

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NPS National Park Service

NRC Nuclear Regulatory Commission

NRCC National Research Council (Canada)

NSF National Science Foundation

ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory

OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration

RCS Residential Conservation Service

RIF Resource Impact Factors RILEM International Union of Testing and Research

Laboratories for Materials and Structures RSV Reduced-Size Venting

SAE Society for Automotive Engineers

SERI Solar Energy Research Institute SPT Standard Penetration Tests SRM Standard Reference Materials

TIFS Thermal Indicating Flexible Strips

UF Urea-Formaldehyde

USGS United States Geological Survey

USNC/CIB United States National Committee/International

Council for Building Research, Studies, and

Documentation

UV Ultraviolet

VA Veterans Administration

x
CENTER FOR

BUILDING TECHNOLOGY

CENTER HEADQUARTERS

Structures and

Materials

Division

Earthquake Hazards

Construction Safety

Geotechnical

Engineering

Structural

Engineering

Building Materials

Building Composites

Building Thermal

Performance Division

Thermal Analysis

Passive Solar Systems

Thermal Insulation

Environmental

Design Research

Division

Architectural Research

Sensory Environment

Building Safety

Building and Community

Acoustics

Building Economics

and Regulatory

Technology Division

Applied Economics

Building Rehabilitation Technology

Solar Technology

Criteria and

Standards Development

Building Equipment

Division

Thermal Machinery

Systems and Controls

Service Systems

Active Solar Systems

xi


Economic Methods for Building

Standards

Harold E. Marshall

(301) 921-3701

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

In this project, methods for life-cycle cost analysis and

benefit-cost analysis will be specially developed for application to building problems. The Savings-to- Investment Ratio Technique will be described and

published in draft form suitable for consideration by

ASTM as a standard recommended practice. Technical

services will be provided to the ASTM E-6.81 Subcommittee on Building Economics to develop

standardized economic methods and definitions. Technical support will also be provided to the CIB W55

Working Commission on Building Economics.

Economic Measures of Productivity in The first stage of this project is devoted to reviewing the

the Construction Industry considerable body of economic literature on the measurement and analysis of productivity as well as on

Stephen F. Weber the theory of index numbers. The purpose of this review

(301) 921-2308 is to provide a solid theoretical basis for the productivity

Building Economics and Regulatory measures to be developed and applied to construction

Technology Division activities. The next stage involves a thorough search for

all relevant data sources concerning productivity in the

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards construction industry. The third stage is devoted to identifying a specific construction activity or process for detailed productivity analysis. For the selected process, standardized measures of output and of each of the factor inputs (e.g., labor, materials, and capital equipment) are

to be developed in the fourth stage. The fifth stage of the project involves the construction of productivity indexes

designed to measure changes in the levels of productivity

for each of the factors of production. The final stage of

the project is devoted to writing a report explaining the

productivity indexes and their underlying theory and

applications.

Economic Impact of NBS

Electronics Research Effort

Carol C. Rawie

(301) 921-3602

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Because of the scarcity of funds available for research, there is increasing need for Government agencies,

including scientific agencies such as NBS, to be aware of

the economic impacts of their activities. But measuring

economic impacts of Government scientific research is difficult, partly because the information that results is usually distributed freely rather than being bought and

sold like ordinary goods. Thus, NBS managers need a workable method for measuring the economic impacts of

their research projects. The purpose of this study is to develop and apply a method of estimating economic

impacts of NBS research. It will do so through a case study of the economic impacts of a research effort in the

Center for Electronics and Electrical Engineering.

2
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Application of Equivalency Methods to Regulations Related to Health and

Sanitation

James H. Pielert (301) 921-3146

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

This project, jointly carried out by CBT and CAM, will develop and explore the application of an equivalency

method similar to the Fire Safety Evaluation System

(FSES) to health and sanitation. Combined application of

the FSES currently under development by CFR for multifamily residences and health and sanitation criteria will be studied. This will build on a pilot study jointly

carried out by CBT and CAM in FY80 on the

application of equivalency techniques for lighting,

security, egress, and ventilation of windows and doors in existing buildings. Mathematical solutions developed in the pilot study will be used and modified where

necessary by CAM. The initial activity will be to agree on parameters, functional requirements and states to be

considered in health and sanitation. A fault tree that

identifies the physical parameters will be developed. An

internal NBS delphi group will be formed to develop

agreement on numerical values. The baseline

requirements will be selected based on data in NBSIR 80- 2081, Comparison ofSelected Codes and Standards

Relating to Existing Buildings. Cost impacts will be

included in the analysis in arriving at least-cost code

complying solutions.

Regulatory Provisions for Existing

Buildings

James H. Pielert (301) 921-3146

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The efficient reuse of existing buildings can be promoted

by the development and implementation of information

required to make technical decisions. This project

involves technical support in the development of

regulatory provisions for existing buildings. CBT

provides technical and secretariat support to the ASCE

Standards Committee, "Condition Assessment of

Structural Systems in Existing Buildings" CBT also sponsors the annual NBS/NCSBCS Joint Conference on

Research and Innovation in the Building Regulatory

Process, and publishes the results of the technical

sessions. This year, a Federal workshop on Building

Rehabilitation will be held.

Restoration Standards for Porcelain

Finishes

James F. Seiler (301) 921-2909

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

The maintenance of porcelain enameled fixtures has been

a major concern to HUD. Restoration of fixtures by

application of organic coatings to the damaged porcelain

surfaces may cost one quarter as much as replacement.

The evaluation of the performance of commercially

available finishes, recommendations for performance

criteria for their selection, and application standards are

essential for the successful use of these finishes. To fill this gap, CBT will evaluate the performance of

restoration finishes by laboratory test methods.

Laboratory data will provide the technical basis for performance criteria for these materials.

4
Monitoring the White House

Restoration

Larry W. Masters

(301) 921-3458

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Park Service

The 1980 White House restoration was carried out in accordance with specifications developed by CBT. These

specifications are expected to be the prototype for subsequent White House restorations. To gather

performance data needed to revise the specifications for exterior coatings and related materials, it is essential to monitor the 1980 restoration. Inspections and analyses by

CBT personnel will supplement related NPS activities,

which include photography and photogrammetry.

Quick-Response Studies for HUD

Joseph Greenberg

(301) 921-3147

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

During FY81, CBT will be called upon for specific answers to questions on building technology. In the past, CBT has conducted performance tests on questionable

materials or assemblies, a racking test on a panel wall,

testing a soil for the leaching of termite poison, 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.

Development of Architectural

Accessibility Guidelines

Sanford Adler

(301) 921-2574

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board

National concern for the rights of disabled Americans to reasonable access to buildings has been expressed by the

Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 and the Rehabilitation

Act of 1973. The current proliferation of accessibility

guides and codes at the Federal, State, and local level has

resulted in a number of inconsistent or conflicting

documents that have placed a significant burden on the

building industry. In this project, accessibility guidelines

will be developed that consider not only the needs of the

building user but also the realities of architectural and

construction practices in the United States. FY80 activity

focused on documenting areas of disagreement in existing

accessibility requirements, and identifying areas of

needed research. In addition, research on door-operating

forces was begun. Work in FY81 will focus on research

to eliminate areas of ignorance and disagreement in existing accessibility requirements. Research on dooroperating forces will be continued and instrumentation

will be developed for field use.

350-401 0-81-3

5

Building and

CommunityAcoustics

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Building Acoustics Technology

Simone L. Yaniv

(301) 921-3783

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Acoustical treatment and noise management can cause

large increases in building costs if not incorporated early

in the basic design. Corrective construction in existing

buildings is especially costly. Nevertheless, these steps are taken because of the negative effects of inferior acoustical performance on occupant satisfaction and

worker productivity. These costs can be lowered and

sometimes offset by operational savings over a building's

life cycle if decisions about site and building design,

construction, and operations are made with regard to acoustical consideration. This project will develop design

criteria for noise isolation of building spaces. Acoustic

parameters affecting user responses will be identified through limited sampling of outdoor environments,

building types, construction parameters, and achieved

isolation. Using these data, psychoacoustic studies will be

conducted under controlled laboratory conditions to provide technical bases for specifications of noise

isolation of building shells and party walls. Outdoor-toindoor measurement methods will be developed by

characterizing sound fields in and around buildings by

land-use, location, orientation of buildings relative to noise sources, and building configuration.

Highway Noise Criteria

Jay W. Bauer

(301) 921-3783

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: Federal Highway

Administration

Field data have been collected and analyzed on the time

histories and spectra of traffic noise and on how traffic sounds are received in a building. Laboratory

investigations are underway on the human response to the time-varying noises obtained previously. From

analysis of the data collected in these psychoacoustic

experiments and in conjunction with the analysis done on

the physical data base, an evaluation of existing rating

schemes will be conducted. If necessary, an improved

rating procedure will be developed. A questionnaire and

measurement plan will be developed to assess occupant

reaction to highway noise based on the key parameters

identified in the project.

Sound Absorption Measurement

Thomas W. Bartel (301) 921-3783

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Using the NBS Sound Building's reverberation chamber,

a direct method for measuring sound absorption will be

developed and compared with results obtained using the current method based on reverberation time. This

method will then be modified for practical field applications to account for the effects of field conditions.

In addition, to improve indoor acoustic predictions, the

validity of the "Sabine relationships" —which undergird

modern acoustical theory and practice in relating

reverberation time, acoustical absorption, radiated sound

power, and interior sound pressure levels—will be

examined to test the assumptions inherent in the Sabine

equations. To that effect, several techniques will be

developed, including time-energy-frequency analysis,

statistical energy analysis, and scale-model techniques.

8
Based upon studies performed in the reverberation room,

in scale-model rooms, and formal solutions to wave

equation and finite element solutions, corrections will be

developed for the Sabine relationships for both

reverberant and semi-reverberant fields. The work will proceed from the reverberation room to the listening room and then to actual buildings.

Technical Support to the EPA

Simone Yaniv

(301) 921-3783

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: Environmental Protection

Agency

Noise is consistently identified in social surveys as a major concern of building occupants and community

residents. Noise also has a negative effect on occupant

productivity. EPA's enforcement of the Noise Control

Act of 1972 and the Quiet Communities Act of 1978

requires investigation of the effects of noise intrusion into

building environments. CBT will support that work by

providing EPA with the technical assistance necessary to support its noise program requirements. In addition, the

physical noise parameters intruding into buildings will be

identified and an experimental approach to studying their

effects on people developed. By developing a pilot study

design, the effects of intrusive noise on building

occupants will be reviewed with the objective of

developing refined experimental methods for their study.

These refined experimental methods will provide the

data bases required to improve building design and to enhance the productivity of the building user.


Lighting Technology

Gary T. Yonemura

(301) 921-2680

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Laboratory research at NBS, first using grating patterns,

and then employing printed matter (realistic tasks), indicates that when visual sensitivity is measured by

conspicuity of details, the function relating luminance

with contrast is different from that obtained when the

visual task is threshold detection only. An apparatus to

assess conspicuities of typical office tasks relative to a reference five-bar target will be constructed. A modified

form of this device will also be built for obtaining

conspicuity function data faster and easier. A three-day

conference, jointly sponsored by IES and NBS, was

conducted in January 1981. The conference took the

form of 90 workshops—each one dealing with a major

lighting issue. Each workshop chairman is responsible for preparing a report describing research and application

requirements for the next decade. These reports will be

used to prepare an integrated, comprehensive 10-year

plan of research into lighting design, use, and evaluation.

Task Lighting Criteria Laboratory research at CBT, first using grating patterns

and then employing printed matter (realistic tasks), Gary T. Yonemura indicates that when visual sensitivity is measured by

(301) 921-2680 conspicuity of details, the function relating luminance

Environmental Design Research Division with apparent contrast is different from that obtained

when the visual task is threshold detection, the classical Sponsor: Department of Energy basis for recommending illumination levels. Additional

experiments will be conducted at these suprathreshold

levels to determine more specifically the form of the

suprathreshold visibility-luminance functions and the

level of visibility necessary for sustained performance of

office tasks under conditions simulating the real world.

Sample office tasks will be evaluated for visibility levels, relative to a five-bar reference target. These data are also necessary to determine the minimum number of light levels that must be considered for offices. Minimizing the

number of light-level recommendations for offices will be

helpful in promulgating energy conservation codes,

where simplicity is a strong selling point for acceptance.

The findings will be presented to the Illuminating

Engineering Research Institute, Energy Management

Committee, and the Recommendation of Quality and

Quantity of Light (RQQ) Committee of the IES, in presentations at the IES Regional Conference, and

articles in the IES Journal.

12
Measurement of Illumination Systems

Effectiveness

A. Ted Hattenburg

(301) 921-3454

Building Thermal Performance Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Energy used for illumination accounts for about 6

percent of total U.S. consumption, and 25 percent of

electrical generation. Past reliance upon simplistic

illuminance measurements, poorly defined reflectance

values, and complex calculation schemes based upon

inadequate data have hampered efforts to evaluate the

actual performance of illumination systems designed to conserve energy. Under this project, the contrast

rendition factor of a number of installed office lighting

systems will be determined by use of a laboratorydeveloped field measurement technique, using a calibrated modest-cost commercial luminance spotmeter

and reproducible standard targets developed under an

associated NBS project. A procedure manual will be

written to allow untrained personnel to use the field measurement technique. The reflectance properties of the

targets will be determined for use in predictive

calculations for the design of lighting systems to specified

contrast-rendition conditions.

Laboratory and Field Illumination

Measurements

A. Ted Hattenburg

(301) 921-3454

Building Thermal Performance Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Building illumination practice has relied upon simplistic

measurements of illumination levels, poorly defined

reflectance values, and complex calculation schemes

based upon inadequate data. The new requirements for more cost-effective, energy conserving illumination

systems are creating a demand for more precise, valid

physical measurement techniques to guide systems

design, evaluate the effectiveness of prototype and

installed lighting systems, and contribute to the physical

basis of vision research. The development of precise

physical-measurement techniques in illumination under

this project will directly support voluntary standards and

advances in vision and illumination (artificial and natural)

research.

Chromatic Adaptation

Robert A. Glass

(301) 921-2246

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Recent work conducted at CBT has shown that under

high-efficacy illumination systems, the effects on

chromatic adaptation (color perception) persist as long as 23 minutes when workers have been in typical office illumination levels (about 60 ft-C) for 45 minutes or more. These findings provide new information on this topic and

may explain the adverse response of many people who

work under HID lamps in office environments—e.g., occupants of the Federal Building in Manchester, NH.

Research is currently underway to more precisely

quantify these effects.

13
Visual Acuity Requirements for

Nondestructive Testing

Gary T. Yonemura

(301) 921-2680

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: Department of Defense

Much is known about the visual processes, but the visual conditions, techniques, and information capacity required

of the inspector, as specifically related to NDT, are not

established. Discussions will be held with DoD personnel on types of tasks and levels of difficulty encountered in DoD's nondestructive testing programs. Based on the

evaluation of the different types of acuity tests currently

being used, acuity measurement targets and testing

techniques will be recommended. The possibility of

making revised visual acuity test charts available as NBS

Standard Reference Materials (SRM) will be considered.

