U S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Bureau of Standards

State

Construction- Related

Metrication

Activities

L

NBSIR 78 1441

STATE CONSTRUCTION-RELATED METRICATION ACTIVITIES

Sandra A Berry

Office of Building Standards and Codes Services

Center for Building Technology

Institute for Applied Technology

National Bureau of Standards

Washington, D C 20234

February 1978

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

Dr Sidney Harman, Under Secretary

Jordan J. Baruch, Assistant Secretary for Science and Technology

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS, Ernest Ambler, Director

Table of Contents

Page

I. Overview 1

II. Results of Inquiry 3

III. Extracted Statements from Replies 15

IV. Metric Committees 17

V. Additional State Metrication Information 19

VI. General Comments 21

I. OVERVIEW

The American National Metric Council (ANMC) was formed in 1973

under the auspices of the American National Standards Institute to provide assistance, through coordination, planning and information services,

to all segments of the U . S . economy involved in the conversion to metric

measurement. In July of 1976, the ANMC became an independent incorporated

entity.

In February 1975, the Center for Building Technology (CBT) was asked to

assist and serve as Secretariat to the ANMC Construction Codes and Standards

Sector (CCSS), one of the eight Sectors which comprise the Construction

Industries Coordinating Committee (C1CC). This request to the CBT was initiated

by the then National Chairman of the National Conference of States on

Building Codes and Standards (NCSBCS). He had been asked to represent

the States in the ANMC as Chairman of its Construction Codes and Standards

Sector. In his letter to the Center for Building Technology, he stated

that "The assistance of your organization is needed... in beginning the

planning for metrication by building regulatory officials." The Center

for Building Technology offered its assistance.

In February 1976, the Center was asked and consented to provide

secretariat services to the Design Sector of the Construction Industries

Coordinating Committee. More recently, August 1977, the CBT was approached by the Chairman of the Construction Products Sector, and asked

to supply secretariat services to that Sector as well. Thus, the CBT

Office of Building Standards and Codes Services provides secretariat and

general technical services to three important Sectors of the ANMC

Construction Industries Coordinating Committee.

It became apparent to the CCSS that there was a need to know what

was going on already in the States in the metric area, and that this need

1
could be fulfilled if a construction metrication contact was appointed

within each State. Through these contacts, the States could put forth

a concerted effort, enabling furthered reciprocity among and between

the States in the area of metric conversion. This contact was seen as

a construction liaison and information dissemination point between the

individual States and the American National Metric Council, and could

assist in the implementation of conversion decisions to be made by the

industries within the States.

The CCSS Chairman advanced this concept to its parent committee—the

Construction Industries Coordinating Committee (CICC) —and its Chairman

requested the Center for Building Technology to carry out an inquiry of

State metrication activities as the information to be gained would be

useful to all CICC Sectors. In carrying out this inquiry, the Center for

Building Technology requested each State Governor to provide the name of

the construction metric coordinator or designated contact person within

each State. Through these designated officials, the ANMC and NBS will

disseminate timely construction metrication information to all State

agencies concerned with construction and building regulation.

This document contains the preliminary results of that inquiry.

Other recent NBS publications relative to metrication in the building

community are:

1. NBS Techncial Note 915, "Metrication Problems in the

Construction Codes and Standards Sector;"

2. NBS Technical Note 938, "Recommended Practice for the

Use of Metric (SI) Units in Building Design and

Construction ;

3. NBS Special Publication 458, "Metrication and Dimensional

Coordination —A Selected Bibliography;" and

4. NBS Special Publication 504, "Metric Dimensional

Coordination - The Issues and Precedent."

