AN ASSESSMENT OF THE 

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS 

AND TECHNOLOGY 

BUILDING AND FIRE RESEARCH 

LABORATORY 

FISCAL YEAR 2010 

Panel on Building and Fire Research 

Laboratory Assessments Board 

Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences 

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 

Washington, D.C. 

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www.national-academies.org 
iv 

PANEL ON BUILDING AND FIRE RESEARCH 

ADEL F. SAROFIM, University of Utah, Chair

CLARK W. BULLARD, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (emeritus) 

RONALD G. BURG, CTL Group 

JEAN-LUC CAILLAT, Emerson Climate Technologies, Incorporated 

EDWARD M. DEPAOLA, Severud Associates Consulting Engineers, PC 

JOHN L. DE RIS, FM Global 

BRUCE R. ELLINGWOOD, Georgia Institute of Technology 

LUIS ESTEVA, National University of Mexico 

PATRICK J. HUGHES, Oak Ridge National Laboratory 

CLAS A. JACOBSON, United Technologies Corporation 

CLIFF JONES, City of Tempe, Arizona (retired) 

ABBIE B. LIEL, University of Colorado, Boulder 

RICHARD G. LITTLE, University of Southern California 

CLAUDIA P. OSTERTAG, University of California, Berkeley 

R. BYRON PIPES, Purdue University 

LLOYD M. ROBESON, Lehigh University, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (retired) 

RICHARD E. SCHULER, Cornell University 

SURENDRA P. SHAH, Northwestern University 

RICHARD L. TUCKER, University of Texas, Austin 

STEVEN R. WINKEL, The Preview Group, Incorporated 

ANTENEH Z. WORKU, The Dow Chemical Company 

JOHN Z. ZHAI, University of Colorado, Boulder 

Staff 

JAMES P. McGEE, Director 

CY BUTNER, Senior Program Officer 

LIZA HAMILTON, Administrative Coordinator 

EVA LABRE, Program Associate 
v 

Acknowledgments 

The Panel on Building and Fire Research expresses its appreciation to the 

Building and Fire Research Laboratory staff and management for their efforts in making 

this panel review a positive and successful experience and for providing extensive 

relevant background documents, an advance copy of slides of presentations, and a 

detailed response to comments made in the panel’s 2008 assessment report. 

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their 

diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by 

the National Research Council’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this 

independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the 

institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the 

report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the 

study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect 

the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for 

their review of this report: 

Randy Bruegman, Fresno Fire Department, California, 

John Christian, Consultant, Waltham, Massachusetts, 

Anthony Fiorato, Consultant, Glenview, Illinois, 

James McGrath, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 

John Mitchell, University of Wisconsin-Madison (emeritus), and 

E. Sarah Slaughter, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments 

and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor 

did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was 

overseen by Alton D. Slay, Warrenton, Virginia. Appointed by the National Research 

Council, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this 

report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review 

comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report 

rests entirely with the authoring panel and the institution.

vii 

Contents 

SUMMARY 1 

1 THE CHARGE TO THE PANEL AND THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS 6 

2 MEASUREMENT SCIENCE FOR NET-ZERO ENERGY, HIGH- 9 

 PERFORMANCE BUILDINGS 

3 MEASUREMENT SCIENCE FOR ADVANCING INFRASTRUCTURE 16 

 DELIVERY 

4 MEASUREMENT SCIENCE FOR SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE 22 

 MATERIALS 

5 MEASUREMENT SCIENCE FOR DISASTER-RESILIENT STRUCTURES 28 

 AND COMMUNITIES 

6 MEASUREMENT SCIENCE FOR INNOVATIVE FIRE PROTECTION 35 

7 OVERARCHING ISSUES 41 

8 OVERALL CONCLUSIONS 47 

1 

Summary 

 The Panel on Building and Fire Research, a panel of experts appointed by the 

National Research Council (NRC), has assessed the scientific and technical work of the 

Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL) of the National Institute of Standards and 

Technology (NIST). The panel visited the laboratory on March 9-11, 2010, and reviewed 

its activities. As requested by the Director of NIST, the panel assessed the following: 

(1) the technical merit of the current laboratory programs relative to current state-of-theart programs worldwide; (2) the adequacy of the laboratory’s budget, facilities, 

equipment, and human resources, as they affect the quality of the laboratory’s technical 

programs; and (3) the degree to which laboratory programs in measurement science, 

standards, and services achieve their stated objectives and desired impact. Following is a 

summary of the panel’s conclusions addressing its charge. 

TECHNICAL MERIT RELATIVE TO STATE OF THE ART 

 Overall, the technical merit of the programs within the BFRL is excellent and at 

the state of the art, although progress is sometimes hampered by factors beyond NIST’s 

control. The BFRL’s ability to stimulate new scientific and technological advances in 

high-performance buildings is constrained by major uncertainties about policy changes or 

by the presence of conflicting policies at the national, state, or local level. For example, 

countries with building energy performance standards more stringent than those in the 

United States have assumed leadership in this area, a position governed more by policy 

than by advances in technology or metrology. Barring this exception, the BFRL’s 

Strategic Priority Areas are well aligned with the NIST mission to promote U.S. 

innovation and industrial competitiveness through the development of measurement 

science, standards, and technology. Members of the BFRL staff are internationally 

recognized and are the recipients of prestigious awards within NIST, nationally, and 

internationally. The BFRL is conducting groundbreaking research in critical areas. 

 The BFRL researchers generally have long-standing and active relationships with 

other research facilities and organizations around the world. The ties to the external 

community are extensive and uniformly strong with industry and other-agency partners. 

Industrial engagement is through a deliberate organization of forums and workshops. 

BFRL staff is, with some exceptions, well informed with respect to work taking place in 

other national laboratories, at universities, in private industry, and in other nations. The 

BFRL does an excellent job of interacting with customers, and its staff participate 

actively in professional and trade committees on codes and standards. 

 The BFRL has performed a major roadmapping activity during the past 2 years, 

part of which involved preparing planned outcomes for the near term (within 3 years), 

medium term (3 to 8 years), and long term (beyond 8 years). Further, the BFRL balances 

the need for measurement science to support short-term labeling and prescriptive 

standards with the longer-term goal of anticipating the transition to performance-based 

codes and standards. 
2 

ADEQUACY OF INFRASTRUCTURE 

 The equipment and facilities of the BFRL are generally excellent. Specific 

equipment deficiencies have been largely resolved with American Recovery and 

Reinvestment Act of 2009 funding (Public Law 111-5; ARRA, or stimulus, funds), and 

plans for the addition of two major new facilities are well underway. The National 

Structural Fire Resistance Laboratory (NSFRL) has been designed, and construction is 

planned for the fall of 2010. The NSFRL fills an important gap in the fire test facilities at 

the BFRL. 

 Also coming to the NIST site is a new residential test facility for evaluating 

methods of design and construction targeted at achieving net-zero energy buildings. This 

facility will allow the BFRL to measure the performance of various energy conservation 

technologies and techniques and that of local energy generation technologies. The facility 

will allow reconfiguration of many of its component parts to facilitate the installation of 

new technologies and test protocols as they are developed. 

 There has been a long-term area of competence in fire at NIST, and the activities 

in fire-resistant structural design have accelerated in the years since the World Trade 

Center (WTC) investigations. With the plans for the construction of the NSFRL, the 

activities are now at the point of making the BFRL a unique international resource in this 

area. The technical caliber of the research being performed is exceptionally high, highly 

relevant to national needs in the area of risk mitigation, and interdisciplinary. It provides 

the general public and decision makers with highly favorable exposure to NIST research, 

generating enthusiastic support for the role of NIST in building technology. Moreover, 

the expansion of the laboratories will have a major impact on the entire BFRL program. 

However, this expansion will require considerable new managerial resources and a 

business plan for the operation of the facility over the next several years. 

 Additional resources are also needed to support the wind program. Although 

recognized internationally, this program continues to be handicapped by the lack of a 

wind tunnel. 

 The BFRL professional and support staff are highly qualified and motivated. 

Since the previous panel review 2 years ago, the BFRL has been successful in filling 

vacant positions with well-qualified individuals through extensive informational and 

recruiting activities. Since 2006, the full-time staff additions (36) have exceeded the 

departures (29). Concerns remain about the recruiting and retaining of staff for future 

projects. Difficulties are exacerbated by the requirement to hire U.S. citizens and the 

difficulty of finding candidates with the necessary interdisciplinary skills for the Office 

of Applied Economics. Outreach and partnerships with universities (e.g., internships, 

contract research) could increase the pool of potential new talent for needed 

competencies. 

 A number of the key personnel in high-visibility programs are likely to retire 

within the next 3 to 5 years. To the extent that certain of these programs are strongly 

dependent on the capabilities and leadership of single individuals, it is imperative to 

develop a plan for maintaining the momentum of the affected programs. BFRL 

management should consider developing a formal succession planning program for 

technical staff in key programmatic areas. On the plus side, there are leadership training 

and staff development programs in place to develop new technical expertise and technical 
3 

managers. The hiring of a new manager of codes and standards will fill an important gap 

in the organization and staffing of the BFRL. 