The output of this research will be a recommended

practice and visual acuity capacity required for practical

radiograph inspection. These inspections are increasingly

used to evaluate building materials and components. The

recommendations from this work will serve as basis for a measurement procedure to be implemented by the Opthalmology Departments of the Army Materials and

Mechanics Research Center Medical Departments.

Standard test stimuli and methods used for testing the

visual performance capability of inspectors using NDT

procedures where the human eye is the measurement

instrument will assist in greater agreement between

different groups performing similar visual tasks, resulting

in better quality control and safety for products.

14
Building Service

Systems

Performance

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Performance of Water-Conserving

Devices

Lawrence S. Galowin

(301) 921-3293

Building Equipment Division

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

The clear need for a national water conservation policy

implies a concomitant need for methods of evaluation,

development of predictive design methods, standards,

recommendations, and incentives for reduced water

usage. Water reduction requirements are being

promulgated by local and state regulatory bodies without

the minimum satisfactory levels of performance derived

from hydraulic investigations, economic consequences,

or user acceptance levels. HUD is sponsoring the

development of guideline criteria and test methods for water conservation requirements in codes and the

Minimum Property Standards. Community and water

utility decisions about water conservation programs

require public understanding of conservation practices.

Performance requirements, test methods, and evaluation

procedures will be developed based upon laboratory

research to provide a basis for consensus standards. Guidelines and criteria will be established for hydraulic

effectiveness with water reduction, economic basis for

decisions, and evaluation of incentives and motivation for acceptance of water conservation.

User Acceptance of Water

Conservation

Jacqueline Elder

(301) 921-2246

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

A recently completed literature review indicates that

reliable quantified data have not been established from

field research in the area of occupant response to specific

water conservation devices. The laboratory-based

hydraulic parameters associated with showerheads have

been established. However, it is not known how to relate those parameters to consumer requirements. Showerhead

manufacturers and HUD officials have indicated the need

for data relating the physical characteristics of

showerheads to user response. This project will conduct

a pilot study to evaluate user response to specific

showerheads. Showerheads instrumented to measure

water pressure and temperature will be distributed to volunteers. The data records will include the instrument

readings and a record of the duration of each shower and

also provide specific responses and open-ended

commentary. At the study's end, an attempt will be made

to correlate laboratory-determined hydraulic parameters

with user acceptance.

Guidelines for Limited Venting and

Single Stack Drainage Systems

Fred Winter

(301) 921-2136

Building Equipment Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Current plumbing criteria require prevention of trap seal failure by venting. Systems without separate venting are

satisfactory in performance as demonstrated in Philadelphia, throughout Europe, and in special single stack systems (i.e., Sovent). Particular installations may

be permitted through justification and demonstration

under regulatory variance processes. However, the

acceptability in the United States is relatively low

because of traditionally conservative plumbing codes and

a reluctance to accept innovations. Safe installations with

limited venting are required for economic rehabilitation.

16
Additional drainage stack piping bypass "loops"

performing the functions of the splitter of single stack

design have the potential of providing increased capacity

along with prevention of trap seal failures.

Solid Transport in Horizontal Drains

Bal M. Mahajan

(301) 921-2028

Building Equipment Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

A significant savings of water consumed in buildings can

be realized by using low-volume or water-saving water

closets. However, the reduction of wastewater flow in the horizontal branches of the drainage system may lead

to inadequate transportation of waterborne solid waste. Relatively few studies have been undertaken to investigate the solid transport phenomenon within

common horizontal drains. Modeling procedures for predicting the local flow characteristics of the timedependent partially-filled pipe flow through horizontal

drains leading to pipe sizing methods will be developed.

Also, instrumentation for measuring the flow

characteristics in the pipe flow will be refined in an

attempt to validate the mathematical models or establish empirical relationships.

Plumbing Vent Systems Network

Analysis

Paul Kopetka

(301) 921-2136

Building Equipment Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

No adequate design method generally acceptable to codes and standards groups for incorporating reduced

size venting (RSV) into plumbing systems is currently in practice. Present vent system design methods lack a solid engineering foundation, are difficult to understand, and

awkward to use. Existing computer vent system design is based upon "fixture-units," supply loads without fixture- vent requirements. This approach ignores important flow

circulation characteristics and empirical data. Tabulations

of vent-fitting loss coefficients over the range of flowbranching conditions and inlet-to-outlet area ratios are incomplete; the accuracy of estimates based on

extrapolation of existing data is questionable. In this project, the present network analysis solution technique,

limited to three fixture vents, will be expanded. The

generalization will provide the capability to model

realistic systems, i.e., multi-story buildings, based on

steady-state conditions.

17
Service Life of Electrical Wire

Insulation

Robert Beausoliel

(301) 921-3454

Building Equipment Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Degradation of electrical wire insulation due to aging

and heating can lead to electrical short circuiting, which

is suspected to be one of the leading causes of fires in buildings. In addition, shock hazards may develop

because of degradation of the dielectric insulation. These

problems appear to be aggravated when thermal

insulation is placed over or next to the electrical wires,

e.g., in attics or cavity walls. Studies at CBT have shown

that heat generated in the wires by passage of electricity

is less rapidly dissipated when they are covered with

thermal insulation; in some cases wire temperatures have

been found to greatly exceed the allowable operating

temperatures of the National Electrical Code. In view of

the potential hazards caused by the degradation of

residential electrical wiring insulation, information about

service life needs to be considered in selecting dielectric materials. Information about service life also would be

valuable in estimating the remaining service life of

installed electrical wiring. Little information has been

reported on the durability of residential electrical wire

insulation, and reliable predictions of service life do not appear to be available. The purpose of this project is to use the reliability approach to develop service life predictions for electrical branch circuit wiring.

18
Structures

and Foundations

Performance

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19
Criteria for Structural Loads and Design Current structural design standards rely on different philosophies and criteria for design, depending on the Bruce R. Ellingwood material or construction technology used. This tends to (301) 921-2170 complicate design when different technologies are Structures and Materials Division employed in the same structure. Differences in design

philosophy cause a lack of consistency in the reliability

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards levels of different buildings. In recognition of these problems, the trend in Europe and Canada has been

toward the development of a common basis for design

that would be applicable 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. This project is concerned with the development

of design criteria, specifically applicable to building

standards in the United States, that will ensure adequate

reliability against structural failure and unserviceability.

This will lead to reduced building costs by simplifying

the design process and stimulating market competition

between construction technologies.

Snow Loads on Nuclear Power Plant

Structures

Bruce R. Ellingwood

(301) 921-2170

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Current design standards specify snow loads on roofs by

multiplying the ground snow load by a snow load

coefficient Cs. In ANSI Standard A58.1-1972, C„ depends on roof exposure and geometry. Except in valleys of

sloped roofs and locations of elevation change, the load

is assumed to be uniformly distributed. However, snow

seldom accumulates evenly because of drifting and

sliding and the loads may not actually be uniform, even on flat roofs. Thermal effects are not included in the

determination of Cs, despite evidence that the roof load

may be significantly higher for unheated buildings or where the roof is heavily insulated. Finally, the

coefficients in A58. 1-1972 are based on Canadian studies of ordinary structures: the extent to which these data can be used to represent the different roof geometries in nuclear power plant structures is not clear.

Under this project, technical assistance to NRC to

identify roof snow loads and develop loading criteria will proceed in two phases: 1) snow loads on power plant

structures will be measured and correlated to ground snow loads for several facilities in the NE quadrant of

the United States, and 2) data gathered in phase 1 will be

integrated with existing data from similar studies for the

purpose of recommending tentative snow-load

coefficients for design. A report will be prepared for the

NRC giving survey results and recommending snow-load

coefficients.

20
Application of Life-Test Analysis

Concepts to Building Components

Jonathan Martin

(301) 921-3208

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

If the construction industry continues to use plastics at the present rate, polymers could emerge as the major

class of building components of the 21st century. While

this statement reflects the growing optimism for the

future role of polymers in construction, there are

technical barriers which slow the rate of growth. In

particular, the potential thermal and nonthermal

degradation of polymers presents a technical barrier. The

purpose of this research is to predict the service life, using a reliability physics approach, for polymers

subjected to thermal and photolytic stresses. As an

adjunct to the research, the Second International

Conference on the Durability of Materials and

Components will be held at NBS in September of 1981. The conference will provide a medium for exchanging

research results relative to the durability of nonmetallic

building materials and components.

Three phases of stochastic model development are necessary for this study. The model will be validated at the completion of each phase using data on molecular

weight changes which result from the synergistic action

of UV light and heat. In the first phase, the stochastic nature of material degradation as a function of time, must

be modeled for each thermal and photolytic stress regime. Stochastic processes which include shock and wear models appear to be especially suitable here and

will be considered since the absorption of a photon can

be viewed as a shock to the material causing a measurable amount of damage. In the second phase of

the model, the parameters of the degradation process will be related to the level of photodegradation. The last phase of the model will be to account for the effects on

the chemical reaction kinetics from temperature

variations. As for changes in irradiance, the parameter of

the stochastic model will be related, via an appropriate

physical-chemical equation as a function of temperature

and irradiance level. The expected end result of this analysis will be the prediction of the service life distribution for all temperature and irradiance levels.

CBT Wind Tunnel: Performance

Criteria and Final Design

Timothy A. Reinhold

(301) 921-2186

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Although significant advances have been made in recent

years, computational fluid mechanics as a practical and

routine approach to the solution of wind engineering

problems appears to be well into the future. Thus, the

low-speed, boundary-layer wind tunnel will, over the next several years, continue to be the primary tool for assessing the effects of wind on buildings and other

structures. This project will establish a set of wind-tunnel

performance criteria based on the anticipated needs of

researchers within CBT. A basic design and cost estimate

will then be worked up for consideration in FY82.

Because of the complex flow situations likely to be

encountered in the space available for such a facility,

studies on a scale model (probably 1:10) will be

considered.

21

350-401 0-81-5
Criteria for Design of Cladding Current design criteria for cladding subjected to wind

Subjected to Wind Loads loads are generally recognized to be seriously deficient. The lack of consistency in present criteria results in Richard D. Marshall major economic losses and in major safety hazards. By

(301) 921-3471 contrast, uneconomical design of cladding is believed to Structures and Materials Division occur in a large number of design situations. Modern

analytical and experimental tools have not yet been used

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards in investigating the reliability of cladding subjected to wind loads. Tools from the fields of wind engineering

(aerodynamics of bluff bodies in turbulent boundary layer

flows), nonlinear mechanics of plates, structural

reliability, and materials testing will be used in this project with a view to developing rational criteria for cladding design. Data from full-scale and wind-tunnel

investigations of wind loads on cladding will be reviewed

and studies will be conducted to determine additional

research needs.

Performance of Residential Siding

Robert G. Mathey

(301) 921-2629

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Tri-Services Committee

The rapidly increasing use of residential siding materials,

both in new construction and maintenance, has led to the urgent need for performance criteria to aid selection of

materials. Of particular interest are criteria addressing

durability performance. Under this project, performance

characteristics will be measured on some 10-year-old

siding materials. Laboratory tests will include color and

gloss change, adhesion, abrasion resistance, etc. Laboratory tests will also cover the repainting of the

aged siding materials. Adhesion tests will be used to determine the compatibility of the coatings to aged

substrates.

Construction of Housing in MineSubsidence Areas

Felix Y. Yokel

(301) 921-2648

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

Many areas in the United States are underlain by

abandoned mines, and many more will be undermined in the future. As mine cavities collapse they cause

settlement and ground distortions on the surface that may

damage or destroy buildings and utilities. Future

expansion of coal mining operations, which is planned as a result of the energy crisis, will increase the magnitude

of the problem. Many of these subsidence-prone areas are now used or will be used in the future for residential housing development. In a HUD-sponsored project, CBT

studied the subsidence problem and suggested criteria for

soil exploration, site development, and housing

construction in subsidence areas.

22

!
Requirements and Format for the Siting

of LNG Facilities'

Lawrence A. Salomone

(301) 921-3128

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities, like nuclear

power plant facilities, represent a potential hazard to public safety. In the LNG plant the immediate potential

hazard is fire and thermal radiation while for the nuclear

power plant, the hazard is long-term radiation caused by

the loss of containment. Both types of structures are

costly and take a long time to build and the economic

consequence of shutdown or catastrophic failure can be enormous in both instances. However, in contrast to nuclear power plants there is a lack of a single set of

criteria for design and construction of LNG terminals.

To meet this need and to expedite the review process, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission asked CBT

to develop a standard format and content for applicants

in their submittal of the necessary information required

for siting LNG facilities.

Foundation and Excavation Standards

Felix Y. Yokel

(301) 921-2648

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

This project supports the preparation of consensus

standards for foundations and excavations by the

Technical Council for Codes and Standards of the

American Society of Civil Engineers. Five separate

standards are being prepared: driven piles; piers;

excavations; shallow foundations; and deep foundations.

Drafts are now being prepared by five working

committees and will be submitted for ballot to the

Committee on Foundation and Excavation Standard

(CFES). CBT began this activity and monitored the

preparation of initial drafts for the standard under the

sponsorship of HUD. CBT now provides the secretariats for this activity and provides the chairmen of CFES and

of one of the working committees.

Geotechnical Measurements of In-Situ

Soil Properties

Felix Y. Yokel

(301) 921-2648

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The project will include a two-part study for the

evaluation and improvement of structures and

foundations performance. The first part is to study the

state-of-the-art methods in foundations and excavations

work and evaluate and develop a national standard for

this work. In the second part of this project, CBT will study a variety of in-situ methods now being used or

considered to measure soil properties. The most practical

tests will be selected and mathematical models developed

that will derive soil moduli from appropriate force- displacement relationships. A series of reports on the

research will be published. Draft standards for adoption

by ASTM will be prepared for those tests which yield

reliable and repeatable results.

23
Ultimate Limit States for Joints and This project will involve the development of predictive

Fasteners in Light-Frame Construction models of ultimate-limit states for joints and fasteners commonly used in light-frame construction. Variations in Charles Yancey material properties, defects, and quality of workmanship

(301) 921-3471 will be introduced through Monte Carlo techniques. Structures and Materials Division Physical tests for validation will be carried out by

subjecting laboratory specimens to static loads as well as Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards to computer-controlled dynamic loads for the simulation

of wind and seismic effects. For the first year of this

effort, simple shear connections used in contemporary

wood frame construction will be modeled using the

GIFTS finite elements and graphics package, modified

by inclusion of routines to update connection properties

through a progression of load cycles. Physical tests will require refined methods for the measurement of slip and

recovery of displacements. With the availability of the

STAGS software capability in late 1981, modeling will be carried into the nonlinear range.

Reliability-Based Design of

Containments and Category I Structures

Bruce Ellingwood

(301) 921-2170

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Brookhaven National

Laboratory

The integrity and safety of the components and

structures comprising nuclear power plants currently are provided for by the appropriate design codes and

supplementary requirements. However, these provisions

seldom provide guidance as to "how safe" the structures

are. The traditional methods of structural design attempt

to account for the inevitable variability in the loads,

material strengths, in-service environments, and

fabrication processes through the use of safety factors,

allowable stresses and strains, load factors, etc., as prescribed in the various ASME, ACI, AISC, etc., codes

and NRC Standard Review Plans (SRP). However, the

deterministic approach in setting these factors results in an unknown and nonuniform (but probably high)

reliability against structural failure in major reactor components such as the pressure vessel, containment, etc.