2
II. RESULTS OF INQUIRY

A total of 39 States (78%) have responded to the inquiry. Twentyfive States have named a representative to coordinate State metric

construction activities; thirteen others have named a representative to

serve as a general contact point for dissemination of metric information

for their respective States. One State responded indicating it had no

designated official at present, but would name one soon. Those States

responding were:

Alaska Kentucky North Carolina

Arizona Louisiana North Dakota

California Maine Ohio

Colorado Maryland Oklahoma

Connecticut Massachusetts Oregon

Florida Mi chigan Pennsylvania

Georgia Minnesota South Dakota

Hawaii Missouri Tennessee

Idaho Montana Texas

Illinois Nebraska Utah

Indiana New Jersey Virginia

Iowa New Mexico West Virginia

Kansas New York Wisconsin

A listing of the State officials, designated by their respective

State Governors, as well as some general information extracted from

responses to the inquiry, and from the NBS Office of Weights and

Measures, and the ANMC Reporter, follows this overall summary. The

National Governors' Conference (NGC) has established an Interstate

Metric Committee; and in those cases where the designated State representative and Interstate Metric Committee are the same, an "X" appears

in column (3) of the list. The National Conference of States on Building

Codes and Standards (NCSBCS) is a building-related State organization

and is working with the American National Metric Council (through the

Construction Codes and Standards Sector). Therefore, if the NCSBCS

delegate or alternate is the same as the designated metric construction

coordinator, an "X" appears in column (4) of the list.

3
Seven States (18% of those responding) have named their Interstate

Metric Committee representative as their construction metrication contact; eleven States (28% of those responding) named their NCSBCS delegate or alternate to assume responsibility for pertinent construction

metrication information exchange.

To date, the four publications listed on page 2 have been shared

with those States which have responded to the inquiry. Pertinent metric

and dimensional coordination information will continue to be shared

with the States, through their metric construction coordinators or

contact persons.

It is of interest to note the types of State organizations from

which these metric construction coordinators or contact points have

been designated.

Agriculture and Weights & Measures

Contractors and Purchasing

Consumer Protection and Education

Transportation

Commerce and General Services

Construction Related

74

24

3

20

(17.5%)

( 10%)

( 5%)

( 10%)

( 7.5%)

(50%)

40* (100%)

* Two States have designated two individuals each; one State has

designated no one.

This preliminary report is for your information. It is hoped that

each State will appoint a metric coordinator or contact point in the near

future. In addition, more information on State committees, commissions,

study groups, etc., would be appreciated, such as their make-up, scope,

responsibilities, policy statements, decisions to date. As more States

respond, this preliminary report will be updated and will be a more

meaningful information document.

4
Please send an update of what is transpiring in your State

to: Secretariat

ANMC Construction Codes & Standards Sector

c/o Building 226, Room B226

National Bureau of Standards

Washington, D.C. 20234

5
STATE

JLU

CONSTRUCTION METRICATION

OFFICER

m

SAME AS NGC

INTERSTATE COM,

REPRESENTATIVE

(3)

SAME AS NCSBCS

DELEGATE

OR ALTERNATE

(4)

ALABAMA

ALASKA H. Phillip Hubbard

Commissioner

Department of Commerce and

Economic Development

Pouch D

Juneau, Alaska 99811

(907) 465-2500

X

ARIZONA John J. Kayeton

Registrar of Contractors

1818 W. Adams

Phoenix, Arizona 85007

(602) 252-5531

ARKANSAS

CALIFORNIA Dr. Xavier Mendoza

Chief, Division of Codes and

Standards

Department of Housing & Community Development

921 10th Street

Sacramento, California 95814

(916) 445-4775

X

COLORADO Harold A. Knott, Director

Division of Housing

1575 Sherman Street, Rm. 704

Denver, Colorado 80203

(203) 892-2033

X

6
STATE

.... An

CONSTRUCTION METRICATION

OFFICER

in

SAME AS NGC

INTERSTATE COM.