 The current budget plan appears to be adequate for immediate facility, equipment, 

and programmatic needs. Recent budget increases provide opportunities for 

benchmarking BFRL facilities and equipment against international facilities and for 

carefully choosing investments in facilities and equipment in order for the BFRL to 

remain in a leadership position internationally. Across the BFRL, the balance of funding 

provided from in-house work and work for other agencies is well aligned with that for 

NIST as a whole, although some more-applied programs understandably have a higher 

portion of support from work for others. The ratio of the support for work from other 

agencies to the in-house funds (Science and Technology Research Services, or STRS, 

funds) for the BFRL and NIST as a whole is about the same ($10.5 million and $37.3 

million for the BFRL and $101.5 million and $504.5 million for NIST in 2010). 

Discussions with staff indicated strong support for having a relatively large fraction of 

external funding in some programs because of the interactions with clients that this 

fosters. A question is raised in Chapter 5 on whether the future funding of research in the 

National Structural Fire Resistance Laboratory would be a problem. The budget and 

effort devoted to a safety upgrade of facilities were provided and conducted thoroughly, 

with strong leadership and support from the BFRL management. 

ACHIEVEMENT OF OBJECTIVES AND IMPACT 

 Since the panel review in 2008, the roadmap planning process has led to increased 

consistency and cohesion across the BFRL (see discussions on the application of the 

Stage-Gate process in Chapter 7). It has also assisted in the targeting of resources toward 

a focus on high-impact areas. The most evident roadmapping process was that of goal 

setting to prioritize work. The roadmap process is still in a state of rollout, and several 

areas should be considered as next steps. The roadmap presented by the BFRL did not 

include clear milestones with specific time frames. The BFRL has implemented a StageGate process for project planning.1

 The staff should continue to manage and prioritize 

projects using this tool. The staff should also refine the metrics of the tool based on 

experience with project outcomes and should do postmortem analyses of projects to learn 

from the use of the process. 

 A major impact of the research of the BFRL is in guiding the development of 

codes and standards. The BFRL has been very active in setting up workshops with all 

stakeholder groups—industry, and standards and codes organizations—both for 

establishing national standards and for discussing how industry can use standards to 

advantage to compete globally. These workshops have played an important role, both in 

the setting up of roadmaps and in the development of measurement science in support of 

national efforts on codes and standards. A noteworthy accomplishment of the BFRL 

effort is the far-reaching safety improvements resulting from the adoption of 

recommendations of the World Trade Center investigation in modifying key building and 

fire codes and standards. The building program would benefit from the development of 

new measurement science in construction at both the component and the systems level. 

 1

 Additional information about the Stage-Gate process can be found at http://www.stagegate.com/knowledge_pipwhat.php. Accessed August 19, 2010. 
4 

 The dissemination of results to the research and customer community is excellent, 

occurring through conferences, workshops, NIST technical publications, peer-reviewed 

papers, and open-source software. The BFRL Web site (http://www.nist.gov/bfrl/) 

provides excellent access to NIST products. Interest has been shown by industry in 

commercializing or utilizing testing equipment developed by the BFRL (e.g., the 

modified cone calorimeter, the integrating sphere weatherability testing equipment, the 

Virtual Cement and Concrete Test Laboratory). Measurement science at the BFRL is 

ahead of the adopted codes and standards in the construction, building, and fire 

industries. This is the proper role for the BFRL to play. By aspiring to create new 

measurement standards, the BFRL creates “proto-standards,” which lead in turn to widely 

used codes and standards. 

RECOMMENDATIONS 

 The recommendations of the panel based on its assessment of the Building and 

Fire Research Laboratory are as follows: 

 The BFRL staff should continue to manage and prioritize projects using the 

Stage-Gate process, to refine the metrics of this tool based on experience with 

project outcomes, to do postmortem analyses of projects to learn from the use 

of the process, and to incorporate clear milestones with specific time frames 

into the resulting roadmap. 

 Now that some evaluation standards related to codes and standards 

development have been in place for a number of years, the BFRL should 

compare actual performance and outcomes with those estimated using these 

methodological standards. 

 Efforts should continue to focus on implementing performance-based 

standards and integrating life-cycle concepts into building design and 

construction practices. 

 The BFRL needs to develop a model for sustained operation of the National 

Structural Fire Resistance Laboratory involving the coordination of in-house 

and extramural activities, and it needs to develop a protocol for the selection 

of extramural projects and collaborative activities. 

 The BFRL should work to ensure that the planning and maintenance of the 

mandated Disaster and Failure Events Studies and Data Archiving activity do 

not impair the professional staff’s ability to discharge ongoing programmatic 

responsibilities in the BFRL effectively. 

 In the area of staffing, outreach programs to and partnerships with universities 

should be continued in order to recruit young talent and to provide 

postdoctoral fellowships to handle the increased workload as well as to 

increase the pool of potential new talent for the interdisciplinary competencies 

needed for the Office of Applied Economics. Staffing difficulties are 

exacerbated by the requirement to hire U.S. citizens. 

 BFRL management should consider developing a formal succession planning 

program for technical staff in key programmatic areas. 
5 

 The building program would benefit from the development of new 

measurement science in construction at both the component and the systems 

levels. 

 The BFRL should pursue the spectrum of opportunities and potentials 

available to it, including the following, to expand its scope of inquiry and 

analysis in building and fire safety: the addition of staff with leadership 

potential in flame-heat-transfer modeling; the definition of an appropriate role 

for the BFRL with respect to the growing nuclear power industry; the 

integration of life-cycle analysis and sustainability into building performance 

assessment; anticipation of the measurement science needed to support the 

transition to performance-based standards and the Smart Grid, as well as the 

multidimensional nature of building performance. 

 Additional resources are needed to support the wind program; the program 

continues to be handicapped by the lack of a wind tunnel. 

 Recommendations applicable to each of the BFRL Strategic Priority Areas are 

presented in their respective chapters. 
6 

1 

The Charge to the Panel and the Assessment Process 

 At the request of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National 

Research Council has, since 1959, annually assembled panels of experts from academia, 

industry, medicine, and other scientific and engineering environments to assess the 

quality and effectiveness of the NIST measurements and standards laboratories, of which 

there are now nine,2 as well as the adequacy of the laboratories’ resources. In 2010, 

NIST requested that five of its laboratories be assessed: the Building and Fire Research 

Laboratory, the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory, the Materials Science and 

Engineering Laboratory, the NIST Center for Neutron Research, and the Physics 

Laboratory. Each of these was assessed by a separate panel of experts; the findings of the 

respective panels are summarized in separate reports. This report summarizes the 

findings of the Panel on Building and Fire Research. 

 For the fiscal year (FY) 2010 assessment, NIST requested that the panel consider 

the following criteria as part of its assessment: 

1. The technical merit of the current laboratory programs relative to current 

 state-of-the-art programs worldwide; 

2. The adequacy of the laboratory budget, facilities, equipment, and human 

resources, as they affect the quality of the laboratory’s technical programs; 

and 

3. The degree to which laboratory programs in measurement science, standards, 

and services achieve their stated objectives and desired impact. 

 The panel adopted the following additional assessment criteria under each broad 

factor to make them more explicit: 

1. The technical merit of the current laboratory programs relative to current 

 state-of-the-art programs worldwide. 

 Relative Technical Caliber: How does the technical quality of the 

laboratory programs compare to current state-of-the-art programs 

worldwide? 

 Relevance: Do the projects reflect a broad understanding of comparable 

work being done elsewhere (at other government laboratories, universities, 

and industry)? 

 Balance: Does the laboratory adequately balance anticipatory, longerterm research and activities that respond to immediate customer needs? 

 2

 The nine NIST laboratories are the Building and Fire Research Laboratory, the Center for 

Nanoscale Science and Technology, the Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory, the Electronics and 

Electrical Engineering Laboratory, the Information Technology Laboratory, the Manufacturing Engineering 

Laboratory, the Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory, the NIST Center for Neutron Research, and 

the Physics Laboratory. 
7 

2. The adequacy of the laboratory budget, facilities, equipment, and human 

resources, as they affect the quality of the laboratory’s technical programs. 

 Available Tools: Is the state of the equipment and facilities adequate to 

meet project objectives and customer needs? 

 Critical Mass: Are the available scientific and technical competencies 

adequate to achieve success? Is available funding adequate to achieve 

success? 

 Agility: Is the laboratory sustaining the technical competencies and 

capacity to respond quickly to critical issues as they arise? 

3. The degree to which the laboratory programs in measurement science, 

standards, and services achieve their stated objectives and desired impact. 

 Technical Planning: Are appropriate milestones identified and do they 

appear feasible? 

 Dissemination: Is the laboratory regularly implementing sound and 

effective techniques and practices for delivering products and services to 

customers? 

 Impact: Will the laboratory products have a consequential, long-term 

impact? 

 Responsiveness: Are the research projects moving at a pace and in a 

direction that is well matched to current and emerging customer needs? 

 The context of this technical assessment is the mission of NIST, which is to 

promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement 

science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve 

the quality of life. The NIST laboratories conduct research to anticipate future metrology 

and standards needs, to enable new scientific and technological advances, and to improve 

and refine existing measurement methods and services. 