In the nuclear industry there has been an increasing trend

toward the use of statistical analysis and probability

theory for safety evaluations. This is particularly the case

for seismic Category I structures for which rational methods for reliability evaluation of strength and loads

are urgently needed. The reliability-based design

approach has a number of significant advantages. First, it encourages the designer to be more aware of safety and

service-ability aspects of designs. Second, uniform load

factors can be established that can be materialindependent; and in addition, strength reduction factors can be established on the basis of material properties and

structural functions. Finally, it is a tool for exercising

judgment and provides a means for updating standards

rationally.

This is a cooperative program between BNL and NBS.

NBS will have responsibility for the analysis of service

and extreme environmental loads and for developing the

24
basic load combination methodology and procedures for calculating the load factors. BNL will have responsibility

for analyzing accidental loads, postulating accident

scenarios, dynamic structural analysis of the nuclear

structures, and testing the design procedure. NBS will develop a statistical data base for service environmental

(dead, load, wind, snow, etc.), severe, and extreme loads. Particular emphasis will be placed on a study of the

temporal nature of individual loads since this determines

their joint occurrence and other significant probabilistic

characteristics.

Anchoring Mechanics for Mobile Homes Next to fire, wind and floods are the leading causes of

deaths and injuries to mobile home occupants and

Felix Y. Yokel damage to mobile home property. Approximately 5,000

(301) 921-2648 units are heavily damaged or destroyed by storms each

Structures and Materials Division year. CBT completed studies on wind loads acting on

mobile homes, foundation reactions caused by wind and

Sponsor: Department of Housing and flood loads' and the state-of-the-art in anchoring

Urban Development technology. Subsequently, many more anchors were

tested in three soil types: silt, sand, and clay. On the

basis of these tests, and the load studies that preceded

them, criteria and test methods will be developed that

will form the basis for provisions in revised ANSI

standard A.l 19 and in the Federal Mobile Home

Construction and Safety Standard.

Mobile Home Anchoring in Flood Plains

Felix Y. Yokel

(301) 921-2648

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

After major flooding, the soils on many sites in the flood

plain remain saturated for a considerable time. This not only increases the probability of another major flood, but

also leads to adverse foundation conditions. Mobile

homes in all areas need to be anchored to the ground or otherwise secured to resist the sliding and overturning

effects of high winds. In addition, mobile homes in flood

plains need to be secured against the hydrostatic and

hydrodynamic forces associated with floods. The

objective of securing these mobile homes is not only to prevent injury to residents and attenuate damage to the

mobile home itself, but also to prevent secondary effects associated with the flotation and dislocation of mobile

homes, such as jamming of bridges and other

obstructions of flow and clogging of navigable

waterways which may be needed in an emergency. At

present, there are no data on the capacity of soil anchors

in submerged soil. An analysis has also not been made of

the forces to which mobile homes in flood areas are

likely to be subjected or of other foundation criteria such

as siting, elevation, protection from floating debris and

others.

25
NDE of Building Materials

James R. Clifton

(301) 921-3458

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

This project is a study of the existing and proposed

methods for nondestructive evaluation of in-place

building components and materials. The techniques have

increasing usefulness not only in day-to-day construction

but also in rehabilitation of older housing stocks and

evaluation of buildings after natural disasters such as hurricanes or earthquakes. The results of this project are being brought to the attention of material scientists and

material engineers through workshops, presentations at national meetings, and publications.

NDE for Concrete Strength

Nicholas J. Carino

(301) 921-2647

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Although the pullout test has been demonstrated to be a

reliable method of determining in-place strength of

concrete, its application is limited to cases for which an

empirically established calibration relationship between

pullout strength and standard cylinder test strength is available. To be useful, test results based on the present

ASTM standard on the pullout test method should

provide values that represent the strength property of

concrete. In this project, a nonlinear finite-element model

will be developed and used to investigate the effects of

geometry of various pullout schemes on the failure modes and associated stress distributions. Scaled-up

physical model tests will be carried out to verify the

validity of the finite-element model. Failure-mode

analysis of various concretes will be carried out using

this model. An optimum geometry for pullout inserts and

standard test procedure will be recommended for adoption by the ASTM C 09 committee.

Interpretation of Ultrasonic NDE

Results

James R. Clifton

(301) 921-2630

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Ultrasonic methods are possibly the most promising

NDE methods for rapidly determining the condition of

structural materials and components of buildings being

rehabilitated. These methods also could be used to evaluate the quality of repair materials and the

effectiveness of repair methods. Ultrasonic NDE

methods are based on the theory that the direction and

amplitude of waves propagating through a solid may be

altered when they encounter a discontinuity such as a crack or porosity, or an interface between different densities or elastic moduli. Therefore, it is theoretically

possible to determine the extent of cracking, existence of

large amounts of porosity, and the degree of

deterioration of structural materials such as concrete, by

ultrasonic methods. However, results from ultrasonic

tests made on concrete are difficult to interpret because

of a lack of fundamental understanding of the

interactions of waves and the discontinuities found in concrete. Because of the heterogeneity of concrete, the

formation of shrinkage cracks, and the normal porosity

of concrete, even high-quality concretes contain numerous discontinuities. The purpose of this project is to develop improved understanding of the propagation of

26
ultrasonic waves in concrete and to develop relationships

between their propagation and discontinuities.

Cement Hydration The objective of this project is to develop a fundamental

understanding of reactions of portland and related silicate Geoffrey Frohnsdorff cements with water and develop mathematical models

(301) 921-3458 for predicting the courses of the reactions under various

Structures and Materials Division conditions in the practical range. The work will begin

with studies of the hydration of various preparations of

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards the most important solid phase in portland cements,

tricalcium silicate, and later be extended to other cement

phases and mixtures of phases. The work will consist of

simultaneous development of two or more fundamental

mathematical models based on alternative conceptual

models. The mathematical models will be tested experimentally and revised as needed. Tricalcium

silicates to be used as starting materials will be obtained

from the few available sources and some will be

manufactured in the laboratory. They will be

characterized in terms such as chemical composition,

particle size and shape distribution, specific surface area,

crystallite size, crystal defects, and grain boundary

compositions. The materials will be reacted with water

and solutions of ionic and non-ionic compounds to determine the effects of temperature, and water-solid and

water-surface area ratios on the mechanisms and kinetics of the reactions. Techniques to be used in studying the

mechanisms and kinetics, starting from the moment of

mixing, will be electrokinetic phenomena, heat evolution,

volume change, electrical conductivity, x-ray diffraction,

differential scanning calorimetry, surface area measurements by gas adsorption, image analysis, and

chemical analysis of the aqueous phase.

Fly Ash Use in Cement and Concrete The stockpiling and disposal of fly ash are becoming

Products increasingly more objectionable and subject to governmental regulations because of their effect on the

James R. Clifton environment. Over 60 million tons of fly ash will be

(301) 921-3458 generated in 1981. About 300 million tons of fly ash have

Structures and Materials Division already been stockpiled. Use of fly ash in cement,

concrete, and related products can potentially consume

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards larSe amounts of fly ash. At present less than 7 million

tons/year of fly ash are being used in cement and

concrete products, whereas 20 million tons/years seems a

realistic goal. The purpose of this project is to identify

technical obstacles to the increased use of fly ash in cement and concrete products and to develop a research

plan to overcome these obstacles. As a first task, existing

and potential uses of fly ash in cement and concrete

materials will be identified. At the same time, potential

levels of fly ash use in blended cements, ready-mixed

concrete, and precast concrete produc s will be

estimated. This will be based largely cn considerations of

27
the match between the chemistry of fly ash and raw

materials or ingredients of these construction materials,

the effect of fly ash on product performance and

durability, as well as the possibilities for expanding fly

ash use. Later, barriers posed by technical factors, and

codes and standards to the increased use of fly ash in concrete materials will be identified. Fundamental

research needed to overcome these barriers will be

outlined. This effort will address individually the

construction materials identified, and initially will include

both bituminous and lignite fly ashes.

Organic Coatings

Mary E. McKnight

(301) 921-2635

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Tri-Services Committee

The annual costs of organic coatings in the United States exceed $8 billion. 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. The

performance and other characteristics of new organic

coating systems will be investigated and test methods

developed or modified to assay the performance of these

materials. Research will be performed to develop

improved field tests for coatings evaluation, study the

degradation mechanisms of coatings on steel, and identify

methods for overcoming the problems associated with

efflorescence. Also, advisory and consultative services

based upon laboratory and field tests will be performed.

Corrosion of Steel in Prestressed On the basis of a proposal submitted to the U.S. /Spain

Concrete Advisory Commission for Technological and Scientific Research on September 23, 1977, a cooperative

James R. Clifton investigation between the Laboratorio Central de Ensayo

(301) 921-3458 de Materiales de Construccion del Centro de Estudios y

Structures and Materials Division Experimentacion de Obras Pulicas y Urbanismo (Spain)

and CBT began in September 1978. The subject of the

Sponsor: Department of State research was "Factors Affecting the Corrosion of Steel

in Prestressed Concrete Structures" and the work was

planned to extend over the 5-year period, 1978-1983. Prestressed concrete is a form of reinforced concrete that makes highly efficient use of concrete and steel but puts

particularly severe demands on these materials. The use of prestressed concrete for building and other

construction such as bridges and pipelines is important in both the United States and Spain and, in view of its implications for conservation of energy and raw

materials, its use must be expected to grow. Although the

problems encountered with the performance and

durability of prestressed concrete in the two countries

appear to be different, there is a common basis of need

for technical knowledge about factors affecting the

28
performance of prestressed concrete. The purpose of this project is to develop an improved understanding of the

factors affecting the corrosion of prestressing steel in concrete and to identify methods for detecting corrosion

of prestressing steel while in service.

Short-Term Evaluation of Steel

Coatings

Jonathan W. Martin

(301) 921-3208

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Federal Highway

Administration

The Federal Highway Administration is seeking to reduce the costs of painting steel structures by increasing

the length of the painting cycles through the use of

improved coating systems. Effective short-term

evaluation procedures for evaluating the durability and

protective qualities of these coating systems are essential to achieve this goal. Under this project, CBT will evaluate the validity and usefulness of short-term testing

used for coatings on steel. Short-term evaluation

procedures will be developed for coatings that will provide maximum reproducibility and correlation with

service conditions. A users' guide for evaluating and

selecting coatings will also be written.

Field Adhesion Tester

James F. Seiler (301) 921-2909

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Tri-Services Committee

Adhesion is an important performance characteristic of

many building materials, e.g., paints, roofing, and wall

coverings. But present field methods for adhesion

measurement are restricted to spring-loaded devices,

which have many problems for obtaining quantitative

measurements. Problems stem from variables such as type, bond thickness and cure of adhesive, surface

preparation, and rate of loading. In this project, the

portable pneumatic adhesion tester developed at CBT

will be characterized for repeatability, reproducibility,

and suitability for use with different adhesives. Also, the

adaptability of the instrument to measure the adhesion

characteristics of coatings in the field will be studied.

Properties of Single-Ply Roofing

Systems

Robert G. Mathey

(301) 921-2629

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Tri-Services Committee

Under this project, laboratory tests will determine

the properties (tensile strength and elongation) of 19 types

of single-ply sheet materials at 21 °C (70 °F) and -18 °C

(0 °F). Changes in properties due to degradation of

the sheet materials will be determined after exposure to accelerated aging, heat aging, ozone, xenon arc, and

outdoor weathering. Three types of tests to measure

tensile strength and elongation (ASTM D412,

D882, and D2523) will be assessed.

29
Measurements and Standards for

Nuclear Waste Management

Felix Y. Yokel

(301) 921-2648

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

The Interagency Review Group (IRG) on Nuclear

Waste Management estimated that there are now 76

million cubic feet of long-lived radioactive nuclear wastes from military and civilian programs stored at various interim sites around the United States. In

addition, there are large quantities of uranium-mill

tailings, transuranic wastes, and spent fuel discharged

from commercial nuclear power reactors. In the

meantime, nuclear waste continues to be generated by

the military weapons and propulsion programs and by

the operation of over 65 nuclear reactors and associated

fuel service facilities. The environmentally safe storage

and/or disposal of these wastes has aroused profound

public concern both domestically and internationally.

A number of alternative methods for handling high-level

wastes, which require the greatest technical input for safe management and disposal, have been proposed. The IRG

recommended that these wastes be put into a stable form

and disposed of by burial in deep geologic sites using a

multi-barrier system which includes container, filler, overpack, sleeve, backfill, and the borehole plug. CBT is involved in the study and evaluation of the backfill components of this multi-barrier isolation system.

Tri-Services Technical and Scientific

Support

Robert G. Mathey

(301) 921-2629

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Tri-Services Committee

This project will provide technical and scientific support

and consultative services on building materials and

systems as required by the Tri-Services. The work will include carrying out laboratory tests and evaluations in the solution of building problems and field investigations.

Recommendations will be made on the selection of

materials and systems and their application and

performance. In the past, problem areas have covered

plumbing, masonry, roofing, corrosion, mechanical

systems, insulation, materials, and underground piping.

30
Earthquake Hazard

Reduction

0

feafendtta

31
Seismic Provisions for Buildings

Edgar V. Leyendecker

(301) 921-3471

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Federal Emergency

Management Agency/National Bureau of

Standards

In 1974, the National Science Foundation and the National Bureau of Standards began a program to develop improved seismic design provisions for

buildings. As a consequence, the "Tentative Provisions

for the Development of Seismic Regulations for Buildings" were developed by the Applied Technology

Council in an effort that included a wide range of experts

in the actual drafting of the provisions. Because the

tentative provisions are quite innovative, questions have

been raised about portions of the report. Before

undertaking an expensive assessment of the provisions

through trial designs, an effort to investigate questions

and improve the provisions was started in 1979. This is being done through a series of technical committees that have been assembled to resolve comments on the

structural design requirements and design procedures, on

the material requirements, on architectural, mechanical,

and electrical components and systems, and on the

regulatory use of the provisions. CBT is working closely

with the Building Seismic Safety Council on each phase

of the refinement of the provisions and the development

of a plan for assessing the economic impact of the

provisions. This review will end with the presentation of

the recommended changes to the Building Seismic Safety

Council. It is likely that many issues exist that will not be

resolved by this activity; some will require the

information that will be developed in the conduct of the

trial designs and subsequent impact assessment before

resolution can be expected.

The Interagency Committee on Seismic Safety in Construction established by the President's Earthquake

Hazard Reduction Program will develop improved

uniform standards for Federal construction by the end of

1980. CBT is chairing the Subcommittee preparing the

draft document. Working through this committee, CBT

will coordinate the voluntary efforts of Federal agencies

concerned with construction as they conduct a trial implementation of the draft standard. Supplementary

studies and review will be conducted to evaluate the

draft document in preparation for recommendation of a

final standard.