REPRESENTATIVE

(3)

SAME AS NCSBCS

DELEGATE

OR ALTERNATE

(A)

CONNECTICUT Mary M. Heslin

Commissioner, Department of

Consumer Protection

State Office Building

Hartford, Connecticut 06115

(203) 566-2396

DELAWARE

-

FLORIDA Sydney D. Andrews

Director, Division of Standards

Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services

Mayo Building

Tallahassee, Florida 32304

(904) 488-0645

GEORGIA Frederick Branch

Director, Facilities Management

Office of Planning & Budget

270 Washington Street, S.W.

Atlanta, Georgia 30334

(404) 656-3891

HAWAII George Mattimoe

State Deputy Director of

Weights & Measures

P.0. Box 22159

Honolulu, Hawaii 90822

(808) 941-3071

X

IDAHO Jack Richmond

Room 400, State House

317 Main Street

Boise, Idaho 83720

(208) 384-2327

X

ILLINOIS Donald S. Glickman

Executive Director

Capital Development Board

State Office Building, 3rd

Floor

401 South Spring Street

Springfield, Illinois 62706

(217) 782-2864

7
STATE

U) -- -

CONSTRUCTION METRICATION

OFFICER

in

SAME AS NGC

INTERSTATE COM.

REPRESENTATIVE

in

INDIANA Donald T. MacRae

State Bldg. Commissioner

Administrative Bldg. Council

Graphic Arts Building

215 North Senate Avenue

Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

(317) 633-5433

IOWA Mr. Donald Appell

State Bldg. Code Commissioner

523 East 12th

Des Moines, Iowa 50319

(515) 281-3807

KANSAS John L. O’Neill

State Dept, of Agriculture

Weights and Measures Division

1026S, State Office Building

Topeka, Kansas 66612

(913) 296-3846

X

KENTUCKY Mr. William B. Drake

Assistant State Highway

Engineef for Research

State Highway Engineer Office

Room 1005 State Office Building

Frankfort, Kentucky 40601

(606) 564-3730

LOUISIANA Reid Grigsby, Ph.D.

Assistant Commissioner

Department of Agriculture

P.O. Box 44302

Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70804

(504) 389-5563

MAINE Richard G. Bachelder

Director

Bureau of Public Improvements

State Office Building

Augusta, Maine 04333

(207) 289-3881

MARYLAND Earl F. Seboda, Assistant

Secretary

Department of General Services

301 West Preston Street

Baltimore, Maryland 21201

(301) 383-3960

8

SAMI AS NCSBCS

DELEGATE

OP ALTERNATE

(*)

X

X
STATE

(1) .

CONSTRUCTION METRICATION

OFFICER

(2)

SAME AS NGC

INTERSTATE COM,

REPRESENTATIVE

(3) .

SAME AS NCSBCS

DELEGATE

OR ALTERNATE

(4)

MASSACHUSETTS Charles J. Dinezio

Executive Director

State Building Code Commission

One Ashburton Place

Room 1305

Boston, Massachusetts 02109

(617) 727-6919

X

MICHIGAN Robert Hilprecht

Director, Bureau of

Construction Codes

Michigan Department of Labor

State Secondary Complex

Lansing, Michigan 48910

(517) 373-9600

X

MINNESOTA Frederick W. Thorstenson

Director, Research & Standards

Department of Transportation

Transportation Building

St. Paul, Minnesota 55155

(612) 296-3040

MISSISSIPPI

MISSOURI John H. Blair, AIA

Chief Architect

Division of Design and

Construction

P.0. Box 809

Jefferson City, Missouri 65101

(314) 751-3190

MONTANA Philip H. Hauck, AIA

Administrator, Architecture and

Engineering Divisior

Department of Administration

1500 Sixth Avenue

Helena, Montana 59601

(406) 449-3104

9
STATE

(D ..

CONSTRUCTION METRICATION

OFFICER

in

SAME AS NGC

INTERSTATE COM.