 In order to accomplish the assessment, the NRC assembled a panel of 22 

volunteers, whose expertise matches that of the work performed by the BFRL staff.3

 The 

panel members were also assigned to five subgroups (Strategic Priority Area review 

teams), whose expertise matched that of the work performed in the BFRL’s five Strategic 

Priority Goal Areas of Measurement Science for (1) Net-Zero Energy, High-Performance 

Buildings; (2) Advancing Infrastructure Delivery; (3) Sustainable Infrastructure 

Materials; (4) Disaster-Resilient Structures and Communities; and (5) Innovative Fire 

Protection. 

 The panel met at the NIST facilities in Gaithersburg, Maryland, on March 9-11, 

2010. After the full panel met for a session of welcoming remarks from the NIST 

Director’s representative, the Acting Coordinator for Laboratory Programs, and an 

overview presentation on the BFRL by the BFRL management, the panel divided into its 

five review teams, and each (led by a team leader chosen from within the panel) then 

visited with the staff of its respective BFRL Strategic Priority Goal Area for about a day. 

During these visits, the review team members attended presentations, tours, 

demonstrations, and interactive sessions with the BFRL staff. Subsequently, the entire 

panel assembled for about a day-and-a-half meeting, during which it interacted with 

 3

 See http://www.nist.gov/bfrl/ for more information on BFRL programs. Accessed May 1, 2010. 
8 

BFRL and NIST management and also met in a closed session to deliberate on its 

findings and to define and draft the contents of this assessment report. 

 The approach of the panel to the assessment relied on the experience, technical 

knowledge, and expertise of its members, whose backgrounds were carefully matched to 

the technical areas of BFRL activities. The panel reviewed selected examples of the 

research covered by the BFRL; because of time constraints, it was not possible to review 

the BFRL programs and projects exhaustively. The examples reviewed by the panel were 

selected by the BFRL. The panel’s goal was to identify and report salient examples of 

accomplishments and opportunities for further improvement with respect to the 

following: the technical merit of the BFRL work, its perceived relevance to NIST’s own 

definition of its mission in support of national priorities, and specific elements of the 

BFRL’s resource infrastructure that are intended to support the technical work. These 

examples are intended collectively to portray an overall impression of the laboratory, 

while preserving useful suggestions specific to projects and programs that the panel 

examined. The assessment is currently scheduled to be repeated biennially, which will 

allow, over time, exposure to the broad spectrum of BFRL activity. While the panel 

applied a largely qualitative rather than a quantitative approach to the assessment, it is 

possible that future assessments will be informed by further consideration of various 

analytical methods that can be applied. 

 The comments in this report are not intended to address each program within the 

BFRL exhaustively. Instead, this report identifies key issues. The omission of any 

particular BFRL program or project should not be interpreted as a negative reflection on 

the omitted program or project. 
9 

2 

Measurement Science for Net-Zero Energy, High-Performance 

Buildings 

 The primary core competency for the Measurement Science for Net-Zero Energy, 

High-Performance Buildings Strategic Priority Area is measurement science for building 

energy technologies. Secondary core competencies for this area include information, 

communication, and automation technologies for the intelligent integration of building 

design, construction, and operations and procedures to aid the designer in evaluating and 

making decisions about trade-offs. 

 Areas of expertise within this Strategic Priority Area include energy efficiency, 

renewable and distributed energy sources, indoor air quality, building controls, 

alternative refrigerants, ventilation strategies, economics, and codes and standards. The 

BFRL divisions that are active in this Strategic Priority Area are the Building 

Environment Division (BED), the Office of Applied Economics (OAE), and the Fire 

Research Division (FRD). Groups within the BED include HVAC&R (Heating, 

Ventilating, Air-Conditioning, and Refrigerating) Equipment Performance, Heat Transfer 

and Alternative Energy Systems, Mechanical Systems and Controls, Computer-Integrated 

Building Processes, and Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation. 

TECHNICAL MERIT RELATIVE TO STATE OF THE ART 

 The high level of expertise and knowledge of the staff working in this Strategic 

Priority Area is apparent. For example, the volatile organic compound emission 

measurement and carbon monoxide emission from emergency power generation 

measurement projects and the Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility (NZERTF) in 

Gaithersburg, Maryland, are good examples of groundbreaking measurement science 

research. Also, the application of airflow laser velocimetry and computational fluid 

dynamics (CFD) to expand the capabilities of heat exchanger simulation models is state 

of the art. 

 Even though the work within this Strategic Priority Goal Area is of high quality, 

especially in the areas noted above, additional steps can be taken to enhance the 

effectiveness of some activities. For example, the work on solar photovoltaic panel 

performance mapping could be groundbreaking if the appropriate solar spectrum for 

various typical seasonal and geographical locations can be simulated. In addition, the 

research in wireless data communications does not seem well connected to other current 

work outside the laboratory. These two areas are examples of how the work of the BFRL 

could benefit from more collaboration with work outside the laboratory, with federal 

agencies, academia, and nongovernmental organizations. 

 Work in the Measurement Science for Net-Zero Energy, High-Performance 

Buildings goal area is becoming better coordinated with that of other federal agencies. 

BFRL staff were heavily involved in the development of the 2008 report Federal 

Research and Development Agenda for Net-Zero Energy, High-Performance Green 
10 

Buildings.4 The BFRL’s 2009 priority-setting Workshop on Measurement Science for 

Net-Zero Energy Buildings included invited participants from the private sector, industry 

trade organizations, universities, the relevant national laboratories, and other federal 

agencies. Not only did these activities provide a solid foundation for future programs, 

they also improved the BFRL team’s understanding of what is going on at other national 

laboratories. 

 The staff members are expanding their knowledge of international standards and 

measurement technologies, not only through participation in international standardsetting committees but also by participating in cooperative research projects through the 

International Energy Agency (e.g., developing ways to measure the performance of 

whole buildings and various subsystems). The staff is generally aware of relevant 

information from outside sources and has made numerous visits to laboratories in other 

countries. However, the limited scope of the panel’s review did not permit an assessment 

of the results of the visits, nor did it reveal the extent to which they are strategically 

planned—for example, to share best practices, to gather intelligence, or to negotiate 

access to unique facilities. Overall the programs in this Strategic Priority Area apply 

interdisciplinary methods and insights to estimate multidimensional impacts and the 

effectiveness of particular measures and standards. 

 The past few decades have marked a shift from prescriptive standards to 

performance standards, the latter enabled by modern information and control 

technologies. In the case of energy-efficient buildings, BFRL’s programmatic emphasis 

is therefore focusing more on measuring the performance of entire buildings and their 

increasingly complex subsystems (e.g., cogeneration systems that produce both heat and 

on-site power) as compared to the performance of individual components. Therefore, 

simulation modeling appears as an element of many of the projects related to building 

energy efficiency. Such models can provide insight into the design of test procedures and 

the selection of test conditions to support labeling of seasonal or annual performance. 

For example, some NIST projects aim to add functionality to existing simulation 

programs: for example by understanding how natural or forced ventilation can affect 

energy efficiency or pollutant distributions within a building. For other projects, complex 

whole-building-system simulation models that already exist must be simplified to enable 

real-time fault detection, which requires a continuous comparison of measured 

performance to simulated performance of individual components or the whole building. 

ADEQUACY OF INFRASTRUCTURE 

 The current budget plan for this Strategic Priority Area appears adequate for 

immediate facility and equipment needs. Recent budget increases provide opportunities 

for benchmarking BFRL facilities and equipment against international facilities and for 

carefully choosing to invest in the kinds of facilities and equipment required for the 

BFRL to remain in a leadership position internationally. The construction of the NetZero Energy Residential Test Facility at NIST will help the BFRL achieve this objective. 

 4

 Executive Office of the President, National Science and Technology Council, Committee on 

Technology, Federal Research and Development Agenda for Net-Zero Energy, High-Performance Green 

Buildings, Report of the Subcommittee on Buildings Technology Research and Development, Washington, 

D.C., October 2008. 
11 

 In general, the funding is adequate to achieve success. Recruiting, however, is 

impaired by the inability of NIST to hire non-U.S. citizens. Hiring procedures that focus 

on narrow disciplinary-based areas of expertise also inhibit the ability to hire new Ph.D.’s 

and other candidates having the desired combination of interdisciplinary skills. Outreach 

and partnerships with universities (e.g., internships, contract research, etc.) could increase 

the pool of potential new talent for needed competencies. 

 The BFRL is currently able to meet existing needs, but as more senior researchers 

retire, replacing them may be difficult. The lack of replacement of key staff may lead to 

deficiencies in core competencies. On the plus side, there are leadership training and 

staff development programs in place to develop new technical expertise and technical 

managers. Outreach programs to students at universities to recruit young talent and 

handle an increased workload should be continued. Leadership training and staff 

development programs to improve the level of expertise on the staff should be continued. 

ACHIEVEMENT OF OBJECTIVES AND IMPACT 

 The BFRL has implemented a Stage-Gate process for project planning. The staff 

should to continue to manage and prioritize projects using this tool. The staff should 

refine the metrics of the tool on the basis of experience with project outcomes, and they 

should do postmortem analyses of projects to learn from the use of the process. 