Seismic Limit-States for Structures

James R. Harris

(301) 921-2170

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Standards for the design of structures are moving toward

a reliability-based limit-states format. Current approaches

to the specification of the limit-states for aseismic design

have been to use the same limit-states used for gravity

and wind loads. However, analysis indicates significantly

lower levels of reliability for earthquake than for snow,

wind, or live loads when using this approach. Such

differences are likely to lead to unsafe or uneconomical

standards for aseismic design or to delay the use of

reliability-based limit-states approaches for the design of

all loads. This project will improve the consistency of

reliability-based design of structures through a clear

32
identification of the design limit-states and the important

response parameters.

Romania Earthquake Rehabilitation Following the March 4, 1977, earthquake in Romania, a team of NBS and USGS engineers visited Romania to Randolph Williams inspect earthquake damage and identify ways in which

(301) 921-2196 U.S. technology could be used to aid in post-earthquake

Structures and Materials Division recovery. Specific recommendations were made to the

Romanian Government concerning structural Sponsor: U.S. Geological Survey rehabilitation, earthquake monitoring, and earthquake

engineering. The USGS has requested that CBT provide

guidance to select, purchase, and evaluate

instrumentation needed for earthquake engineering

research. The project included a survey of earthquake

engineering laboratories in the United States. A list of

earthquake engineering equipment was compiled and

submitted to representatives of the Government of

Romania for their approval. CBT will now assist USGS

with contract documents for the selection, purchase, and

acceptance of the instrumentation for earthquake

engineering research.

Computer-Controlled Test Facility

Kyle A. Woodward

(301) 921-2885

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The project will develop a test facility in which building

components can be subjected to large loads in three

orthogonal directions simultaneously with variable

rotational restraint. In addition, CBT will develop the

computer software to permit total computer control of

specimen loading, data acquisition, and test monitoring.

The test facility will be constructed in stages. Each stage

will introduce additional complexity into the

development and capabilities of the facility. Successive

stages will be undertaken only after the facility in preceding stages undergoes trial and actual use.

Cyclic-Loading of Masonry Building

Components

Kyle A. Woodward

(301) 921-2885

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The process of developing tentative seismic design

provisions for both unreinforced and reinforced masonry

building components reveals a scarcity of information on its ultimate strength characteristics. Since

seismic resistance is based primarily on ultimate strength

considerations, the lack of such information for masonry

building components is detrimental to its rational design

in buildings subject to seismic loadings. Under this project, experimental tests will provide vitally needed

information not now available that will be a resource to many investigators and will serve as the basis for development of mathematical models. A number of

failure modes will be examined to identify the

characteristics of each and the significant parameters

affecting the different failure modes. Analytical

expressions for predicting failure as a function of the key

parameters will be developed.

33
Cyclic-Strain Approach to the

Determination of Liquefaction Potential

of Level Sandy Sites

Riley M. Chung

(301) 921-2648

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Relative density is currently used as the single most

important parameter in preparing laboratory specimens

of sand to model in-situ conditions. Research now

indicates that many other characteristics of the soil are important, such as the manner of deposition, history of

preconsolidation, and history of vibration. These are

collectively referred to as the soil "fabric". At present,

two methods are used to predict liquefaction potential of

sites. In the first method, Standard Penetration Test

results from the site are compared with those from sites that liquefied in the past. In the second method,

reconstituted samples are subjected to cyclic stress in the laboratory, using Standard Penetration Test results to determine relative density in the field. In this project, a

relationship between cyclic strain and pore water

pressure buildup is established. Anticipated cyclic strain, in turn, can be estimated on the basis of the shear

modulus of the deposit which can be approximately

determined from shear wave propagation velocities.

Improving the Standard Penetration

Test as a Measure of the Liquefaction

Potential of Sands

William D. Kovacs

(301) 921-2885

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Nuclear Regulatory Commission

The Standard Penetration Test (SPT) ASTM D 1586-67

is a well known and popular in-situ field test used in foundation design and in the determination of

liquefaction potential of saturated sands. Although the SPT has enjoyed wide use, there now exist many known

and recognized details of the test procedure that remain

uncontrolled, thereby contributing to wide scatter of test results. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is greatly concerned about liquefaction potential of

proposed power plant sites and recognizes that energy

reaching the sampler is the key to reproducible field test results. Under this project, CBT will test various

methods and develop procedures for measuring the

energy during the performance of the SPT and evaluate

available SPT data on liquefaction.

34

Construction Load Evaluation

H. S. Lew

(301) 921-2647

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Design-load requirements in existing standards for falsework are not adequate and are often identified as one

of the major contributing factors in construction failures. This is due primarily to a lack of documented

construction-load data. In concrete construction using

specially instrumented shores and time-lapse

photography, construction loads in building construction

will be measured under this project. Treating magnitude

and frequency of field data as random variables, a mathematical model for construction loads will be

developed that can be used for reliability analysis of

evolving structures during construction. The model also

will be used for simulation analysis of multi-story

construction process.

Excavation Safety

Felix Y. Yokel

(301) 921-2648

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Collapses of trenches and excavations in the United

States cause annually several hundred fatalities and many

more injuries. Most of the fatalities occur in shallowbraced utility trenches (about 10 ft deep). Current OSHA

provisions for sloping and shoring of trenches are not

effective (their promulgation in 1971 did not reduce the

accident rate) and are also difficult to interpret, resulting

in costly disputes and litigation between contractors and

the Government. CBT studied the excavation problem

and prepared a series of reports on recommended

trenching practice. These recommendations will be used

to develop a draft of a new trenching standard, which in turn will be thoroughly reviewed by the membership of

the Association of Soil and Foundation Engineers, the Associated General Contractors of America, the National

Utility Contractors Association, and the AFL-CIO, and

then discussed in several regional workshops sponsored

by these organizations. The Industries' comments,

together with the original draft, will be used to prepare a

final recommendation for a standard for excavation

trenching and shoring that can be used by OSHA as a

basis for new regulations and can be submitted to ANSI

Committee A10.12 for possible adoption as a voluntary consensus standard.

Effectiveness Evaluation of Symbol Use

Belinda L. Collins

(301) 921-2237

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Despite the widespread use of symbols for safety

applications, many components of their effectiveness

have not been evaluated systematically or parametrically.

Issues such as size, figure-ground relationships, visual

clutter, color, and placement all affect the overall

effectiveness of symbols. National and international codes

are based upon promises about each of these as-yet- untested factors. As a result, there is a need for a parametric evaluation of the components of symbols,

which affect their effectiveness. This project will thus

provide guidelines to the development of codes and

standards for more effective symbols.

36
Effectiveness of Safety Symbols in the

Workplace

Belinda L. Collins

(301) 921-2237

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The state-of-the-art literature on methods of evaluation

has been reviewed and documented. The need for symbols in the workplace has been determined by

assessing the demand for and use of existing symbols and

hazard warning signs. A research program was

developed based upon the review of methods for evaluation and existing symbol-use practices. Following

the pilot experiment, a testing program has been

implemented in which safety symbols are evaluated for

their effectiveness. The testing program now in progress

includes evaluation of symbols for a variety of worker

populations. Recommendations will be made concerning

the effectiveness of various sets of safety symbols

proposed for use in the workplace.

Building Circulation Evaluation Building design, research, and regulation intended to System: Phase I improve user circulation has historically been

accomplished, for the most part, on a piecemeal basis George Turner taking a single circulation element at a time. This

(301) 921-2102 approach has been successful at redressing immediate

Environmental Design Research Division problems in buildings and sites, but fails to consider the

building and its site as a total system characterized by

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards progressive interaction between the building users, performing circulation-related tasks, and the building

environment. Likewise, absolute stoppage of the user has

been the principal concern of public and governmental

regulators to date, yet stoppage can and does occur when

a number of lesser restrictions and inconveniences are cumulatively encountered. Stoppage is also the secondary result of a user personal injury unrelated to the

physical system of the building or facility.

Under this project, CBT will develop a preliminary set of important scenarios of user performance loss in buildings; draw upon candidate user groups analyses of

the scenarios for comprehensiveness and level of

importance; develop a computer analysis capability to interrogate critical scenarios for parameters such as performance loss type, event, activity, user type and

impediment; and analyze the scenario interrogations; then

identify the array of conditions that result in the greatest

performance loss to the greatest number of building

users, leading to the largest aggregate performance loss to the population.

This work will provide the rationale for a detailed, longterm research plan for use in developing future

circulation standards, replacing the pure-specification

approach now used. It represents the next generation of

evaluation of building circulation and provides the

method for regulators and building designers to converse on performance-based standards and on the effectiveness

level at which a full facility operates. Cost studies can

ultimately be coupled with the system to determine the

cost-optimal approach for candidate facilities designs.

37
Modeling Occupant Circulation Systems

Fred I. Stahl

(301) 921-3595

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

The design of occupant circulation systems for buildings

is often complex and multifaceted, involving both

environmental and human behavioral factors. Circulation

problems may occur not only during a building's normal

use, but whenever such emergencies as fires arise as well.

It is often difficult to predict building performance with

respect to circulation safety, since the needed tools do

not now exist. The BFIRES simulation program,

developed earlier under this project, is a new tool intended to aid in the prediction of emergency egress response during fires. This is an example of the type of

occupant circulation model that could usefully be applied

to building design and regulation. This year, the

performance of simulated building occupants during

"fires" run under BFIRES shall be evaluated with

respect to data documenting historical fires. Dr. John

Bryan, Chairman of the Department of Fire Protection

Engineering at the University of Maryland, has

conducted detailed post-incident investigations of more

than 30 residential and institutional fires. Prepared under

an NBS grant, his reports and data are readily available. In many cases, his data describing occupant behavioral

patterns are at a level appropriate for comparison with

patterns generated during BFIRES simulations. In the

proposed investigation, a sample of historical fires documented by Dr. Bryan will be simulated using

BFIRES, and the human behavioral scenarios from both

the "real world" and simulated events will be compared.

This will permit, for the first time, the evaluation of

BFIRES-produced behavior patterns at a level finer than

simple event outcomes.

The Use of Hazard Pictorials/Symbols

in Mines

Belinda L. Collins

(301) 921-2237

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: U.S. Bureau of Mines

Symbols used to provide emergency and safety

information in buildings and mining environments

including mills must communicate effectively under a wide range of visual conditions, which can include poor

illumination, dust, and glare. Meaningless, confusing,

contradictory, and ineffective symbols are in use because

selection of symbols is typically made without sound

technical data on their effectiveness. Evaluation of safety

symbol signs is particularly critical since these are used

to warn of potential danger and convey critical safety

information. There is need to assess the effectiveness of

hazard pictorials in mining environments to provide

research-based data on the performance of selected symbol signs.

CBT research includes collection and review of existing

symbols and sign systems, and compilation of all applicable standards. The need for mines and mills safety

symbols will be documented and categorized. Laboratory

and field-based research methods will be developed and

applied with the goal of determining experimentally the

characteristics of effective symbols under normal and

reduced visibility. The effectiveness of suggested mine

38
safety signs will be experimentally assessed under the

appropriate viewing conditions with a selected sample of

mine workers. The results from this research will provide

the experimental base for symbols and hazard warnings

in mining environments. The research results will be

transmitted to the standards community for their implementation.

Technical Support for Correctional Since 1975, LEAA has been supporting programs to

Facilities Design Standards develop standards for correctional facilities and services

through grants to the American Correctional

Robert L. Tibbott Association. The standards were developed by the

(301) 921-2670 American Correctional Association through a consensus Environmental Design Research Division procedure. Generally, the American Correctional

Association is responsible for the development and

Sponsor: Law Enforcement and revisions of the standards while the Commission on

Assistance Agency (LEAA) Accreditation for Corrections is responsible for the

accreditation process using these standards. The current standards contain requirements for light levels, air circulation, and noise levels. However, there are no test procedures in the document for measuring light levels,

air circulation, or noise levels. Obviously, these

requirements would be more definitive and easier to understand if there were test procedures developed to measure them. This work will consist of a thorough

review of available standards and supporting

documentation to suggest measurement procedures

appropriate for correctional facilities. In the case of

noise, since no available data or standards are thought to be appropriate, a research plan will be prepared to develop the necessary information. The work is being per- formed as part of the consensus standards procedure for the American Correctional Association.

39
I

I
Energy

Conservation

in Buildings

DDTt

41
Building Energy Performance Criteria

Jim L. Heldenbrand

(301) 921-2177

Building Thermal Performance Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Recent Federal initiatives to reduce energy use at the design stage of new buldings have pushed toward the expansion of performance criteria to include the whole

building level. Preliminary research for the development

of such criteria was based largely on statistical analysis

of calculated building design energy requirements

without specific regard to the performance of the building components themselves. A Life-Cycle Costing

(LCC) approach to development of the criteria has been

recommended by CBT and preliminary work by Battelle N.W. Labs and Lawrence Berkeley Lab for DoE has

applied the LCC approach to envelopes of residential buildings. CBT will be developing illustrative building

energy performance criteria that cover both the envelope

and heating and cooling equipment for single-family

dwellings. This project will produce a method for integrating component performance criteria that represent

user needs (including functional and safety needs) into economics-based whole- building criteria.

Integrated Energy Systems

Clinton W. Phillips

(301) 921-2537

Building Equipment Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Implementation of energy-saving integrated energy

systems for buildings, groups of buildings, building

complexes, communities, and cities requires extensive

technical information development and exchange. To

augment the basic technology of integrated energy

systems, such as district heating/cooling, total energy, and cogeneration, solutions for economic, institutional,

and regulatory constraints are needed. Strong national

and international technology exchange, including

technical design, operations measurement, and evaluation

are necessary, and will be fostered under this project.

Energy Analysis Procedures

Tamami Kusuda

(301) 921-3501

Building Thermal Performance Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

The success of the Building Energy Performance

Standard hinges on the availability of accurate, yet easy

to use, energy analysis procedures. Although DoE has

identified the DOE-2 program as the standard benchmark

energy analysis procedure, this particular program is not

suitable for use by practicing engineers and energy

officials because of its complexity and its requirement for large computers. This project will provide the criteria for certifying commercial and useable energy analysis

procedures, which would result in an annual energy

consumption estimate compatible with that produced by

DOE2.

42
Energy Analysis of the Norris Cotton The Norris Cotton Federal Building, Manchester, NH,

Building was designed to demonstrate and test the feasibility of a number of energy-saving concepts. For this reason, it W. B. May uses a variety of equipment such as heat pumps, modular

(301) 921-3633 boilers, an engine/generator with waste heat recovery,

Building Thermal Performance Division solar collectors, liquid thermal storage tanks, and special

lighting systems. Exterior walls are of heavy masonry

Sponsor: Department of Energy construction with an outer insulating layer to create a "thermal flywheel" thereby reducing peak heating and

cooling loads. The windows are double-glazed and

occupy a relatively small fraction of the exterior facade.

Fin-like granite panels surround the windows and are

fixed in a position that reflect in sunlight during winter,

block out sunlight in summer, and break up strong winds

that tend to increase heat loss through the windows. Of

the building's seven floors, no two are the same. Each

one has some variation in its mechanical equipment,

lighting, and/or window arrangement. The purpose of

the project is to assess the effectiveness of the several

different energy saving concepts.