REPRESENTATIVE

(3)

SAME AS NCSBCS

DELEGATE

OR ALTERNATE

(A)

MONTANA *

( continued)

Delmont C. Thurber

Chairman, Montana Building

Codes Advisory Council

P.0. Box 6177

C. M. Russell Station

Great Falls, Montana 59406

(406) 452-0791

X

NEBRASKA Glenn W. Kreuscher

Director, Department of

Agriculture

Weights and Measures Division

P.0. Box 94757

Lincoln, Nebraska 68509

(308) 471-2536

NEVADA

NEW HAMPSHIRE

NEW JERSEY S. Leonard D. DiDonato

Director, Division of Building

and Construction

Department of the Treasury

State House

Trenton, New Jersey 08625

(609) 292-1717

Charles M. Decker

Department of Community Affairs

Bureau of Housing Inspection

363 W. State Street

Trenton, New Jersey 08675

(609) 292-5984

* designated

alternate

10
STATE

(1)

CONSTRUCTION METRICATION

OFFICER

(2)

SAME AS NGC

INTERSTATE COM.

REPRESENTATIVE

(3)

SAME AS NCSBCS

DELEGATE

OR ALTERNATE

(A) . NEW MEXICO Jose Baca

State Purchasing Officer

Lamy Building

Santa Fe, New Mexico 87503

(505) 827-2626

X

M. R. "Jim" Adler

Assistant Director, General

Construction Board

P.O. Drawer 5155

1131 Siler Road

Santa Fe, New Mexico 87503

(505) 827-2085

NEW YORK Albert C. Brevetti

Director, Division of Design

Office of General Services

Tower Building, Empire State

Plaza

Albany, New York 12242

(578) 474-0221

NORTH CAROLINA Dr. Robert R. Jones

Director, Division of

Mathematics

Department of Public Instruction

Raleigh, North Carolina 27611

(919) 733-3602

NORTH DAKOTA Dean Conrad

Director, Department of Accounts

and Purchases

State Capital

Bismarck, North Dakota 58505

(701) 224-2680

OHIO Thomas M. Major

Deputy Director, Office of

Metrication

Ohio Department of

Transportation

25 South Front Street

Columbus, Ohio 43215

(614) 466-6804

11
STATE

(1)

CONSTRUCTION METRICATION

OFFICER

in

SAME AS NGC

INTERSTATE COM,

REPRESENTATIVE

( 3 )

SAME AS NCSBCS

DELEGATE

OR ALTERNATE

(4)

OKLAHOMA Keith English

Highway Engineer

Operations Branch, State

Traffic Engineering Division

Oklahoma Department of

Transportation

200 N.E. 21st Street

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105

(405) 521-2861

OREGON Walter M. Friday

Chief Structural Codes Engineer

Building Codes Division

Department of Commerce

401 Labor & Industries Building

Salem, Oregon 97310

(503) 378-8393

PENNSYLVANIA Ronald G. Lench

Secretary

Department of General Services

Room 515, North Office Building

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120

(717) 787-5996

X

RHODE ISLAND

SOUTH CAROLINA

SOUTH DAKOTA Everett N. Quam

State Engineer

Joe Foss Building

Pierre, South Dakota 57501

(605) 224-3466

X

12
STATE

(1)

CONSTRUCTION METRICATION

OFFICER

(2)

SAME AS NGC

INTERSTATE COM.

REPRESENTATIVE

(3) .

SAME AS NCSBCS

DELEGATE

OR ALTERNATE

(4)

TENNESSEE Robert Reeves

Director, Weights & Measures

Department of Agriculture

Ellington Agricultural Center

Nashville, Tennessee 37204

(615) 741-1411

X

TEXAS Robert Jenkins

Director for Building and

Property Services

State Board of Control

State Capitol

Austin, Texas 78711

(512) 475-4162

UTAH Robert E. Frome

Administrator

Department of Contractors

330 East 4th South

Salt Lake City, Utah 84111

(801) 533-5761

VERMONT

VIRGINIA James F. Lyles

Supervisor, Weights and

Measures Section

Department of Agriculture and

Commerce

1 North 14th Street

Richmond, Virginia 23219

(703) 786-2476

X

1

WASHINGTON

13
STATE

(1)

CONSTRUCTION METRICATION

OFFICER

in

SAME AS NGC

INTERSTATE COM.