 Critical solution-enabling tools are being developed to support the energyefficient operation of buildings. An example is in the area of system simulations and fault 

detection and diagnosis (FDD). FDD tools developed by NIST have been incorporated 

into Honeywell’s Alerton line of variable-air-volume-box controllers. 

 The program milestones appear feasible, but priority setting is unclear. To 

maximize programmatic impact and promote innovation, the net-zero energy buildings 

group must anticipate and stay ahead of developments in this rapidly changing area. 

Advances in measurement science are required to support the transition to performancebased standards and intelligent building controls that detect equipment faults. The 

performance of components, equipment, and whole buildings must be measured across 

their entire operating envelopes, not simply a single rating point. In addition, protocols 

are required for communicating performance data from components to equipment to 

building energy management systems and to the Smart Grid. 

 Anticipating such future needs is not easy. Decades ago, NIST pioneered the 

development of building simulation models, but today they are far too complex for any 

single institution to bear the ongoing cost of model development and validation. Yet 

NIST can and should anticipate needs for adding functionality to simulation models—for 

example, to understand how natural or forced ventilation can affect energy efficiency and 

pollutant distributions within a building. Such algorithms should be validated by careful 

measurements in well-designed experiments, as they have been in NIST’s residential test 

facilities. Anticipating such needs, however, also requires the construction of new 

facilities to be as modular and flexible as possible (e.g., movable walls, thermal mass 

placement), in addition to the exploration of cooperative arrangements with other 

laboratories that are capable of producing the necessary data. The new NZERTF will 

have some of these capabilities, which should be included to maximize the flexibility of 

the facility. 
12 

 The software tool Loop Design and Analysis (LoopDA) for natural-ventilation 

design is a good example of a need that was anticipated with ample lead time. However, 

customer needs are not always anticipated in a timely manner or at a time when adequate 

resources are available. For example, the production of residential and commercial 

indoor air cleaners had developed into a half-billion-dollar industry that was making 

unsupported claims before the need for standardized test procedures and labeling was 

recognized. 

 New funding and net-zero-building goals may provide the BFRL with the 

opportunity to develop strategies for anticipating the kinds of measurement science 

needed to support the transition to performance-based standards and the Smart Grid as 

well as the multidimensional nature of building performance (the factors of energy, air 

quality, comfort, and electronic noise). It is also time to consider how the BFRL can 

exploit its unique position within the Department of Commerce to access the massive 

U.S. Census Bureau databases needed to calculate carbon footprints and other indirect 

economic effects of model building codes. The cost of adding such capacity may be 

substantial, but it could yield great long-term benefit. 

 Dissemination of this important work is effectively handled through conference 

papers and journal articles, Web site publications, seminars, workshops, and software 

tools. The close working relationships of the BFRL staff with industrial users of the 

Reference Fluid Thermodynamic and Transport Properties Database (REFPROP) not 

only facilitate the dissemination of these important data on thermodynamic and transport 

properties of refrigerants, but also provide opportunities to help NIST’s Chemical 

Science and Technology Laboratory anticipate needs for data on new types of fluids. 

 Staff participation in numerous standards development processes contributes to 

the effectiveness of the laboratory’s work. These include activities of the following: the 

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE); 

ASTM International (formerly known as the American Society for Testing and 

Materials); the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME); the U.S. Green 

Building Council (USGBC); the International Energy Agency (IEA); and the 

International Organization for Standardization (ISO). 

CONCLUSIONS 

 While NIST’s capabilities for conducting research on future metrology and 

standards needs are high, its ability to efficiently stimulate and complement private-sector 

scientific and technological advances is constrained by other national, state, and local 

policies. Major uncertainties about likely policy changes in the pricing of carbon 

emissions or energy (e.g., portfolio standards or feed-in tariffs for renewable energy), 

and/or the willingness to use regulatory policies to guide the development of technologies 

significantly more costly than current market forces dictate, continue to complicate 

targeting and limit the application of NIST’s contributions to high-performance buildings 

technology. Increased emphasis on measurement science for integrated systems and 

whole-building performance standards instead of for components alone is necessary, but 

not sufficient, to enhance U.S. competitiveness. 

 The BFRL has seen significant funding growth in some program areas within the 

Measurement Science for Net-Zero Energy, High-Performance Buildings Strategic 

Priority Area and has implemented a Stage-Gate process for project planning. Looking 
13 

forward, it is important to make management quality a high enough priority to ensure that 

new facilities are established successfully and safely and that the processes for setting 

research and development (R&D) priorities, selecting projects, and Stage-Gate oversight 

are effective and robust. 

 The high level of expertise and knowledge of the staff in this Strategic Priority 

Area is apparent. Interdisciplinary methods and insights to estimate multidimensional 

impacts and the effectiveness of particular measures and standards are leveraged across 

programs. BFRL’s programmatic emphasis is staying ahead of the requirement of the 

shift from prescriptive standards to performance standards by focusing more on 

measuring the performance of entire buildings and their increasingly complex subsystems 

and model developments as an element of many of the projects related to building energy 

efficiency. 

 Staff members are generally aware of relevant information from external 

organizations and have made visits to laboratories in other countries. It is not clear 

whether sufficient efforts are being undertaken to learn from other countries in which 

high-performance building technologies are far more advanced. 

 Overall, the current budget plan appears adequate for immediate facility and 

equipment needs, and funding is adequate to achieve success. Recruiting, however, is 

impaired by the inability of NIST to hire non-U.S. citizens. Outreach and partnerships 

with universities (e.g., internships, contract research, etc.) could increase the pool of 

potential new talent for needed competencies. 

 Within the Stage-Gate process, the staff is encouraged to continue to manage and 

prioritize projects using this tool and also to do and learn from postmortem analyses of 

projects, as experience and metrics refinements usually prove beneficial. The area of 

energy use in buildings is very dynamic, and the BFRL group must anticipate 

developments and stay ahead of them. However, new funding and net-zero energy 

building goals ought to provide the BFRL with the opportunity to develop strategies for 

anticipating the kinds of measurement science needed to support the transition to 

performance-based standards and the Smart Grid, and to addressing the multidimensional 

nature of building performance. It is also time to consider how the BFRL can exploit its 

unique position within the Department of Commerce to access the massive U.S. Census 

Bureau databases needed to calculate carbon footprints and other indirect economic 

effects of model building codes. 

 Dissemination is effectively handled through conference papers and journal 

articles, Web site publications, seminars, workshops, and software tools. The close 

working relationships of the BFRL staff with industry not only facilitate the 

dissemination of this important work, but also must provide windows to anticipate 

opportunities, such as the very urgent need to understand the characteristics of the next 

generation of non-ozone-depleting, low-global-warming refrigerants. Finally, staff 

participation in numerous standards development processes contributes to maximizing 

programmatic impact and promoting innovation, such as in the Net-Zero Energy 

Buildings program.
14 

RECOMMENDATIONS 

 The recommendations of the panel based on its assessment of the Measurement 

Science for Net-Zero Energy, High-Performance Buildings Strategic Priority Area are as 

follows: 

 The BFRL should make management quality a high enough priority to ensure 

that new facilities are established successfully and safely, and that the 

processes for setting R&D priorities, selecting projects, and Stage-Gate 

oversight are effective and robust. 

 With respect to staffing, hiring procedures that focus on narrow, disciplinarybased areas of expertise inhibit the ability to hire candidates with the desired 

combination of interdisciplinary skills, and they should be reconsidered. 

Outreach to and partnerships with universities should be pursued to increase 

the pool of potential new talent for needed competencies and to recruit young 

talent to handle the increased workload. Leadership training and staff 

development programs to improve the staff’s level of expertise should be 

continued. The BFRL should work to prevent the retirement of senior 

researchers from creating deficiencies in core competencies. 

 The staff should continue to manage and prioritize projects using the StageGate process and to refine the metrics of this tool based on experience with 

project outcomes, and they should do postmortem analyses of projects to learn 

from the use of the process. 

 The net-zero energy buildings staff must anticipate developments in this 

rapidly changing area and stay ahead of them. 

 BFRL staff’s close working relationships with industry must provide windows 

to anticipate opportunities, such as the very urgent need to understand the 

characteristics of the next generation of non-ozone-depleting, low-globalwarming refrigerants. 

 The BFRL should consider how it can exploit its unique position within the 

Department of Commerce to access the massive Census Bureau databases 

needed to calculate carbon footprints and other indirect economic effects of 

model building codes. 

 The BFRL should pursue the benchmarking of its facilities and equipment 

against international facilities, and it should pursue the careful selection of 

investments in the kinds of facilities and equipment required for the BFRL to 

remain in a leadership position internationally. 

 For the work on solar photovoltaic panel performance mapping and on 

wireless data communications, more collaboration with outside organizations 

should be sought. 