A computerized building control system was installed and used as a data acquisition system to sense critical temperatures, fluid flows, and electrical power throughout the building and record this information on magnetic

tape. These tapes were sent to CBT for analysis. The

output will be a breakdown of the buildings energy use. Final analysis and documentation will be completed this year.

Energy Analysis of Control Strategies Under this project, the computer program BLAST-2 will be used to evaluate strategies for a variety of different Walter Parken HVAC systems, building types, and climatic regions.

(301) 921-3774 Typical strategies to be studied include: dry-bulb

Building Equipment Division economizer cycle, enthalpy economizer cycle, hot and

cold deck temperature reset, floating space conditions,

Sponsor: Department of Energy scheduled start/stop, etc. In addition, work will begin to modify either NBSLD or the building-loads portion of

BLAST-2 to make it into a dynamic simulation model

capable of predicting building loads and space

temperatures on a minute-by-minute basis. Experimental

testing to verify this new dynamic simulation model will begin using a mobile home in an NBS environmental test chamber. A CBT report will be published documenting

the energy saving potential of the most commonly

employed control strategies in a variety of different applications.

43
Thermostat Test Standard

James Y. Kao

(301) 921-3844

Building Equipment Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

The present standard used for testing analog thermostats

is issued by the National Electrical Manufacturers

Association (NEMA). This standard assumes a certain

fixed relationship between the heating/cooling plant

performance, the building characteristics, and weather

variations. The results from using the NEMA test standard may be used for comparing thermostats under

this set of constraints, but they cannot be used to accurately predict the inservice performance of a thermostat. With the advent of new, inexpensive

microprocessors, there has been a rapid increase in the

sale of microprocessor-based thermostats. Although the

design of these thermostats is still evolving, there is an

urgent need to determine their general operating

characteristics. To do this it will be necessary to determine if the test procedures for analog thermostats can be adapted to microprocessor-based thermostats or if new test procedures must be developed.

Better products will be a direct result of an upgraded

industry-wide test procedure. The thermostats covered

under the test procedure will include not only the present mechanical thermostats for which the NEMA

standard was developed, but also the new thermostats

that employ electronics and microprocessors. Energy

savings obtained through conservation measures will be more clearly predictable and the energy savings claimed

by thermostat manufacturers will be easier to verify. This

will discourage false advertisement of energy savings and

help protect the consumer.

CBT Controls Laboratory

George E. Kelly

(301) 921-3839

Building Equipment Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

About a fourth of the total U.S. energy consumption is expended in heating, ventilating and air conditioning

residential, commercial, and institutional buildings. Each

year a considerable amount of manpower and money

goes into maintaining the equipment and systems that service these buildings. Fire prevention and alarm

systems are usually completely separate and rarely make

use of the advanced technologies currently under

development for energy control systems. Fire control in small buildings is usually completely separate and

independent of all other services. Computer-based energy

management systems are so complex that most building

designers are afraid of them. This list of problem areas

indicate the desperate need of the building community

for information on how to design, control, and integrate

the various services provided in today's buildings.

Guidelines and specifications are needed to fill these information gaps and to provide how-to-do-it manuals for building designers, owners, and operators. Such information would greatly improve the reliability of building

systems and controls, reduce maintenance requirements,

and provide better services at lower costs.

44
To help solve these problems and to provide the "handson" experience necessary to carry out research on

building controls and computer-based building

management systems, CBT will establish a laboratory for performing fundamental and applied research on building

systems and controls. The creation of such a laboratory

will provide a means of carrying out basic research on

building controls, including control dynamics and the

application of adaptive optimization techniques.

EMCS Algorithms

Alexander David

(301) 921-3839

Building Equipment Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy and

Department of Defense

Most of the small companies entering the EMCS market

do not have the experience or technical expertise to develop sophisticated algorithms. As a result, a building owner or manager who purchases an EMCS system from

a small company is often stuck with an energy

management system that either doesn't work or works

inefficiently. In this study, algorithms for both on-line

control and energy conservation will be developed by

CBT personnel and contractors having extensive

experience in EMCS. The existence of these

nonproprietary algorithms will contribute towards

providing a minimum level of performance of energy

management and control systems. A report will be

completed in FY81 containing the logic flow diagrams

for at least two EMCS algorithms that relate either to energy conservation or on-line control.

EMCS Measured Performance To provide Navy personnel with information that will

assist them in evaluating the performance of their EMCS

C. Warren Hurley systems, CBT will hold a workshop on sensors and

(301) 921-3839 measurement instrumentation, their characteristics, and

Building Thermal Performance Division how to calibrate them under both laboratory and field conditions. The workshop will be held in 1981. Sponsor: Department of Energy

Retrofit Instrumentation

Technology/EMCS Sensors

James Y. Kao

(301) 921-3844

Building Equipment Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy and

Department of Defense

Under this project, studies of the sensitivity of building

energy requirements to various types of sensors will be

performed using a suitable energy program (BLAST-2,

DOE-2, etc.) and the energy consumption of a typical

building/system using specific weather data will be

calculated. These studies will be identical in approach to those conducted in FY80, which included analysis of

indoor and outdoor control of economizer cycle, errors

in cooling-coil discharge temperature, and chiller discharge temperature as affected by uncertainties in drybulb temperature and humidity. The second phase will be

to develop the performance requirements of these

sensors, including factors such as stability, response, accuracy, maintenance, and environmental conditions.

CBT will produce guidelines for the selection of EMCS

sensors, which will be offered to the Interagency

45
Working Group organized by Tri-Services for use in the

EMCS Guide Specification, and to private

architectural/engineering offices and Federal agencies.

Dynamic Performance of HVAC

Systems and Controls

George Kelly

(301) 921-3839

Building Equipment Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

This project will produce a simulation model for evaluating the dynamic performance of control systems

used in the heating and cooling of buildings. A CBT

report will be produced describing this model and

analyzing some of the control dynamics likely to occur in building HVAC systems. The results of this research will also be published in technical journals and conference

proceedings. The information will result in guidelines for optimizing building operation, which will be

incorporated in the ASHRAE Handbooks.

Laboratory Tests for Thermographic

Standards

Richard A. Grot

(301) 921-3470

Building Equipment Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Under this project, ground-based infrared imaging

systems and inspection techniques will be evaluated for

their application to building heat-loss detection. The

adequacy of various standards for thermographic

inspections, such as the ASHRAE standard, the draft ASTM standard, and the ISO standard, will be assessed

in five cities. The thermographic inspectors checking the

homes in these cities will be required to perform their inspections of the building according to one particular

standard, chosen from the above. CBT will monitor these

inspections to determine if the standards were followed

and compare the results of the surveys with CBT

inspections of the buildings. The evaluation of the

equipment specifications for spatial resolution, thermal

resolution, noise characteristics, geometrical response,

signal transfer function, and summary measures will be

conducted in the laboratory on candidate infrared sensors used for building inspections. The laboratory evaluations

will be performed in CBT environmental chambers to

assess the effect of both object temperature and ambient

temperature on the equipment parameters. The results of

these laboratory tests will be correlated with observed

building defects to determine the importance of each

equipment parameter on the conditions under which the equipment is used for heat-loss detection.

Air Infiltration in Large Buildings

Richard A. Grot

(301) 921-3470

Building Equipment 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.

The primary product of this project will be a data base of

air exchange rates in high-rise buildings based on

experimental analysis of the air leakage behavior of one

or more high-rise buildings. Papers and presentations will be given at meetings of organizations such as the

International Energy Agency, ASHRAE, and

appropriate committees on air infiltration. Results of this research will be made available to engineers having

responsibility for the design, maintenance, and operation

46
of energy efficient buildings, as well as Government

agencies concerned with buildings. Data gathered from

the Collins Building, in Scotland, will be submitted to Annex V of the International Energy Agency for use in the testing of building-energy-load models. A Federal

Workshop on Air Infiltration in Large Buildings is scheduled for September 1981.

Evaluating the Performance of Heat

Pumps

David A. Didion

(301) 921-2994

Building Thermal and Service Systems

Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

The first objective of this study is to determine the

significance of the startup, shutdown dynamics on the

energy performance of an absorption air conditioner of

residential size. If the dynamics prove significant (as is anticipated), the second objective will be to transform

the steady-state evaluation standard (under draft review)

into one that will include these dynamic effects. The first product of this study will be a CBT report that includes

the test results and an analysis of the significance of the

dynamic effects on seasonal performance and whether

the transients follow a path that is amenable to a time- constant simulation. The second product will be a recommended standard test and evaluation procedure for

residential absorption heat pumps in the cooling mode.

Heat Pump and Air Conditioner Test

Procedures

David Didion

(301) 921-2994

Building Equipment Division

\

Sponsor: Department of Energy

This project will develop a procedure that will enable

manufacturers to use the laboratory data from one

indoor/outdoor coil combination to predict the per- formance likely to result from using other indoor coils with the outdoor section tested. The effort involves: (1) using the CBT steady-state model of the heat pump to confirm theoretically whether empirical results are reasonable, and (2) laboratory measurements of a 3-piece

heat pump with various coil combinations. Additional

test procedure simplification work will be conducted by

extending this dual theoretical and laboratory study to include the effects that different basic design features (thermal expansion valve, capillary tube, fixed orifice)

have on the part-load and seasonal performance of this equipment. This work will lead to a subcategorization of

this equipment in a manner that will allow for the

performance to be more predictable on less empirical

information, thus lightening the test burden. A parallel

CBT-sponsored program of heat-pump model

development is expected to make available a new

dynamic performance model sometime this fiscal year to support this effort.

47
Furnace and Boiler Test Procedures To assist DoE in refining the test procedure to account

for jacket losses, the dual theoretical/laboratory study

David Didion started in FY80 will be continued. This effort has caused

(301) 921-2994 CBT to develop a computer model that simulates the

Building Equipment Division effect of furnace and boiler location on seasonal perfor- mance and annual operating cost. It has been designed to Sponsor: Department of Energy cover installation in indoor living areas, indoor closets,

outdoor closets, outside and in "unheated" basements.

The model is being verified by conducting experimental

studies on a mobile home located in a large

environmental chamber at CBT. The chamber's ability to simulate any temperature/humidity profile in the United

States, in effect, provides a field test verification under

tightly controlled and known conditions. The furnace

unit is located with the mobile home and is thermally

isolated to varying degrees from the major living space

of the home to simulate the different installations mentioned above. The results of this work will lead to a modification factor for adjusting the rating of the

furnace's laboratory measured value for installation location. (Currently 100 percent credit is given for jacket

losses.)

Underground Heat Distribution Systems

Tamami Kusuda

(301) 921-3501

Building Thermal Performance Division

Sponsor: Department of Defense and Tri- Services Committee

Although underground heat distribution systems are often considered in the energy-conservation plans of

communities, many of the existing systems have been

failing due to ground water seeping into the system and

the rupture of the carrier pipes. Under this project, CBT

has constructed a conduit boiling test apparatus,

conducted the boiling tests on three different calcium

silicate insulation systems, and prepared three technical

reports. The Tri-Services engineers are interested in how

the non-calcium silicate-type insulation can be evaluated

in the conduit boiling test as well.

Daylighting Prediction The CBT Daylighting Laboratory has been instrumented

with a sophisticated microprocessor-based data

Tamami Kusuda acquisition and control system with an extensive array of

(301) 921-3501 indoor and outdoor radiation, illumination, and

Building Thermal Performance Division luminance sensors, enabling these parameters to be

continuously monitored for each compass orientation and

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards for an unobstructed horizontal surface. The illumination

and thermal characteristics of skylights, innovative

fenestration designs, and window management systems

will be measured and evaluated for their impact on

building energy performance. The data will be used to develop and validate the generalized daylight calculation

routine for incorporation in building energy analysis

programs.

48
Radon Transport in Building Materials

Lawrence I. Knab

(301) 921-3120

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Environmental Protection

Agency

I

The potential health hazards of radiation exposure to the

general public due to radon in buildings has, in the past

few years, received increasing attention. One of the most

poorly understood and critically needed areas of research concerns the sources of indoor radon and the relation to radon transport through and exhalation from building

materials. An understanding of the transport-exhalation

mechanism is necessary to predict the sources of radon

and routes of entry into buildings. What is needed is a phenomenological basis or models that can be used to characterize building materials as sources of radon, and

to characterize the mechanism of radon transport

through building materials. In this project, the current

state of knowledge of radon transport or emanation from

key building materials will be critically assessed. Laboratory diffusion and transport measurements will be

conducted as needed. The intrinsic properties of selected

building materials (which contain radium) as well as external physical parameters that influence the emanation

of radon from them will be investigated. Mathematical

models of coupled transport and convective mass

transport of a gas through a plane will be applied to the

estimation of radon flux through and out of building

materials that constitute a source of radon.

49

m wmmmm

m

Building Thermal

Envelope Systems

and Insulating

Materials

mm

UnKo

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mm

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51
Thermal Conductivity Apparatus (1-

meter Guarded-Hot-Plate)

Mahn Hee Hahn

(301) 921-2486

Building Thermal Performance Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Increasing national interest in energy conservation

encourages the use of thick insulation —sometimes as much as 300 mm (12 in) or more. The existing CBT

apparatus is designed for accurate thermal-conductivity

measurements of insulating material specimens up to 50

mm thickness. An apparatus capable of precise measure- ments of thick insulation is needed to provide a

calibration base for industry and for independent testing laboratories. This project will result in construction and

calibration of a 1000 mm diameter line-heat-source

guarded-hot-plate apparatus for thermal conductivity

measurements on materials up to 350 mm thick.

Thick Insulation Test Series

Chock I. Siu

(301) 921-3536

Building Thermal Performance Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

A series of tests is being made on low-density and highdensity fiberglass insulation using the 200 mm guardedhot-plate, the 300 mm guarded-hotplate, and the new

1000 mm line-heat-source guarded-hot-plate-thick

insulation apparatus. The data from this test series will be

used to validate theoretical models and to establish the

1000 mm tester as a suitable apparatus for characterizing

Standard Reference Material (SRM) and for measuring

thick specimens. In conjunction with this work, the

ability to produce calibrated transfer specimens will be

established. This work will also eliminate much of the

present uncertainty about the effective thermal conductivity of thick, low-density materials.

Thermal Insulation Analysis

Brian G. Rennex

(301) 921-2486

Building Thermal Performance Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Under this project, a base will be established for a multi- year approach to investigations into steady-state and

dynamic characteristics of heat, air, and moisture

transmission in materials, composites, and buildingenvelope systems. Initial emphasis will be given to a detailed plan to analyze and report on the performance

of the new 1000 mm line-heat-source guarded-hot-plate

and to derive and validate formulas and analytical models

for thick, low-density insulation. Data being supplied

from the CBT thick insulation test series research will be

used in this analysis and in the production of reports and

papers for publication.

Calibrated Hot Box Construction

Douglas M. Burch

(301) 921-3620

Building Thermal Performance Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

The calibrated hot box will be put into service using a test-specimen wall constructed of material selected for the ASTM CI 6.30 round-robin for wall testers. Tests will be run with a pre-scheduled variation in temperature,

humidity, and pressure parameters to encompass a broad

spectrum of environmental conditions. Test results will be used to validate mathematical models developed to

establish calibration coefficients and correlate with those

of other round-robin participants.