REPRESENTATIVE

(3)

SAME AS NCSBCS

DELEGATE

OR ALTERNATE

(A)

WEST VIRGINIA

WISCONSIN John Wenning

Administrator, Safety and

Building Division

Department of Industry, Labor

and Human Relations

P.0. Box 2209

Madison, Wisconsin 53702

(608) 266-1816

X

WYOMING

DISTRICT OF

COLUMBIA

PUERTO RICO

VIRGIN ISLANDS

14
III. EXTRACTED STATEMENTS FROM REPLIES

Of the thirty -nine responses received, several States made

positive statements regarding metrication. Some of these have been

extracted from the response and are provided below.

• ARIZONA has been active in the move toward metrication.

• We are quite interested in having a successful metrication

program in CALIFORNIA.

• The committee (CONNECTICUT Metric Coordinating Committee)

is very aware of the importance of up-to-date conversion

information

.

• The State of IDAHO is very interested in any activities

that will result in a smooth transition to the metric

system.

• All efforts that can reasonably be undertaken by an individual state have been accomplished in MINNESOTA,

and we are looking forward to your leadership to make

the conversion period as brief and as smooth as possible.

• The State of NEW JERSEY is pleased to be able to participate in the national program of metrication activities.

• We, in the State of NEW YORK, look forward to cooperating

with the National Bureau of Standards and the American

National Metric Council, insuring that those concerned

are kept abreast of the latest information involving

construction conversion activities as they occur.

15
• The present and projected construction program for the

Department of Transportation is the largest area of concern in the process of conversion to the metric system

in OHIO's governmental agencies.

• You may be assured of our (TENNESSEE) desire to be of

assistance wherever possible.

16
IV. METRIC COMMITTEES

Seven States ( 1 8% of those responding) reported that metric

committees have been established within the State. Some Information

about these seven follows:

CONNECTICUT’: Established a twelve person "Connecticut Metric

Coordinating Committee," in 1976. The Committee

meets monthly and is comprised of a cross-section

of interests within the State. Connecticut has

joined the American National Metric Council and

is a member of New England States Metric

Coordinating Council.

FLORIDA: Has a Metric Council consisting of 23 members from

a cross-section of State and private organizations.

The council has an office and is staffed with a Director and secretarial help. It is expected that

work on a metrication plan will be started soon.

HAWAII: Appointed 3-member Advisory Committee on Metrication

in 1976 to provide coordination, priority and planning services. The Committee has one member from the

governmental, educational and industrial segments of

the community. A comprehensive metric conversion

plan has been developed which establishes 20 sector

committees compatible with those of the American

National Metric Council.

MAINE: Has established a State Governmental Metric Policies

Committee.

MINNESOTA: Has established a Minnesota Metric Council and

passed a metrication law in 1974.

NEW YORK: Established the New York State Metric Council in 1976

to monitor transition activities of national scope to

coordinate State conversion program in pace with all

economic sectors of the United States. Responsibilities include the establishment of a metric conversion

program in harmony with directions set by the U.S.

17
Metric Board and the Federal Government; supervision

and coordination of all conversion activities within

I State and local governments; review of all State laws,

rules and regulations governing the standards of

weights and measures, and preparation of any revisions

necessitated by adoption of the metric system; and

gathering, maintaining and disseminating metric information and providing technical assistance as necessary

to faster metric conversion in the State. Members

of the State Council are the Commissioners of Agriculture and Markets, Commerce, Consumer Protection,

General Services, Labor, Environmental Conservation,

Transportation, Education, and the Secretary of State,

Chairman of the Thruway Authority, and Councelor of

the State University.

OREGON: Established a Metric Conversion Study Committee in

1976, comprised of representatives of measurementsensitive State agencies.

Several other States may have ongoing metric activities, such as study

groups, task forces, pending legislation, etc. However, included above

is only the information received in response to the letter of inquiry.

18
V. ADDITIONAL STATE METRICATION INFORMATION

Some information not received in response to our letter of inquiry

follows. This information was included in the American National Metric

Council’s Metric Reporter of August 5, 1977, and has been supplemented

by information from the NBS Office of Weights and Measures.

ALASKA: Governor to announce State metric council shortly.