 The performance of components, equipment, and whole buildings must be 

measured across their entire operating envelopes, not simply a single rating 

point, and protocols are required for communicating performance data from 

components to equipment to building energy management systems and to the 

Smart Grid. 
15 

 NIST can and should anticipate needs for adding functionality to simulation 

models. Algorithms should be validated by careful measurements in welldesigned experiments. New facilities should be constructed to be as modular 

and flexible as possible—the new Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility 

will have some of these capabilities, which should be included to maximize 

the flexibility of the facility. Cooperative arrangements with other 

laboratories that are capable of producing necessary data should be pursued. 
16 

3 

Measurement Science for Advancing Infrastructure Delivery 

 The primary core competencies for the Measurement Science for Advancing 

Infrastructure Delivery (MS-AID) Strategic Priority Area are consistent with those in the 

panel’s 2008 report, but they have been adjusted to reflect refinements in the nation’s 

needs and NIST capabilities. 

 Areas of expertise within this Strategic Priority Area include the following: 

information, communication, and automation technologies for the intelligent integration 

of building and infrastructure design, construction, and operations; construction 

metrology, sensing and control technologies; and economics. The BFRL divisions active 

in this area are the Materials and Construction Research Division (MCRD), the Building 

Environment Division, and the Office of Applied Economics. The active groups include 

the Construction Metrology and Automation Group in the MCRD and the Computer 

Integrated Building Processes Group in the BED. The MS-AID Strategic Priority Area 

focus is on developing “measurement science” and thus inherently involves interfaces 

among the MCRD, BED, and OAE. 

 This Strategic Priority Area has identified the following five key drivers for 

change: 

1. Energy independence, environmental security, and sustainability; 

2. Renewal of the nation’s aging physical infrastructure; 

3. Demand for better-quality, faster, and less expensive construction; 

4. Competition due to globalization and offshoring; and 

5. Homeland security and disaster resilience. 

This Strategic Priority Area is addressing the second and third of these key drivers for 

change in U.S. construction. 

 The MS-AID Strategic Priority Area has also appropriately identified barriers to 

change, which are largely related to the size, complexity, and fragmentation of the 

industry. The challenges accompanying those barriers are compounded by prescriptive 

codes and standards and the low profit margins, resulting in a low level of R&D 

investment. 

 The stock of U.S. infrastructure is enormous, and much of it has exceeded its 

design life. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) estimates that the cost for 

the renewal of existing critical infrastructure exceeds $2 trillion. In addition to buildings, 

other areas identified in the ASCE 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure5

 (i.e., 

bridges, drinking water, energy, and wastewater) are closely related to the BFRL mission. 

Another study, commissioned by the BFRL in 2009 and conducted through the National 

 5

 The ASCE 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure reported the condition (in terms of 

“grades”) of the range of infrastructure sectors in the United States. See http://www.infrastructurereport 

card.org/; accessed June 1, 2010. 
17 

Research Council, identified specific challenges and offered recommendations for 

advancing the productivity and competitiveness of the capital facilities sector.6

 The goal of the MS-AID Strategic Priority Area is to achieve significant 

improvements in the construction and operation of the nation’s physical infrastructure 

through the development of measurement science that enables the assessment and 

integration of information, communication, automation, and sensing technologies. The 

key MS-AID program is the Automated and Integrated Infrastructure Construction 

Processes Program. 

 The construction industry is large, complex, and fragmented. Even individual 

projects involve three major phases—planning, design, and construction—that are 

traditionally performed by different organizations at sequentially different times. 

Communications among groups and individuals are difficult. (For example, a $100 

million project will, over time, typically involve about 10,000 different individuals, 

resulting in 50 million potential communications channels!) The industry has 

traditionally managed itself by emphasizing experience and standardized procedures that 

vary among differing organizations. Recent advancements in communications, 

computers, and other technologies provide opportunities for significant improvements in 

project delivery methods. The MS-AID Strategic Priority Area is intended to develop a 

“measurement science” for assessing the effectiveness of improvements and quantify 

“cause-and-effect” relationships between activities in various project phases, and to 

correlate those with project results. The BFRL has appropriately chosen to select 

objectives that exploit the technical expertise of the laboratories and interface that 

expertise with other organizations, such as the Construction Industry Institute, ASCE, 

NRC, and universities. 

 The word “productivity” appears in many MS-AID documents and is the basic 

driver for many MS-AID goals and activities. Although economists, including those in 

the Office of Applied Economics, recognize differentiating adjectives, such as “capital” 

productivity or “worker” productivity, MS-AID has properly used the term categorically 

as relating to construction industry improvement. Thus, the goal of improved 

productivity would relate to better designs, better schedules,, better quality of 

conformance and performance, improved safety, and lower costs. More so, the MS-AID 

Strategic Priority Area emphasizes the development of the “management science” to 

support and measure the effects of such improvements. 

 The program objectives of the MS-AID Strategic Priority Area are to develop the 

measurement science to: 

 Enable automated access and integration of diverse information systems; 

 Enable real-time construction and process sensing and control of construction; 

 Determine productivity at discrete and aggregate levels; 

 Evaluate performance of promising automation and integration technologies; 

and 

 Develop standard criteria for the measurement of the accuracy of the transfer 

of electronic engineering and construction data. 

 6 National Research Council, Advancing the Competitiveness and Efficiency of the U.S. 

Construction Industry, Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press, 2009. 
18 

 The key drivers for change are widely recognized and accepted within the 

industry. The size and complexity of the industry make it impossible for any single 

agency to address everything immediately. The MS-AID program objectives are 

consistent with a selective approach that utilizes the expertise within the BFRL to have 

maximum impact in developing the measurement science. 

TECHNICAL MERIT RELATIVE TO STATE OF THE ART 

 Activities in the MS-AID Strategic Priority Area are compatible with programs 

conducted by other laboratories and universities throughout the world, but they provide a 

unique perspective on addressing these issues. The BFRL has long addressed specific 

technical issues in a thorough and methodical manner. The BFRL has more recently 

begun to apply its expertise and methodologies to its management science initiative. 

 Program staff interfaces effectively with national and international counterparts, 

and it collaborates with key stakeholders. The BFRL has funded and has been heavily 

involved with CII’s Benchmarking and Metrics Program, particularly with regard to 

homeland security applications. It also funded the recent study, referred to above, by the 

National Research Council, Advancing the Competitiveness and Efficiency of the U.S. 

Construction Industry. It has funded construction robotics research at the University of 

Texas, and it was a principal sponsor a few years ago of an international ASCE Research 

Foundation Workshop on Sustainable Construction. 

 The MS-AID Strategic Priority Area has related its program objectives to desired 

outcomes for the near term (FY 2010–FY 2013), medium term (FY 2013–FY 2018) and 

long term (FY 2018 and beyond). Each program objective includes multiple activities, 

some of which appear in each of the time frames. 

 Ongoing activities in the MS-AID Strategic Priority Area include the Automated 

and Integrated Infrastructure Construction Processes Program and the following projects: 

 Metrics and Tools for Measuring Construction Productivity, 

 Performance and Use of 3D Imaging Systems, 

 Construction Control Using 3D Imaging and Building Information Models, 

 Development of an Indoor Intelligent and Automated Construction Job Site 

Testbed, 

 Methods and Metrics for Conformance Testing of Construction Project Data 

Standards, and 

 Virtual Project Data Integration Testbed. 

 The ongoing activities utilize the expertise and abilities of the MS-AID group and 

are within the context of the objectives. They identify the development of metrics and 

tools, use of three-dimensional and automated systems, Project Data Standards, and 

Project Data Integration, which will all add to the industry’s productivity. 

 Some of these activities—for example, the use of three-dimensional imaging 

systems, the Job Site Testbed, and the Virtual Project Data Integration Testbed—are 

internally driven, having interfaces with outside firms and agencies as necessary and 

appropriate. Other activities are more integrated with outside organizations, such as 

activities undertaken in cooperation with the Construction Industry Institute. All 

activities are coordinated or integrated with outside organizations, such as the 
19 

Construction Industry Institute, the Construction Users Roundtable, the Electric Power 

Research Institute, FIATECH, and the ASTM. 

 The MS-AID Strategic Priority Area is also pursuing the development of 

measurement science for quantifying cause-and-effect relationships between activities in 

various project phases and correlating those with project results. Many examples of 

cause-and-effect relationships are possible, such as using the results of a “Project 

Definition Rating Index” during the planning phase of a project prior to entering the 

design or construction phases, or using “Constructability” tools during the design phase. 

In recent years, much implementation of new management tools and techniques has taken 

place, but with a mostly anecdotal reporting of results. The only public database for 

correlating such uses with project outcomes is that of the Construction Industry Institute, 

which is heavily oriented toward industrial projects. (As an example, the CII companies’ 

safety records are an order-of-magnitude better than those of the overall industry, partly 

because of correlations of cause-and-effect studies using its database.) The metrics and 

tools for measuring construction productivity developed by BFRL’s Office of Applied 

Economics should be expanded to examine a variety of cause-and-effect relationships. 

ADEQUACY OF INFRASTRUCTURE 

 Personnel within this Strategic Priority Area are distinguished both by their 

technical competence and their passion for their work. The priority area involves staff 

with advanced degrees and industry experience. It has produced numerous publications 

and presentations at professional meetings and is active in appropriate interfaces with 

other agencies. However, current staffing levels may not be adequate to achieve program 

objectives, and consideration should be given to increasing the staffing level consistent 

with overall BFRL priorities. In particular, it would be appropriate to add staff with 

advanced degrees from the many developing graduate programs in project management, 

construction management, and facilities management that are at the forefront of 

developing new management science tools. 