52
Calibrated Specimen Round-Robin

Tests

Frank J. Powell

(301) 921-3275

Building Thermal Performance Division

This project will develop a round-robin test regime for a test-specimen wall constructed of material selected for the ASTM CI 6. 30 standard. This work will advance the

state-of-the-art of testing the performance of insulating

materials and wall elements.

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Multi-Room Thermal Modeling

Tamami Kusuda

(301) 921-3501

Building Thermal Performance Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Under this project, CBT will conduct a joint program

with CAM to study intra-room air convection by a comprehensive fluid-dynamic simulation model. The

model will then be extended to a two-room problem to determine the interroom air-leakage coefficient. CBT also

will examine the adequacy of the current algorithms used

by computer programs to model the interaction between rooms in a building by conduction heat transfer and

interroom air transfer against an exact solution that was

developed at CBT during FY80. A four-room model will be developed on the UNIVAC 1108.

Installation Criteria for Building Retrofit

Heinz R. Trechsel

(301) 921-2627

Environmental Design Research Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

DoE is required to establish standards for installation of

energy conservation retrofit measures to be used under

the RCS program. Such standards were developed and

published in the Federal Register (November 7, 1979, and

September 24 and 25, 1980) for most measures. DoE

programs are expected to result in the retrofitting of 90

percent of the existing residential and small commercial

building stock. It is the purpose of this project to assist DoE in preparing manuals for installers and others

involved in implementing RCS.

Field Measurements of Building

Thermal Mass

Douglas M. Burch

(301) 921-3620

Building Thermal Performance Division

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

It is generally accepted that optimum indoor comfort and

the largest reduction in the heating and cooling energy

requirements are achieved when the bulk of the thermal mass is located on the interior side of wall insulation. However, in most masonry construction across the

country, thermal mass is almost always located on the

exterior side of wall insulation. The technical findings of

this study will permit the development of preliminary

guidelines for the effective use of building interior mass

for energy conservation and thermal comfort. CBT

reports will be prepared covering the effect of wall mass on heating and cooling energy requirements, the

experimental validation of DOE-2, and preliminary

thermal insulation guidelines for masonry buildings. The

results will also be presented as an ASHRAE technical paper.

53
Guidelines for Controlling Attic

Condensation

Douglas M. Burch

(301) 921-3620

Building Thermal Performance Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

The objective of this project is to measure ventilation

rates for the attic of a test house equipped with different

attic ventilation systems. The measured data will be used

in conjunction with a validated mathematical model for predicting the moisture-transfer and heat-transfer processes in an attic to develop revised attic ventilation

guidelines. Under this project, the Bowman House will be equipped with various attic ventilation systems (i.e., continuous soffit vents, a ridge vent, roof vents, gable

vents, turbine vents, etc.). A series of attic ventilation

measurements using the SF6 tracer-gas technique will be

performed on each of the various attic ventilation

configurations covering a wide range of outdoor winter

wind speeds. Separate tracer-gas measurements will be

carried out to determine the rate of house exfiltration that penetrates from the living space into the attic space. A test attic was constructed and extensively instrumented

in a high-bay environment simulation facility. This test attic will be exposed to steady-state and diurnal outdoor

conditions. The critical attic ventilation rate will be

experimentally determined and subsequently compared

with the corresponding value predicted by the

mathematical model. Using these data, and the

mathematical model for predicting the required rate of

attic ventilation, revised attic ventilation guidelines will be developed as a function of geographic location,

ceiling insulation thickness, indoor humidity level, and

whether the ceiling has a vapor barrier.

Field Determination of Wire

Temperatures

T. K. Faison

(301) 921-3293

Building Thermal Performance Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

During this year, the remaining Thermal Indicating

Flexible Strips (TIFS) used to measure electrical wire

temperatures will be retrieved from the participating

utilities. The data will be analyzed to determine the

maximum temperature which the branch circuit wiring was exposed during the period of evaluation. Branch

circuit wires were covered by insulation materials during

energy retrofit. The remaining TIFS to be evaluated will have been exposed to summer conditions, whereas the

previous temperature indicators provided information for winter and spring. Information will be developed on maximum temperature of the wire, age, and type of

insulation. CBT will also continue its participation on the

ANSI Ad Hoc Joint Study Group on Problems of

Thermal Insulation with Electrical Systems and the

Electrical and Electronic Standards Management Board.

54
D ,0

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Building Solar

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55
Collector Durability and Reliability Test

Program

David Waksman

(301) 921-3285

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology 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

3 to 9 weeks. Various component and materials tests have been proposed to evaluate the reliability/durability

of solar collectors. However, these testing procedures

have to be experimentally validated. This project is intended to provide a coordinated testing program that

will result in establishing validated 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. 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 are being used. NBS Technical Note 1136

published in January 1981 describes the overall test program plan.

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, which will be based upon results of

laboratory and field studies and will be submitted to the ASTM Committee E44 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 them more reliable. NBSIR 80-1203, Solar Energy Systems—Standards for

Absorber Materials, contains data obtained in the study

and proposed draft standards. This report and other

publications stemming from the study have aided in the

development of ASTM E744-80 and E781-81. Additional

studies are being carried out to gain data on degradation

from outdoor exposure and to develop mathematical

models of the degradation.

56
Standards for Solar Cover Plates

Elizabeth J. Clark

(301) 921-2635

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Most solar collector designs incorporate a cover plate

whose purpose is to transmit solar energy while

protecting the inner areas of the collector from the

exterior environment 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 test methods

developed for applications other than solar. The purpose

of this project is to prepare draft performance standards

for cover plate materials used in flat-plate solar

collectors. The products of the project, drafts of standard

test methods by which cover plates used in solar energy

systems may be evaluated, will be submitted to ASTM

Committee E44 for consideration as consensus standards.

Technical Note 1 132, Solar Energy Systems—Standards

for Cover Plates for Flat Plate Solar Collectors, was

published. The data and draft standards in this report

have provided a technical basis for two ASTM

Standards, E765-80 and E782-81 on evaluating solar collector cover plate materials.

Standards for Optical Property

Measurements

Willard E. Roberts

(301) 921-2941

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Solar transmittance and reflectance are the key attributes required, respectively, of cover-plate and absorbercoating materials for solar collectors. Transmittance and

reflectance values are used by collector manufacturers,

architects, and researchers in calculating expected

thermal efficiency and measuring short-term

performance. ASTM E424 is the most commonly used

standard method for determining solar energy

transmittance/reflectance. It contains two methods of

measurement: Method A requires the use of a spectrophotometer in a laboratory, while Method B is performed outdoors. It is difficult to obtain the same

results using the two methods. In this project, variables

within the test methods will be studied to determine their

effect. Data obtained will be used to aid in the revision of

E424.

57
Thermal Test Methods for Solar

Collectors

John P. Jenkins

(301) 921-3871

Building Equipment Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Standard thermal test methods for solar collectors based

largely on CBT-proposed procedures have been adopted

by ASHRAE. The objectives of this project are to verify

the applicability of these test methods to state-of-the-art solar collectors and to investigate alternative test methods, using the indoor and outdoor test facilities at CBT. When needed, the expertise and facilities of other

organizations will be used to supplement the

experimental work done at CBT. Recommendations

concerning necessary test-method revisions and

acceptable alternative test methods will be made to the

appropriate ASHRAE special project committees.

Test and Evaluation of Solar Collectors

Robert D. Dikkers

(301) 921-3285

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

The Department of Energy is conducting various

technical evaluations and testing programs to develop a data base that can be used to evaluate the performance of

solar energy systems and components. Such data are needed to serve as the basis of collector certification programs being undertaken by several states and by

industry. A secondary goal of this DoE program is the

development of testing procedures that can be used to evaluate the reliability/durability and safety of

components such as solar collectors. Current collector

test procedures and test results being studied pertain to

structural performance, fire testing, thermal cycling, rain penetration, and hail loading. These procedures, when

validated, can be submitted as drafts to various consensus

standards organizations for consideration under the consensus process.

Standards for Nonmetallic Containment

Materials

Elizabeth J. Clark

(301) 921-2635

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

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. 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, per- formance attributes, degradation factors, and currently

available tests were identified. Tests were then assessed

to determine if modifications were necessary to reflect solar conditions in use. Laboratory and field studies are being performed to obtain data needed to prepare testing standards. Draft standards will be submitted to ASTM

Committee E44 as possible consensus standards.

58
Standards for Rubber Hose and

Connections

Robert D. Stiehler

(301) 921-3180

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Rubber hose is an economical and efficient connector

between the solar collectors and manifolds on the supply

and return lines of solar energy systems. Rubber hose is sometimes also used at the inlet and outlet of pumps,

storage tanks, and other components in the system. The

environment and other conditions surrounding solar energy systems necessitate a high-quality hose with a long life, good resistance to ozone and other atmospheric

pollutants, and good performance at high and low

temperatures. The principal task here is to establish minimum requirements for the hose, based on these tests, to assure satisfactory performance in solar energy

systems and to incorporate the requirements into draft standards for consideration by ASTM.

A report, NBSIR 79-1917, Solar Energy SystemsStandards for Rubber Hose, has been published. This

report includes a draft standard that has been accepted,

with modification, by ASTM as D 3952-80, Standard

Specification for Rubber Hose used in Solar Energy

Systems. Additional laboratory data are being obtained

to include pressurized test conditions in the standard.

The approach will consist of identifying performance

requirements, important properties related to performance, factors that 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

submitted to ASTM Committee Dll for consideration as consensus standards.

Standards for Phase-Change Storage

Materials

Paul W. Brown

(301) 921-2993

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Phase-change materials provide energy storage in terms

of latent as well as sensible heat. These materials offer

significant potential advantages in the volume of storage

required and the thermal losses from storage.

Consequently, the use of phase-change materials is increasing as the solar industry searches for more

effective storage media. Key problem areas relating to the use of phase-change storage materials involve

encapsulation and durability. Examples include rupture

of encapsulating materials due to mechanical

incompatibility with phase-change materials, thermal or chemical degradation of phase-change and encapsulating

materials, and crystallization and segregation of

components of phase-change materials as a result of

repeated cycling and chemical incompatibility between

phase-change and encapsulating materials. Research is being conducted to address these problems through the

development of performance standards and accelerated

tests to allow assessment of the long-term performance

and durability.

59
Thermal Energy Storage and Building

Codes

Joseph Greenberg

(301) 921-3147

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

In this project, all thermal energy storage systems and

components will be reviewed and potential hazards to health and safety identifed and discussed with the hardware and system developers. These potential hazards

will be assessed in relation to existing code provisions

and a determination made regarding the potential

acceptance of this equipment by code-enforcement

officials. The code changes needed to allow installation of equipment in an unmodified configuration will be

identified and a course of action suggested.

Development of Solar Regulatory

Provisions

Joseph Greenberg

(301) 921-3146

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

To make solar energy a viable and maturing energy

source for the nation, the regulatory system must not impede technical development. Under this project, model

solar building regulatory provisions will be developed

and updated in a consensus mode under the sponsorship

of the Council of American Building Officials (CABO)

using the ANSI-accredited organization approach. CBT

will be active on the consensus committee and the

various technical subcommittees to provide technical

support during the various phases of the development of

these consensus documents. In addition, CBT, together

with DoE and HUD, will collaborate in the overall planning for this program and will, from time to time,

provide oversight assessments regarding the progress of

the program toward meeting its overall goals.

Cement Hydrates for Energy Storage The desired features in an energy storage material are high specific heat, high density, low toxicity, low

Paul W. Brown corrosivity, high latent heat (phase-change), small

(301) 921-2993 volume change on transition (phase-change), and low

Structures and Materials Division degree of supercooling (phase-change). Consideration of

these features makes certain hydrated cement compounds

Sponsor: Department of Energy attractive candidates for use as energy storage media.

Research is underway to investigate cementitious

materials that can effectively store energy, to develop

performance and durability data, and to develop criteria for selection and use of these materials. CBT is identifying cement hydrates that may be suitable for energy storage media; determining the reversibility of the

hydration of the candidate materials, and evaluating the

time at temperature dependence of their hydrationdehydration rates; examining the relationship between

temperature and solid-state crystal structure modification,

examining the effects of composition within the solid- solution phase on specific heat, latent heat, and crystal structure stability; performing long-term tests under

simulated service conditions to evaluate the long-term

stability of selected cement hydrates; and developing

criteria for the selection and use of cementitious materials

for energy storage.

60
Reports will be produced summarizing the preliminary assessment of the suitability of cement hydrates for energy storage applications, and on criteria for selection

of cementitious materials for energy storage. This work

will provide the technical basis for the selection of

potentially superior energy storage media.

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

Under this project, an interdisciplinary team of CBT staff members has participated in the preparation of

intermediate solar standards and performance criteria and

is participating in the evaluation of residential demonstration solar system performance. Experience

gained from the evaluation of system performance 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,

and the evaluation of operational problems (materials

degradation, equipment failures, etc.). Proposed revisions

to existing HUD intermediate standards and performance

criteria documents will be published in FY81 for review

and comments.

Kinetics of Glycol-Based Antifreeze

Degradation

Paul W. Brown

(301) 921-2993

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

A potentially major problem that may affect the

durability of solar collectors is the lack of information on

the rates of degradation of glycol-based antifreeze. This

is because the degradation of glycols generates acidic

reaction products which cause accelerated collector

system corrosion. The ethylene glycol antifreeze

solutions used in collectors tend to be those marketed

primarily for use in automobiles. For automotive

applications, it is biannually. Assuming an auto mileage

of 15,000 per year and an average speed of 40 mph, then

the average time, over a 2-year period, that an antifreeze

solution is at the operating temperature is 750 hours.

Assuming that the average collector system operates

under about the same temperature conditions as a car and

is at an operating temperature for 6 hours per day, the

equivalent replacement time would be 125 days or about

three times per year. This is probably unacceptable both

from the standpoints of convenience and economics. It is, therefore, necessary to obtain further information on the

mechanisms and kinetics of glycol degradation under the

conditions at which solar collector systems operate so

that guidelines for the use of glycol-based fluids can be

developed.

61
Evaluation of IPC Corrosion Test

Methodology

Paul W. Brown

(301) 921-2993

Structures and Materials Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

This project will assist in the selection of proper metalfluid pairs as a basis for the design of durable solar collector systems. Currently there are no technical data

to ensure the validity of the corrosion test methodology

as described in Interim Performance Criteria, NBSIR 76- 1187, November 1976 (IPC). This year CBT will prepare

a report to verify and modify, if necessary, its corrosion

test method. The project results will ease the selection of

proper metal-fluid pairs as a basis for the design of

durable solar collector systems. The test results have

aided in the development of ASTM E745-80.

Solar Hot Water System Test Program

Hunter Fanney

(301) 921-3620

Building Equipment Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Several computer codes are being widely used to predict

the thermal performance of solar domestic hot water

(SDHW) systems. However, they need to be validated

with experimental data to justify their wide use. The

primary objective of this project is to conduct controlled

experiments on typical state-of-the-art solar domestic

water heaters and to determine the extent to which the

existing computer programs can accurately predict their performance. A second objective is to investigate

methods of testing the systems for the purpose of rating

and to support ASHRAE in developing a standard test procedure.