ARIZONA: State Department of Education formed a State Metric

Advisory Council.

CALIFORNIA: Organized a nongovernmental committee in 197A;

legislation has been introduced calling for an official State conversion council.

COLORADA: Formed a metric subcommittee of its scientific

advisory council in 1975.

GEORGIA: Metrication committee formed in 1973; committee

report completed in 1974 stating it would be

beneficial to have a coordinated plan implemented

over a 10-year period.

MONTANA: Governor formed Interdepartmental Task Force on Metric Conversion in July 1977, to plan and

coordinate change.

NEVADA: Has a nongovernmental metric committee.

NORTH CAROLINA:: Established an Advisory Council on Metrication in

1974; developed a plan for State conversion in 1975.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Legislation passed to create Metric Advisory Committee

in .June 1977; will develop a plan.

SOUTH DAKOTA: Is organizing a State metric committee.

TENNESSEE: Established a metric conversion committee in

February 1977.

19
TEXAS: Governor appointed Metric System Advisory Council

to develop methods of converting to metric in

August 1977.

VERMONT

:

Governor appointed State metric coordinator in

July 1977; established Metric Coordinating Council

to develop plan in September 1977.

VIRGINIA: The General Assembly adopted a metric resolution

in 1974 requesting each State agency to evaluate

the effects of implementation of the metric system

WASHINGTON: In January of 1976, Governor sent memo to each

State agency to establish a task force to develop

a comprehensive State policy to facilitate

conversion.

20
VI . GENERAL COMMENTS

Although the "Metric Conversion Act of 1975" calls for a voluntary

conversion to metric (SI) measurement, several States appear well along

in their planning for conversion to metric.

Within the American National Metric Council is a Subsector of the

Construction Codes and Standards Sector—State Implementation and

Training—which has the National Conference of States on Building Codes

and Standards as its lead organization. States are encouraged to work with

this Subsector toward an orderly transition of the many building

standards, codes, and perhaps even legislation, to metric (SI) measurement.

If you are interested in this activity, please contact the Chairman

of the ANMC Construction Codes and Standards Sector:

c/o Secretariat

Building 226, Room B226

National Bureau of Standards

Washington, D.C. 20234

21
'
NBS-114A (REV. 7-73)

U.S. DEPT. OF COMM. BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA

SHEET

1. PUBLICATION OR REPORT NO. NBSIR - 78-1441

2. Gov't Accession

No.

3. Recipient’s Accession No.

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

STATE CONSTRUCTION- RELATED METRICATION ACTIVITIES

5. Publication Date March 1978

6. Performing Organization Code

7. AUTHOR(S)

Sandra A. Berry

8. Performing Organ. Report No.

9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20234

10. Project/Task/Work Unit No.

11. Contract/Grant No.

12. Sponsoring Organization Name and Complete Address (Street, City, State, ZIP)

National Bureau of Standards

Department of Commerce

Washington, D.C. 20234

13. Type of Report & Period Covered Preliminary

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

15. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

16. ABSTRACT (A 200-word or less [actual summary of most significant information. It document includes a significant

bibliography or literature survey, mention it here.)

On October 1% 1976, the Chairman of the American National Metric Council's

Construction Industries Coordinating Committee (CICC) requested the Center

for Building Technology to conduct an inquiry of the States relative to their

metric activities. The Center agreed to conduct this inquiry and the

information gleaned from it, as well as some State information from the

American National Metric Council and the NBS Office of Weights and Measures,

is contained in this publication.

17. KEY WORDS (six to twelve entries; alphabetical order; capitalize only the first letter of the first key word unless a proper name; separated by semicolons

)

Metrication; Construction Industries Coordinating Committee; State Metric

Coordinators; NCSBCS; Interstate Metric Committee

18. AVAILABILITY f

-1 Unlimited

| x For Official Distribution. Do Not Release to NTIS

1 Order From Sup. of Doc., U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402, SD Cat, No. 03

^prder From National Technical Information Service (NTIS)

Springfield, Virginia 22151

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