 Laboratory space for this priority area had been limited during previous 

evaluations, but this appears to have been rectified by the provision of space for the 

Indoor Intelligent and Automated Construction Job Site Testbed, which is currently being 

renovated. 

 Computing capacity and speed are critical to the successful performance of 

activities within this priority area. Efforts should be made to ensure that state-of-the-art 

computing capability is available and continuously upgraded. 

ACHIEVEMENT OF OBJECTIVES AND IMPACT 

 Feasible milestones have been identified and incorporated in MS-AID project 

plans, and the MS-AID program is managed to achieve these performance targets. 

 Extensive interfaces with all stakeholder groups, including codes and standards 

organizations, have been established, and the incorporation of program outputs into codes 

and standards development is inherent in all program activities. Program results are made 

available through conferences, workshops, and NIST technical publications and journal 

articles. 
20 

 The program has made progress toward addressing current and emerging priority 

area needs through the sponsorship of workshops, conferences, and independent 

assessments by the National Research Council. 

 Figure 3.1 illustrates the potential for MS-AID activities to have a significant 

impact on project delivery. The cost-influence curve (shown in the figure) has long been 

recognized by construction industry practitioners and researchers. The timing of total 

expenditures on a project is represented by a typical S-curve that shows a relatively low 

level of expenditures in the planning and design stages, with the majority of expenditures 

occurring in the construction stage. However, the activities and decisions made early in a 

project’s planning and design stages are increasingly recognized as having a dominant 

influence on a project’s cost, as well as on its quality, safety, and delivery schedule. The 

unique modeling and measurement capabilities of the MS-AID program could be used to 

identify and exploit cost savings and other benefits that could accrue from a better 

understanding of the earlier phases of the construction process. 

FIGURE 3.1 Cost-influence curve for phases of the construction process. 

Design and

Procurement Planning Construction 

Tim e
21 

CONCLUSIONS 

Opportunities and Recommendations 

 Following are opportunities identified and recommendations made by the panel 

on the basis of its assessment of the Measurement Science for Advancing Infrastructure 

Delivery Strategic Priority Area: 

 The valuable metrics and tools for measuring construction productivity 

developed by BFRL’s Office of Applied Economics should be expanded to 

examine a variety of cause-and-effect relationships. Examples include using 

the results of a “Project Definition Rating Index” during the planning phase of 

a project prior to entering the design or construction phases, or using 

“Constructability” tools during the design phase. 

 Worker safety offers an excellent opportunity to launch this cause-and-effect 

initiative by the OAE. 

 The MS-AID staff should maintain its strong relationships with the 

construction community in order to identify new opportunities to add value. 

 Current staffing levels may not be adequate to achieve program objectives, 

and consideration should be given to increasing the staffing level consistent 

with overall BFRL priorities. 

 Efforts should be made to ensure that state-of-the-art computing capability is 

available and continuously upgraded. 

 The MS-AID Strategic Priority Area has the potential to have significant 

additional impact by expanding its scope to include other phases of project 

delivery. 

Conclusions 

 Following are the conclusions of the panel based on its assessment of the BFRL’s 

MS-AID Strategic Priority Area: 

 The work conducted by the Measurement Science for Advancing 

Infrastructure Delivery (MS-AID) Strategic Priority Area is supportive of 

broader BFRL goals for measurement science. 

 The work conducted within this Strategic Priority Area is consistent with the 

BFRL definition of the scope of measurement science. 

 The outcome of this work will be significant progress toward achieving the 

following: 

—Renewal of the nation’s physical infrastructure; 

—Better-quality, faster, safer, and less costly construction; and 

—Improved global competitiveness. 

 MS-AID has a broad spectrum of opportunities and the potential to expand its 

scope of inquiry and analysis. 
22 

4 

Measurement Science for Sustainable Infrastructure Materials 

 The primary core competencies for the Strategic Priority Area of Measurement 

Science for Sustainable Infrastructure Materials are performance, durability, and the 

service-life prediction of building materials. A secondary core competency involves fire 

protection and fire spread within buildings and communities. 

 The areas of expertise in this Strategic Priority Area are materials-based and 

include polymers, concrete and associated inorganic materials, and flammability, with an 

emphasis on polymeric materials. This subject area covers three primary topics, 

involving three groups, in the overall area of building and fire research. The BFRL 

divisions involved with this priority are the Fire Research Division and the Materials and 

Construction Research Division. The specific groups are the Polymeric Materials Group 

and the Inorganic Materials Group in the MCRD and the Materials Flammability Group 

in the FRD. 

 The major change in these topics since the previous review is the transition from 

an emphasis on nanotechnology to an emphasis on sustainability. The prediction of the 

life cycle of high-performance polymers and composites, including nanocomposites, is an 

area that is now embracing sustainability concerns relative to the choice of materials 

selected for present and emerging applications. An area of increasing interest relative to 

sustainability involves predicting the service-life performance of concrete building and 

infrastructure materials. Another project involves the reduction of the flammability of 

materials as halogenated flame retardants become less accessible to the material suppliers 

for use in flame-retardant compositions. The areas reviewed have done an excellent job 

of making the transition from an emphasis on nanotechnology to an emphasis on 

sustainability, and there are overlapping goals for each emphasis. 

TECHNICAL MERIT RELATIVE TO STATE OF THE ART 

 In the study of the life cycle of high-performance polymers and composites, 

several topics are being investigated, including outdoor and accelerated aging of 

nanostructured polymeric systems, multiscale mechanical properties of polymeric 

materials, and nanoparticle release during the life cycle of nanostructured materials. The 

outdoor accelerated aging of nanostructured polymeric materials is a research thrust of 

national importance. Using reliability principles to establish a relationship between 

accelerated and real-time aging using cumulative damage models appears to be an 

appropriate approach. More information on the successes of this model in relating the 

accelerated test results with outdoor weathering data would be helpful in assessing the 

results of this effort. The multiscale study of the properties of polymeric composite 

materials is focused on nano-reinforced polymers using nano-indention to determine 

elastic modulus. Although modulus is an important measure, other measures such as 

glass transition temperature, coefficient of thermal expansion, and cure shrinkage are 

important properties influenced by reinforcement characteristics. The application of other 

approaches such as Dynamic Mechanical Analysis and Differential Scanning Calorimetry 
23 

can be helpful in understanding resulting properties. Non-invasive characterization of 

dispersion in polymeric composites is a grand challenge that will benefit the field of 

nanocomposites enormously, but progress has been slow. Dispersion of nanoparticles is a 

critical issue. The measurement of dispersion using angular optical scattering should be 

complemented by using laser scattering, x-ray scattering, and microtomography imaging. 

 The nanoparticle life-cycle study focused on the release of carbon nanostructures 

from polymer nanocomposites subjected to ultraviolet radiation. This project is in 

response to a major concern on the potential toxicity of nanoparticles employed in 

materials that may be released to the environment in their life cycle. The development of 

a system for the detection and collection of released products is the primary objective of 

this study. It is important that the study establish test samples with appropriate degrees of 

dispersion, since poorly dispersed systems are likely to show high levels of carbon 

nanotube release that may not be characteristic of well-dispersed systems. 

 The development of measurement science for sustainable cement-based materials 

is of great importance to the civil infrastructure in the United States. Research currently 

being conducted in the Inorganic Materials Group in sustainable cement-based materials 

will retain, strengthen, and extend the historic global leadership of the BFRL in 

microstructure modeling and characterization tools. This research is well aligned with its 

core mission in regard to performance, durability, and service-life predictions of building 

materials. 

 There is a strong urgency to extend the service life of the U.S. infrastructure while 

utilizing cements with a low carbon footprint by substituting cements with industrial 

waste products such as fly ash or slag. The research being conducted at the BFRL is at 

the forefront in regard to developing rheology-based models and measurement and 

characterization tools that will enable the routine commercial use of high volumes of fly 

ash and slag in concrete, which are essential for producing more durable and sustainable 

concrete structures. The BFRL approach in characterizing fly ash and relating it to its 

performance is unique, and no such projects are currently being conducted in or outside 

the United States. Major accomplishments in this area are evidenced by the receipt of the 

ASTM P.H. Bates Memorial Award (2008) and the NIST Bronze Medal (2007) for the 

development of a new ASTM x-ray diffraction (XRD) standard method. 

 In addition, the mitigation of early age cracking is essential in enhancing the 

durability of concrete structures. The BFRL is currently working on guidelines for 

measuring the concrete properties that contribute to early age cracking and on mitigation 

strategies. The BFRL’s impact in this area is evidenced by the receipt of the prestigious 

American Concrete Institute (ACI) Wason Medal and the Frank G. Erskine Award. 

 The BFRL should continue the microstructure modeling with the emphasis on 

molecular dynamic modeling in collaboration with the efforts currently underway in 

Europe. 