Passive Solar Data Requirements

Mark L. McKinstry

(301) 921-3754

Building Thermal Performance Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Two documents have been prepared for DoE detailing

measurements, analysis, and reporting formats for two

levels of passive-solar thermal-performance monitoring.

These documents have been reviewed and accepted by

coordinating committees and included as technical

appendices to a DoE program area plan. A passive solar

test building has been designed and constructed. It is located at the NBS Annex. The building will follow

standard residential construction practices and incorporate several commonly used passive solar heating

techniques. Careful monitoring of the thermal per- formance of the building and experimentation with new

instrumentation and analysis techniques should improve

recommendations made to DoE. Visits also will be made

to sites in the DoE monitoring program to gain further

insight into problems encountered in the field. Extensive

thermal modelling of the test building has been

performed using a general-purpose finite difference

computer program. These models will be validated using

the measured data.

62
Evaluation of Thermal Comfort in Under this project, the body of scientific research

Passive Solar Buildings completed over the past 50 years in the area of thermal

comfort will be reviewed and the findings applied to Arthur I. Rubin determine a method of stating in quantitative terms the

(301) 921-2177 degree of thermal comfort expected. Based on the study

Environmental Design Research Division areas of thermal comfort related to passive buildings

needing research will be identified. Sponsor: Department of Energy

Health and Safety Criteria for Passive

Solar Systems

F. Eugene Metz

(301) 921-3285

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department cf Energy

This project will evaluate current model codes for provisions that may affect solar installations. Code

provisions that may be potential barriers will be

identified. The project will also evaluate and critique current passive solar technology including buildings from

the Federal Solar Demonstration Program and various

research findings for aspects that pose potential health

and safety problems. Some of the health and safety topics

that may be covered are: fire safety, air quality (radon,

asbestos, mold, and mildew), thermal health

requirements, and physical hazards (glazing, storage

containment, and high temperature/pressure).

Modeling for the Analysis of Thermal

Comfort in Passive Solar Buildings

Stanley T. Liu

(301) 921-3525

Building Thermal Performance Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Over the past several years, the use of solar energy for the heating and cooling of buildings by means of passive

design has received increasing emphasis by the

architectural and building community and by DoE.

However, the acceptance and rapid growth in the

number of passive solar buildings will depend to a large extent on user/consumer comfort in such buildings. The

inherent greater fluctuations of indoor air temperature,

humidity, and mean radiant temperature require the

development of special methods to measure the degree of

human comfort in passive solar buildings. An NBS report

will be produced documenting the results of the study

and the method of quantifying thermal comfort will be

published at the completion of this project.

Thermal Test Methods for Passive

Components

William Ducas

(301) 921-3620

Building Thermal Performance Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Passive solar components have been classified into generic groupings according to their functional roles and

a proposed thermal test procedure will be developed for each grouping. Analytical computer models will be

developed for each grouping, representative components

have been purchased, and controlled field testing facili- ties will be designed. Thermal performance testing under

both laboratory and field conditions and computer

simulation will be performed to assess the ability of the

proposed test procedures to provide needed thermal

performance data.

63
Modeling of Passive Solar Buildings

Tamami Kusuda

(301) 921-3501

Building Thermal Performance Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Suitable elements or algorithms by which accurate heat- flow quantities can be determined are not now included

in existing programs and must be developed and tested over a wide range of parameters before they can be

adapted to user-oriented design tools. Specific problems

that will be addressed by this work are: infrared

reflective surfaces in the heat-balance calculation; multi- dimensional heat flow with respect to earth contact

systems; and the optimal method for building heat

transfer calculations employing multi-spaces (rooms or

zones). In this project, algorithms for the slab-on-grade

problem will be tested on the UNIVAC 1 108 computing

system with a simple ranch-house model. Sensitivity of

the seasonal energy loss to the ground will be studied

with respect to the floor-aspect ratio, distances from the

adjacent houses, slab conductance, seasonal temperature

profiles, and earth thermal properties.

Standards for Passive Solar Materials,

Components, and Systems

Robert D. Dikkers

(301) 921-3285

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

With the impending widespread commercialization of

passive solar technology, standards are urgently needed

to measure acceptable levels of technical performance.

Such standards need to address not only thermal

performance but also health and safety,

reliability/durability, serviceability and installation. Mechanisms for the implementation of these standards,

e.g., laboratory accreditation and certification procedures

also need to be developed. Under this project, staff members of CBT working in the development of

standards for solar energy systems will interact with the

staff of other organizations involved in various phases of

the DoE passive solar energy program (i.e., DOE,

LASL, LBL, SERI, the Regional Solar Energy Centers),

voluntary consensus standards organizations, and

industry.

The Influence of Micro-Changes on the

Engineering Properties of Solar

Materials

David Waksman and Mary McKnight

(301) 921-3285

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards

Changes in optical properties (e.g., transmittance,

absorptance, and emittance) and mechanical properties

(e.g., tensile strength) have been observed for several cover and absorber materials following environmental

exposure. Results obtained to date as part of a solar collector reliability/durability test program at CBT have

indicated that exposure to combined temperature and

moisture significantly accelerates the degradation of

optical properties and that mechanical properties are also influenced by exposure to the ultraviolet portion of the

solar spectrum. Determination of the relationships that

exist between accelerated laboratory and "real time"

outdoor exposure tests requires an understanding of these phenomena on a more fundamental (microscopic or

atomistic) basis. Microscopic changes (e.g., bond

hydrolysis, defect scattering, and oxidation) of selected materials will be identified and measured. The influence

of these microscopic changes on the engineering

64
properties (e.g., transmittance, absorptance, emittance,

tensile strength) of these materials will be investigated.

This will involve quantifying the defects and determining

their influence using models relating optical properties to phenomena such as surface roughness or particle

scattering.

Materials Problem Definition: Solar

Industrial Process Heat Applications

Walter E. Shipp

(301) 921-3285

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

The program objectives of the DoE Solar Industrial Process Heat (IPH) program are to stimulate and

demonstrate the use of solar technologies as a replacement for and supplement to fossil fuels now used

for industrial processes. The successful achievement of

the program objectives will rely heavily upon the

identification of materials problems and the development

of needed standards to define and measure material

performance and durability in IPH solar systems. Based on a field assessment of material problems in operating

solar IPH projects, this project will identify the need for new or revised solar materials standards.

The Industry Impact of Solar

Equipment Standards

Carol C. Rawie

(301) 921-3602

Building Thermal Performance Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

In developing solar energy standards and certification programs, it is essential to make sure they do not

inadvertently stifle innovation or bias it toward

inefficient designs. This could happen, for example, if standards which originally represented the state-of-the-art become outdated, or if standards are unduly prescriptive.

It could also happen if certifications and ratings neglect

important aspects of performance. This could bias innovation toward improving the measured performance

aspects at the expense of the unmeasured attributes. It is also important to be sure that standards which are not

specifically concerned with solar energy systems, but

have impact on them, do not inadvertently discourage

innovation. The purpose of the proposed research is to determine the effect of standards and certifications for

solar equipment on development, introduction, and

diffusion of new solar technologies, especially active and

passive systems for heating and cooling buildings.

Economic Consultation for the Solar

Federal Buildings Program

Jeanne W. Powell

(301) 921-3602

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Many problems of an economic nature are expected to

arise in connection with the planning, design, and use of

the Solar in Federal Buildings Program. To ensure the success of the program, CBT economics staff will provide technical assistance to DoE as necessary.

Sponsor: Department of Energy

65
Economics Sessions of the Solar

Design Workshops

Jeanne W. Powell

(301) 921-3602

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

To accomplish the goals of the Solar Federal Buildings

Program, it is necessary that architects, engineers, and

project managers in Federal agencies understand the

principles of solar design, including economic

considerations. To this end, CBT will revise materials for a visual presentation, and participate in a series of from

three to four training workshops on solar energy in Federal buildings.

The nature of the relationship between the energy-related

alternatives of a building will be investigated both

theoretically and empirically to determine the most

promising approach to developing an integrated model.

An integrated economic evaluation model will be

developed, incorporating as many of the options as possible within the time and funding constraint. The

resulting integrated model will contain a comprehensive

tax analysis, including tax incentives, for commercial

Sponsor: National Bureau of Standards investors. The model will be tested in selected case studies. In these case studies, the model will be applied to the analysis of

representative commercial buildings in selected locations. Economic trade-offs among different combinations of

HVAC system and building components will be

examined within the framework of the life-cycle cost optimization model. Transient load energy analysis

programs and solar simulation programs suitable for analyzing commercial buildings and systems will be

employed to develop realistic data for testing and

illustrating the model.

Conservation and Solar Energy: An

Integrated Economic Evaluation

Framework

Jeanne W. Powell

(301) 921-3602

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Comparison of Selected Solar

Economic Evaluation Models

Jeanne W. Powell

(301) 921-3602

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Under this project, CBT will survey the most widely

used solar evaluation models and determine the approach

used in each to evaluate and optimize solar energy

system economics. The existing models will include,

SOLCOST, BLAST, and DOE-II. The modeling

techniques and assumptions used in these programs will be compared. Differences in techniques and assumptions

among each program will be assessed. Solar domestic hot

water and space heating systems will be evaluated for a selected building in a selected climatological area using

each model. A report will be prepared on the differences

in economic algorithms, assumptions, and data employed

by the different programs and on the results obtained

from test problems. These comparisons will indicate

differences in the methodology of the major existing

models, indicate levels of differences in the results obtained by the various models, and promote the

standardization of economic modeling techniques for optimizing solar energy systems.

66
Cost-Benefit Studies of Solar Federal

Buildings Projects

Stephen F. Weber

(301) 921-2308

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Under this project, CBT will study the cost effectiveness

of Federal solar demonstration systems based on reported

data. The relative cost-effectiveness of different types of

solar demonstration systems will be assessed. Sensitivity

analysis and break-even analysis will be performed to determine the conditions necessary for specified

percentages of the systems to be cost effective.

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Residential Solar Data Center

Patricia M. Christopher

(301) 921-3285

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Housing and

Urban Development

The National Program for Solar Heating and Cooling is aimed at helping alleviate a critical shortage in the

Nation's available fossil fuel resources by promoting

widespread commercialization and accelerated use of

solar heating and cooling. The raw (noninstrumental)

data that is collected from the HUD residential demonstration program is stored, processed, and

transmitted to appropriate users and contractors for additional study, evaluation, and dissemination. The

system is currently in operation and feedback from the

users has indicated a need for a more complex design.

The redesign has involved a familiar set of steps as before: study, document, develop the prototype, test, and modify the design. In 1979, the new design was

implemented, new user documentation written, and

training sessions given. In FY80, emphasis was placed on

developing special reports of summary data to be used

for analysis of trends, problem areas, etc. In FY81, the

final updating of the data-base files will be accomplished.

Solar Systems User Data Base

Kent Reed

(301) 921-2640

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Under this project, CBT continues to maintain a data

information system to provide technical support for tasks under the Solar Federal Buildings Program (SFBP). This

information system will use data formats, computer

programs, and ADP procedures previously developed in support of the HUD Residential Solar Heating and

Cooling Demonstration Program (SHCDP). Working

with DoE, their contractors, and potential users of the

data, CBT will continue work to define data needs both

for computer reports on a regular basis and interactive access to the data base over a terminal. An automatic

spinoff of using existing formats and software would be

the merger of residential solar data from the SHCDP

with Federal Buildings Program data into one common

data base.

67
Federal Guide Specifications for Solar

Heating and Hot Water Applications

Joseph Greenberg

(301) 921-3147

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

A collection will be made of the specifications now being

used by Federal agencies for the purchase of solar heating and cooling systems. The kinds of systems and

components involved in this collection will be

categorized and the technical data collected and

analyzed. These data, augmented by recent solar research

findings, will be used to develop a model set of guide

specifications. Drafts of these specifications will be

subjected to review by selected technical representatives

of designers, manufacturers, and Federal agencies. The

project will be carried out in cooperation with the

Federal Construction Council.

Reliability and Maintainability of Solar

Heating and Cooling Systems

Joseph Greenberg

(301) 921-3147

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

CBT will participate, as a member of the Reliability and

Maintainability Status Assessment Team being

established by DoE, in the planning, data gathering and

assessment of information. CBT will identify all residential data sources, collect the available data, and

structure these data in conformation with established

data models. In the end, this program will help the solar industry in reducing reliability concerns, improve

coordination of current programs related to these

activities, and identify standards that may improve

performance of solar heating and cooling systems.

Performance Criteria for Solar Heating

and Cooling Systems in Commercial

Buildings

F. Eugene Metz

(301) 921-3285

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

An interdisciplinary team, organized from CBT staff members and with the assistance of an outside

contractor, participated in the preparation of draft standards and performance criteria and is participating in the evaluation of demonstration system performance.

Experience gained from the evaluation of system

performance will be fedback into the development of

improved criteria. During FY81, CBT staff will assess review comments resulting from a request for public

comment in the Federal Register for the proposed

document NBSIR 80-2095, Performance Criteria for Solar

Heating and Cooling Systems in Residential Buildings.

Comments also will be solicited from industry,

professionals, standards organizations, and other Federal

agencies. The response to these comments should

provide significant material that can be used in the

updating of a document for commercial buildings.

68
Technical Assessment of Buildings

Being Considered for Solar Retrofit

James H. Pielert (301) 921-3146

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

Those involved with solar retrofit of buildings face a lack

of technical information on assessing the condition of

affected building systems (structure, electrical, plumbing,

and mechanical). A methodology and related technical

data for assessing the impact of solar modifications will be developed under this project. The report will provide

a basis for those involved with making technical

rehabilitation decisions including designers, Government

officials, building officials, etc. This project will be

coordinated with a proposed standardization activity by

the American Society of Civil Engineers, which is developing a standard on condition assessment of existing

buildings.

Thermal Performance Data

Requirements and Evaluation

Procedures

Kent Reed

(301) 921-2640

Building Equipment Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

In FY76, CBT worked with ERDA (now part of DoE)

and a Performance Evaluation Committee established by

ERDA to develop thermal data requirements and

performance evaluation procedures for the National

Solar Heating and Cooling Demonstration Program.

These requirements and evaluation procedures were

published in NBSIR 76-1137, August 1976. Considerable

experience has been gained over the past 4 years in using

the procedures in this report to evaluate systems in the

national solar demonstration program. A number of the

recommended techniques have been found to be deficient

and other techniques not initially recommended found to be of value. Under this project, CBT will revise and

publish a new document that details these thermal data

requirements and evaluation procedures.

Solar Utilization in Cities and Towns To date, most investigations of passive solar use have

been aimed at low-density, suburban and rural Richard Crenshaw applications. However, most of the Nation's buildings

(301) 921-2627 (both residential and commercial) are located in urban

Environmental Design Research Division settings. These settings may have high potential both for

solar access and energy conservation, but current

Sponsor: Department of Energy evaluation techniques are largely inadequate for assessing

the solar and thermal performance of the large-scale

passive solar designs that show greatest promise at reducing energy consumption in such urban

surroundings. This project identifies a number of

prototypical individual buildings to represent classes of

urban construction in representative urban environments

(block and street scale) and to study the trade-offs between building energy use and solar availability. In FY81, the selection and documentation of the individual

prototypical buildings, urban environments, and methods

for analyzing solar availability and building energy use

will be completed. Assistance will also be provided to DoE in the planning of future NBS research and in coordinating these research efforts with demonstration

projects.