 NIST is a global leader in the realm of understanding material flammability. Over 

the past several years, the BFRL team has been very instrumental in providing critical 

scientific data that help in understanding fire protection, durability, and service-life 

prediction. The objective of the Reduced Flammability of Materials Program is to 

develop measurement science tools to help the material industry in producing sustainable, 

cost-effective, and fire-safe materials. The team has made a concerted effort in focusing 

on sustainability. A roadmap was established after an innovative fire protection 

workshop was conducted, which involved experts from academia and industry. As a 
24 

result of the workshop, changes were made to strategic goals and programs. The three 

specific thrusts that were identified are (1) the development of bench-scale flammability 

measurement methods, (2) the evaluation of new models and materials for fire-safe 

products, and (3) the development of data and methods to enable a critical assessment of 

the sustainability of new fire-safe technologies. The goal of the thrusts is fully aligned 

with the BFRL mission and vision. 

 One of the program goals is to design and implement measurement science tools 

that enable the development of fire-safe products. The compilation of a database of 

materials with promising sustainability attributes and the development of tools to 

evaluate these materials for their effectiveness as sustainable flame retardants in a series 

of polymer systems have already been started. The team has done an excellent job in 

working with a number of agencies and partners, both domestic and international, as this 

effort will require the tools and expertise from different disciplines such as environmental 

science, nanotechnology, flame retardancy, and life-cycle assessment. 

 One of the major practical issues is the flammability of polyurethane foam. 

According to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports,7,8,9 reducing the 

flammability of materials used in products found in homes, automobiles, and building 

insulation could reduce the total core cost of fire to the U.S. economy. This would 

also significantly enhance public safety. U.S. fire deaths attributed to the burning of 

polyurethane foam products remain a major fraction of the total fatalities recorded in 

home fires. Development of the measurement science to enable industry to produce firesafe foam products requires the development of an extensive knowledge base for several 

complex technologies. The BFRL team had taken this as a goal several years ago and 

was able to develop a vertical cone calorimeter test method. In the past 2 years, the team 

has been able to show the utility of this test method as a possible screening tool that will 

take dripping into consideration. This test method has already gained traction, as some 

laboratories have started using it. The next step will have to be that of working with 

regulatory bodies to show the relevance as a test method and to incorporate it into a 

standard test. 

 NIST has made major contributions to the understanding and use of 

nanocomposites to reduce flammability in polymers. One of the concerns that the 

industry has regarding nanocomposites is the release of nanoparticles into the 

environment. The BFRL team has been working on a project to develop techniques to 

quantify the yields, chemical compositions, morphologies, and size distributions of 

nanoparticles released into the environment. This is not an easy problem. The challenge 

is that of making measurements of nanoparticle release while still considering the 

potential health hazards. The developments in this area will be critical in answering the 

question of nanoparticle release in terms of actual quantifiable data. 

 7

 John R. Hall, Jr., “The Total Cost of Fire in the United States,” Fire Analysis and Research 

Division, National Fire Protection Association, February 2008. 8

 Michael J. Karter, Jr., ”U.S. Fire Loss for 2006,” NFPA Journal 101(5):64, 2007. 9

 Marty Ahrens, “Home Fires That Began with Upholstered Furniture,” National Fire Protection 

Association, Quincy, Mass., May 2008. 
25 

ADEQUACY OF INFRASTRUCTURE 

 The equipment and personnel necessary to carry out the goals and objectives of 

the projects in place appear to be adequate. Specific equipment deficiencies have been 

partially resolved with ARRA stimulus funds obtained in the past year. Additional 

equipment and capital items could, however, advance the performance of this division as 

it focuses on critical sustainability issues involving key materials. 

 The concrete area appears to be one in which the Inorganic Materials Group offers 

a unique service to the huge (and energy-consuming) concrete industry by conducting 

more fundamental research and establishing measurement standards for more-sustainable 

concrete products. This area could benefit from a state-of-the-art testing facility for 

future cement-based materials (such as fly-ash-modified concrete) and for the potentially 

huge concrete market in the re-emerging nuclear power market. 

 A need was expressed for a polymer materials scientist with modeling skills and 

also for life-cycle analysis expertise for the flame-retardant materials area. Succession 

planning was discussed with the panel; the plans should be reviewed as needed, because 

several retirements may occur in the next several years. 

ACHIEVEMENT OF OBJECTIVES AND IMPACT 

 The change in priority emphasis from nanotechnology to sustainability obviously 

modifies the objectives and desired impacts of each specific project. The Sustainable 

Infrastructure Materials priority area has done an excellent job in making the proper 

changes in the priorities. This was quite helpful, as the projects in place also were 

directed toward goals consistent with sustainability issues. A review of the two major 

impact areas noted in the previous (2008) panel report demonstrated continued effort and 

success in implementing these measurement techniques into broader external use. The 

integrating sphere weatherability testing equipment has several companies seeking Small 

Business Innovation Research support for commercialization, and the modified cone 

calorimeter vertical flammability test apparatus is now used by several external 

laboratories for polyurethane foam. 

 The measurement science developed in the BFRL group for sustainable cementbased materials provides the fundamental understanding in developing standards and 

ASTM protocols, which allows the technology to be readily transferred to industry. For 

example, the XRD standard test method that was developed at the BFRL in the Inorganic 

Materials Group has recently been incorporated into a new ASTM standard. The BFRL 

was contacted by Roman Cement LLC to utilize the characterization tools developed in 

the Inorganic Materials Group. The Virtual Cement and Concrete Test Laboratory, 

resulting from its pioneering work in hydration modeling, is well recognized by national 

and international researchers and is in the process of being adopted by industrial partners. 

The inorganic cement group has an excellent record of publishing in peer-reviewed 

journals and of collaboration with universities, nationally and internationally. 

 The areas where achievements in the past several years should result in potential 

impact in areas of national interest include the fundamental measurement and 

characterization work conducted on fly-ash-modified concrete. The assessment of 

nanoparticle release into the environment was addressed as a concern several years ago, 
26 

and meaningful progress has been achieved toward answering this environmental and 

health issue. 

CONCLUSIONS 

 The Strategic Priority Area of Measurement Science for Sustainable Infrastructure 

Materials is focused on the measurement and characterization of materials for meeting 

the sustainability requirements of the future. The core competency is crucial to the 

infrastructural materials requirements of the future. The critical skills are present to meet 

the core competency requirements as well as to investigate the technical projects in 

progress. Overall, the laboratory is well equipped (except as noted), and changes in 

project execution made in the past several years have proven fruitful. These changes 

include the implementation of a more detailed safety review procedure and adaptation of 

the Stage-Gate process to ensure that projects are properly focused and not directed in a 

chaotic fashion. The publications and presentations by group members continue to be 

impressive, illustrating the technical impact that this area has on its external peer group. 

 One of the important missions of this Strategic Priority Area (as well as of most 

programs at NIST) is to ensure that other government agencies have the necessary 

information to make proper decisions. The material choices for present and future needs 

are sometimes dominated by other agencies (the Environmental Protection Agency as an 

example). Where material choices are impacted by sustainability issues, this group 

should be proactive with other government agencies to ensure that proper choices are 

made. Many of these decisions involve risk–reward analysis, which NIST is more 

equipped to determine than most other agencies are. The group is placing appropriate 

emphasis on utilizing the sustainability model developed at NIST (Building for 

Environmental and Economic Sustainability, or BEES). It would be useful if this model 

were specifically linked to infrastructure materials. Another emerging area, in which the 

Inorganic Materials Group involved with concrete should be actively engaged, is the 

emerging nuclear power plant construction. Codes and standards for these plants are 

more than 30 years old. This group is in a unique position to offer valuable expertise 

related to concrete utilization in this re-emerging industry. 

RECOMMENDATIONS 

 The recommendations of the panel based on its assessment of the Strategic 

Priority Area of Measurement Science for Sustainable Infrastructure Materials are as 

follows: 

 The measurement of the dispersion of nanoparticles using angular optical 

scattering should be complemented by the use of laser scattering, x-ray 

scattering, and microtomography imaging. 

 It is important that the nanoparticle life-cycle study establish test samples with 

appropriate degrees of dispersion. 

 The BFRL should continue the microstructure modeling, with the emphasis on 

molecular dynamic modeling, in collaboration with the efforts currently 

underway in Europe. 
27 

 The next steps for the vertical cone calorimeter test method will have to be 

those of working with regulatory bodies to show its relevance as a test method 

and incorporating it into a standard test. 

 Additional equipment and capital items could advance the performance in the 

Measurement Science for Sustainable Infrastructure Materials Strategic 

Priority Area as the researchers focus on critical sustainability issues 

involving key materials. 

 The concrete work could benefit from a state-of-the-art testing facility for 

future cement-based materials (such as fly-ash-modified concrete) and for the 

potentially huge concrete market in the re-emerging nuclear power market. 

 The expressed needs for a polymer materials scientist with modeling skills 

and for life-cycle-analysis expertise for the flame-retardant materials area 

should be addressed. 

 Staff succession plans should be reviewed as needed. 

 The material choices for present and future needs are sometimes dominated by 

other agencies. Where material choices are impacted by sustainability issues, 

the staff in the Measurement Science for Sustainable Infrastructure Materials 

Strategic Priority Area should be proactive with other government agencies to 

ensure that proper choices are made. 

 The sustainability model developed at NIST (Building for Environmental and 

Economic Sustainability) should be specifically linked to infrastructure 

materials. 