69
Commercial Solar Energy

Demonstration

Robert D. Dikkers

(301) 921-3285

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

CBT staff members have participated in the preparation

of draft standards and performance criteria and have

participated in the evaluation of commercial solar system

performance. Experience gained from the evaluation of

system performance will be fed back into the development of improved criteria. CBT staff will seek

comments and suggestions on existing performance

criteria from industry, designers, and other members of

the building community. In regard to standards

development, CBT staff will work with appropriate

ANSI, ASME, ASHRAE, and ASTM committees. CBT

also will assist DoE in a study of a voluntary laboratory

accreditation program.

Monitoring of Radon Concentration in Passive Solar Buildings

Samuel Silberstein (301) 921-2758

Building Thermal Performance Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

The National Research Council Canada (NRCC) is completing a thorough review of indoor air quality, with

CBT's technical assistance. CBT intends to use the review

in advising DoE of areas needing further research. NBS

participation with staff of the Lawrence Berkley

Laboratory on a national strategy for determining health

effects of passive solar energy concluded that a major

problem was emission of radon by massive masonry, and

radon's decay into carcinogenic radon daughters. Six test structures, identical except for their walls, were

constructed at CBT for conducting thermal performance

measurements. Here it will be possible to study, in isolation, the effects of thermal mass on radon

concentration and the working level. There will be no

interference from other sources or complications rising

from human occupancy. Such a study has never been

done.

Findings and recommendations will be presented to DoE

and various technical and professional societies. The

work will result in the identification of research needed

to deal with the problem of indoor air quality, especially

with respect to passive solar buildings. The

measurements in the test houses will demonstrate the

possibility of controlled in-situ radon concentration and

working-level measurements. The results may be used as a basis for limiting radium content of masonry used in passive solar structures, or requiring a minimum

ventilation rate or a maximum radon emanation rate. They can be used to select those passive solar strategies that pose the least health risk to occupants, encouraging

popular acceptance of passive solar techniques.

70
Technical Support to the Solar

Standards Committees

Robert D. Dikkers

(301) 921-3285

Building Economics and Regulatory

Technology Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

The primary goal of the National Program for Solar

Heating and Cooling of Buildings is "to work with

industry in the development and early introduction of

economically competitive and environmentally

acceptable solar energy systems to help meet national

energy requirements." To help achieve this goal, it will be necessary to establish standards, i.e., safety, thermal

performance, durability/reliability, for solar heating and

cooling equipment. More specifically, standards for solar heating and cooling systems and components are needed

to establish acceptable minimum requirements for health

and safety as well as acceptable minimum levels of

technical performance. Such minimum requirements and

levels of technical performance are also desirable for the

purposes of consumer acceptance, mortgage insurance,

tax credit or incentive programs, and industry commercialization. Under this project, NBS staff members are

actively participating in committees which are planning

and preparing national consensus standards for solar heating and cooling applications.

International Cooperation in Solar

Energy

Kent Reed

(301) 921-2640

Building Equipment Division

Sponsor: Department of Energy

CBT has a major role in the preparation of performance

criteria and test methods for using solar energy in the United States. DoE has requested that this expertise be

used to contribute to the formulation and evaluation of

solar collector testing procedures being developed by

various countries participating in an International Energy

Agency (IEA) Working Group. This project will foster the development of lEA-recommended test procedures by

participating in international critiques of U.S. and

foreign standards and proposed test procedures and by

taking part in round-robin thermal performance and

durability tests of various collectors.

71

oixdl

Building

Community Index

DT)(^i

1©MMM

'mmmm

d

73
BUILDING COMMUNITY INDEX

The following listing presents the CBT projects organized by their interest to segments of the building

community. The projects are listed under the appropriate building community groups as noted below.

1: Owners, Occupants, Users

2: Developers and Contractors

3: Designers

4: Labor

5: Financial Organizations

6: Manufacturers and Suppliers

7: Regulators and Standards

8: Testing Laboratories

9: Educational Institutions and Research Organizations

BUILDING ECONOMICS

£ O 2 ~

Q Q _l £ OS H U

Economic Methods for Building Standards, p. 2 X X X X

Economic Measures of Productivity in the Construction Industry, p. 2 XXXXXXX

Economic Impact of NBS Electronics Research Effort, p. 2 X X X X

BUILDING REHABILITATION TECHNOLOGY

Application of Equivalency Methods to Regulations Related to Health and

Sanitation, p. 4 Regulatory Provisions for Existing Buildings, p. 4 Restoration Standards for Porcelain Finishes, p. 4 Monitoring the White House Restoration, p. 5 Quick-Response Studies for HUD, p. 5 Development of Architectural Accessibility Guidelines, p. 5

X

XXX

X

X

X X

X X X X

XX X

X X

X X X X

X XX

X X X X

X X X

BUILDING AND COMMUNITY ACOUSTICS

Building Acoustics Technology, p. 8 X X X X X X

Highway Noise Criteria, p. 8 X X X X X X

Sound Absorption Measurement, p. 8 X X X X X X X

Technical Support to the EPA, p. 9 X X X X

LIGHTING TECHNOLOGY

Lighting Technology, p. 12 XXX X X X X

Task Lighting Criteria, p. 12 X X X X X

Measurement of Illumination Systems Effectiveness, p. 13 X X X X X

Laboratory and Field Illumination Measurements, p. 13 X X X X X

Chromatic Adaptation, p. 13 X X X X X

Visual Acuity Requirements for Nondestructive Testing, p. 14 X X X X X

BUILDING SERVICE SYSTEMS PERFORMANCE

Performance of Water-Conserving Devices, p. 16 User Acceptance of Water Conservation, p. 16 Guidelines for Limited Venting and Single-Stack Drainage Systems, p. 16 Solid Transport in Horizontal Drains, p. 17 Plumbing Vent Systems Network Analysis, p. 17 Service Life of Electrical Wire Insulation, p. 18

xxxxxxxxx

XXX XX x xxxxxxxx

X X X X X

xxxxxxxx

XXX X XXX

74
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T3 STRUCTURES AND FOUNDATIONS PERFORMANCE 0 Q Q -J 5 Qt M-l

Criteria for Structural Loads and Design, p. 20 X X X X X

Snow Loads on Nuclear Power Plant Structures, p. 20 X X X X X

Application of Life-Test Analysis Concepts to Building Components, p. 21 X X X X

CBT Wind Tunnel: Performance Criteria and Final Design, p. 21 x A

Criteria for Design of Cladding Subjected to Wind Loads, p. 22 x X x x A

Performance of Residential Siding, p. 22 X X x X X X x x A

Construction of Housing in Mine-Subsidence Areas, p. 22 X X x X X X x Av

Requirements and Format for the Siting of LNG Facilities, p. 23 x X x x AY

Foundation and Excavation Standards, p. 23 X yvY X X Yyv y\Y A

Geotechnical Measurements of In-Situ Soil Properties, p. 23 X X X

Ultimate Limit States for Joints and Fasteners in Light-Frame Construction, p. 24 yvV X YyV y\ X

Reliability-Based Design of Containments and Category I Structures, p. 24 x X x A

Anchoring Mechanics for Mobile Homes, p. 25 X X x X x x X

Mobile Home Anchoring in Flood Plains, p. 25 X X X X X X YA

NDE of Building Materials, p. 26 X X X X X X

NDE for Concrete Strength, p. 26 X X X X X X

Interpretation of Ultrasonic NDE Results, p. 26 X X X X X X

Cement Hydration, p. 27 X X X X X X

Fly Ash Use in Cement and Concrete Products, p. 27 X X X X X X

Organic Coatings, p. 28 X X X X X X

Corrosion of Steel in Prestressed Concrete p. 28 X X X X X X

Short-Term Evaluation of Steel Coatings, p. 29 X X X X X

Field Adhesion Tester, p. 29 X X X X X X

Properties of Single-Ply Roofing Systems, p. 29 X X X A X X X X

Measurements and Standards for Nuclear Waste Management, p. 30 X X x X X X

Tri-Services Technical and Scientific Support, p. 30 X X X X

EARTHQUAKE HAZARD REDUCTION

Seismic Provisions for Buildings, p. 32 X X X X

Seismic Limit-States for Structures, p. 32 X X X X X

Romania Earthquake Rehabilitation, p. 33 X X X X

Computer-Controlled Test Facility, p. 33 X X X X X

Cyclic-Loading of Masonry Building Components, p. 33 X X X X X

Cyclic-Strain Approach to the Determination of Liquefaction Potential of Level Sandy Sites, p. 34 X X X X X

Improving the Standard Penetration Test as a Measure of the Liquefaction Potential of Sands, p. 34 X X X X X X

BUILDING SAFETY

Construction Load Evaluation, p. 36 X X X X X X

Excavation Safety, p. 36 X X X X X X

Effectiveness Evaluation of Symbol Use, p. 36 X X X X X X X X

Effectiveness of Safety Symbols in the Workplace, p. 37 X X X X X X X X

Building Circulation Evaluation System: Phase I, p. 37 X X X X X X

Modeling Occupant Circulation Systems, p. 38 X X X X X X

The Use of Hazard Pictorials/Symbols in Mines, p. 38 X X X X X X X X

Technical Support for Correctional Facilities Design Standards, p. 39 X X X X X X

ENERGY CONSERVATION IN BUILDINGS

Building Energy Performance Criteria, p. 42 X X X X X X

Integrated Energy Systems, p. 42 X X X X X X X

Energy Analysis Procedures, p. 42 X X X X X

Energy Analysis of the Norris Cotton Building, p. 43 X X X X X X

75
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Energy Analysis of Control Strategies, p. 43 v YA YA. vA

Thermostat Test Standard, p. 44 X X X X X

CBT Controls Laboratory, p. 44 X X X X X

EMCS Algorithms, p. 45 X X X X X

EMCS Measured Performance, p. 45 X X X X X

Retrofit Instrumentation Technology/EMCS Sensors, p. 45 X X X X X

Dynamic Performance of HVAC Systems and Controls, p. 46 X X X X X X

Laboratory Tests for Thermographic Standards, p. 46 X X X X X

Air Infiltration in Large Buildings, p. 46 X X X X X X

Evaluating the Performance of Heat Pumps, p. 47 X X X X X X

Heat Pump and Air Conditioner Test Procedures, p. 47 X X X X X X

Furnace and Boiler Test Series, p. 48 X X X X X X

Underground Heat Distribution Systems, p. 48 X X X X X

Daylighting Prediction, p. 48 X X X X X X

Radon Transport in Building*Materials. p. 49 X X X X X X X

BUILDING THERMAL ENVELOPE SYSTEMS AND INSULATING MATERIALS

Thermal Conductivity Apparatus, p. 52 X X X X X X

Thick Insulation Test Series, p. 52 X X X X X

Thermal Insulation Analysis, p. 52 X X X X X

Calibrated Hot Box Construction, p. 52 X X X X X

Calibrated Specimen Round-Robin Tests, p. 53 X X X X X

X if 1

*.

" T"> TTL. IXjI 11* ~ CI Multi-Room Thermal Modeling, p. 53 X X X X

Installation Criteria for Building Retrofit, p. 53 X X X X X X X

Field Measurements ot Building I hermal Mass, p. jj X X X X X

Guidelines for Controlling Attic Condensation, p. 54 X X X X X X X

Field Determination of Wire Temperatures, p. 54 X X X X X X X X X

Ql III ftlMf* CfM AD CVCTCMC TCPUMAI AAU

Collector Durability and Reliability Test Program, p. 56 x x x x x

Standards for Solar Absorptive Coatings, p. 56 x x x x x

Standards for Solar Cover Plates, p. 57 x x x x x

Standards for Optical Property Measurements, p. 57 x x x x x

Thermal Test rvlethods for Solar Collectors, p. 58 x x x x x

Test and Evaluation of Solar Collectors, p. 58 x \ x x x

Standards for Nonmetallic Containment Materials, p. 58 x x x x x

Standards for Rubber Hose and Connections, p. 59 x x x x x

Standards for Phase-Change Storage Materials, p. 59 x x x x x

Thermal Energy Storage and Building Codes, p. 60 x \ x x x

Development of Solar Regulatory Provisions, p. 60 x x x x x

Ppmfnt HvHratPQ for Fnprov StnradP n nil x x x x x

Solar Energy Program for Housing Systems, p. 61 x x x x x

Kinetics of Glycol-Based Antifreeze Degradation, p. 61 X X X X X

Evaluation of IPC Corrosion Test Methodology, p. 62 X X X X X

Solar Hot Water System Test Program, p. 62 X X X X X

Passive Solar Data Requirements, p. 62 X X X X X

Evaluation of Thermal Comfort in Passive Solar Buildings, p. 63 X X X X X X

Health and Safety Criteria for Passive Solar Systems, p. 63 X X X X X

Modeling for the Analysis of Thermal Comfort in Passive Solar Buildings, p. 63 X X X X X

Thermal Test Methods for Passive Components, p. 63 X X X X X

Modeling of Passive Solar Buildings, p. 64 X X X X

Standards for Passive Solar Materials, Components, and Systems, p. 64 X X X X X

The Influence of Micro-Changes on the Engineering Properties of Solar Materials, p. 64 X X X X X

Materials Problem Definition: Solar Industrial Process Heat Applications, p. 65 X X X X

The Industry Impact of Solar Equipment Standards, p. 65 X X X X X

76
Economic Consultation for the Solar Federal Buildings Program, p 65 x x x Y

Economics Sessions of the Solar Design Workshops, p. 66 x x x x

Conservation and Solar Energy: An Integrated Economic Evaluation Framework, p. 66 X x x x

Comparison of Selected Solar Economic Evaluation Models, p. 66 X X X X

Cost-Benefit Studies of Solar Federal Building Projects, p. 67 X X X X

Residential Solar Data Center, p. 67 X X X X X X

Solar Systems User Data Base, p. 67 X X X X

Federal Guide Specifications for Solar Heating and Hot Water Applications, p. 68 X X X X X

Reliability and Maintainability of Solar Heating and Cooling Systems, p. 68 X X X X X X X X

Performance Criteria for Solar Heating and Cooling Systems in Commercial Buildings, p. 68 X X X X X

Technical Assessment of Buildings Being Considered for Solar Retrofit, p. 69 X X X X X X

Thermal Performance Data Requirements and Evaluation Procedures, p. 69 X X X X X

Solar Utilization in Cities and Towns, p. 69 X X X X X X

Commercial Solar Energy Demonstration, p. 70 X X X X X

Monitoring of Radon Concentration in Passive Solar Buildings, p. 70 X X X X X X

Technical Support to the Solar Standards Committee, p. 71 X X X

International Cooperation in Solar Energy, p. 71 X X X X

77

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1981 0 - 350-401




U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Bureau of Standards

National Engineering Laboratory

Center for Building Technology