 The Inorganic Materials Group involved with concrete should be actively 

engaged with the re-emerging nuclear power plant construction industry to 

offer its valuable expertise related to the use of concrete. 
28 

5 

Measurement Science for Disaster-Resilient Structures and 

Communities 

 The primary activities within the Measurement Science for Disaster-Resilient 

Structures and Communities Strategic Priority Area relate to earthquake engineering and 

the performance of structures under multiple hazards. Within the earthquake area, there 

are three components: the mandated leadership in the National Earthquake Hazard 

Reduction Program (NEHRP), earthquake mitigation through in-house research, and 

earthquake mitigation through extramurally funded projects. Within the multiple hazards 

area, there are programs related to disproportionate collapse, fire-resistant design and 

retrofit of structures, and wind and multihazard engineering. An outgrowth of the fire 

program is the planned National Structural Fire Resistance Laboratory. An outgrowth of 

the National Construction Safety Team Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-231) is the new 

initiative related to a database for disaster and failure events. The panel reviewed 

extensive documentation made available prior to the meeting and heard comprehensive 

presentations by BFRL staff on approximately 15 research programs. 

 The BFRL divisions and offices active in this area are the Materials and 

Construction Research Division, the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program 

Office, and the Office of Applied Economics. 

TECHNICAL MERIT RELATIVE TO STATE OF THE ART 

Earthquake Engineering 

Activities Mandated by NIST Leadership of the NEHRP 

 NIST assumed the leadership of the NEHRP in 2005. Since 2008, the Director of 

the NEHRP appears to have discharged on a timely basis all mandated requirements 

under this program and has strengthened institutional ties with other cognizant federal 

agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Geological 

Survey, and the National Science Foundation. New staff members hired for earthquake 

engineering research (see the following subsection) have played a critical role in assisting 

the director in discharging these responsibilities, allowing him time for strategic 

planning. This activity remains relevant to the need to reduce seismic risk in urban areas. 

The Director of NIST chairs the NEHRP Interagency Coordinating Committee and plays 

a key role in anticipating future research and implementation needs. The program is 

funded at an adequate level to meet its obligations under NEHRP. 

Projects on Risk Mitigation 

 Earthquake-related research, both through internal and external projects, serves 

primarily to improve building codes and standards and construction practices. One of the 
29 

most significant accomplishments of the past 2 years is in the hiring of six outstanding 

professional and support staff members. 

 In a relatively short period of time, the research staff has undertaken a broad range 

of projects, from the so-called ATC Roadmap10 intended to bridge the gap between 

scientific earthquake analysis and engineering practice, to assessment of first-generation 

seismic design methods and the development of efficient nonlinear seismic measurement 

science tools. It is appropriate that the effort related to nonlinear measurement science 

tools will be subject to peer review in the coming year. Through the NEHRP Consultants 

Joint Venture, 12 contract task orders have been issued on projects related to 

quantification of the seismic performance of building and other civil infrastructure 

systems. The technical caliber of the in-house staff and the NEHRP consultants is very 

high; the projects are relevant owing to the involvement of practitioners in the work 

orders; and the BFRL has anticipated the research needs to implement performance-based 

earthquake engineering. The budget appears to be adequate to meet programmatic 

objectives. The stature of the NEHRP consultant group ensures that the work products 

are likely to be implemented in professional practice. 

Performance of Structures Under Multiple Hazards 

 The programs within this Strategic Priority Area build on NIST expertise relating 

to the performance of structures subject to extreme events and deal with issues and 

behavior that the private sector has been reluctant to undertake. These activities are 

focused on progressive collapse and fire-resistant design, are exemplary of those types of 

projects, and are clearly within the NIST mission. The program in wind engineering is 

similarly internationally well recognized and has been a significant driver in the past 30 

years in the advancement of wind load provisions in ASCE 7, Minimum Design Loads for 

Buildings and Other Structures. 

 The research program on disproportionate collapse has been in progress for a 

number of years, has both experimental and analytical components, and has resulted in a 

number of significant research projects that have been introduced to the code community. 

This program is quite mature. Although the ongoing work to implement these 

recommendations in design practice is commendable, effort should be devoted to 

anticipating the needs of the structural design community in setting the research goals 

and challenges that the program will address in the next 3 to 5 years. 

 There has been long-standing competence in the area of fire at NIST, and the 

activities in fire-resistant structural design have accelerated in the years since the 

investigations into the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings. With the plans for 

the construction of the new National Structural Fire Resistance Laboratory underway, the 

activities are now at the point of making the BFRL a unique international resource in this 

area. The technical caliber of the research being performed is exceptionally high, highly 

relevant to national needs in the area of risk mitigation, and interdisciplinary in the most 

positive sense of the word. It also provides the general public and decision makers with 

highly favorable exposure to NIST research, generating enthusiastic support for the role 

of NIST in building technology. The substantial commitment of funding through the 

ARRA for the NSFRL is a reflection of the high value that has been placed on the fire 

 10 Applied Technology Council (ATC), The Missing Piece: Improving Seismic Design and 

Construction Practices, ATC-57, 2003. See http://www.ATCouncil.org. Accessed June 1, 2010. 
30 

program, but the one-time infusion of funds raises concern relative to the match between 

funding and sustained operation. These concerns are discussed in detail in the following 

subsection related to the new laboratory. 

 The Wind Engineering and Multi-Hazard Failure Analysis Program is managed 

by exceptionally well-qualified staff. While resources to perform analytical studies are 

adequate at the present time, the wind research program continues to be handicapped by 

the lack of a wind tunnel that might be used to validate some of the analytical studies 

with carefully designed experimental studies. Research partnerships with universities 

may provide a mechanism for supporting experimentation. The staff have wellestablished links to code and standards committees, are internationally well recognized, 

and are of the highest scientific quality. The long-term research to integrate wind and 

storm surge addresses a national risk-mitigation need. 

National Structural Fire Resistance Laboratory 

 The NSFRL is being funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment 

Act of 2009. The need for this world-class facility was identified at the time of the 

investigation of the collapse of the WTC buildings, and planning has been underway for 

the past several years. The design is now complete, and the construction contract is 

expected to be awarded in the fall of 2010, with construction planned for October 2010 to 

November 2011. This facility will be unique and will offer long-term support to 

structural fire engineering in the United States and internationally. 

 The prospect of having this facility at NIST is exciting. However, a number of 

operational issues on the horizon require attention. NIST management must recognize 

appropriately the burden that this construction project will place on NIST technical staff. 

An immediate priority will be the development and implementation of a staffing plan, 

including the hiring of a facility manager with the authority to conduct shakedown testing 

of the laboratory when it is completed. There is also need for the development of a 

model for the sustained operation of this significant capital investment, involving the 

coordination of in-house and extramural activities and a protocol for the selection of 

extramural projects and collaborative activities. The BFRL should develop its own 

model for the selection of extramural research projects and should not be guided by the 

criteria or preferences of any other federal agency or private concern. It will be necessary 

to have continued collaboration with the Fire Research Division of the BFRL. 

Disaster and Failure Events Studies and Data Archiving 

 The initiative on Disaster and Failure Events Studies and Data Archiving is an 

outgrowth of the National Construction Safety Team Act of 2002, which authorizes NIST 

to establish and deploy teams to investigate building failures. This recent initiative builds 

on and organizes BFRL’s previous episodic involvement in post-incident disaster and 

failure studies over the past three decades and provides a formal structure for archiving 

the lessons learned from those studies. This program is still in the planning stages, and 

staff is working to establish criteria for performing initial reconnaissance, full 

reconnaissance, and technical investigations; to establish protocols for the collection and 

preservation of data; and to develop database management tools. 
31 

 This program will be a high-visibility initiative of the BFRL, but at this stage of 

program development, several items require careful consideration. Perhaps most 

important is the impact that this mandated activity will have on the professional staff and 

on their ability to continue to discharge ongoing programmatic responsibilities at BFRL 

effectively, in view of the episodic nature of the investigations. 

 An office will be established to manage and coordinate the efforts of this 

program. Some investigations will be performed by existing BFRL technical staff, but 

others might be contracted out as needs dictate. These investigations may place burdens 

on existing technical staff, and the quality assurance for those investigations that are 

contracted out will ultimately receive close review by NIST. 

 An additional concern relates to the criteria for selecting the results of non-BFRLcoordinated investigations for inclusion in the database and the need for maintaining the 

integrity and credibility of such data over which the BFRL will have no control. A 

continuing concern will be the maintenance of the integrity and credibility of the database 

itself. A protocol must be developed for balancing the need for public access to the 

database and complying with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act, while 

at the same time maintaining the security of potentially sensitive data. 

 The scope of the building performance data is structural failures, as mandated by 

Congress. The BFRL should consider collecting other data of interest to the building 

community and useful in the support of ongoing BFRL research programs, including 

information on the serviceability and durability of building products. The maintenance of 

this database should consider the context of the evolution of Building Information 

Management systems. 

Summary 

 The work being done within the Measurement Science for Disaster-Resilient 

Structures and Communities Strategic Priority Area is at the state-of-the-art level. The 

quality of the work is demonstrated by the publication of the research in the archival 

literature and the recognition of research products in codes and standards. The work is 

relevant to the BFRL mission, and the ties to the external community are uniformly 

strong across the three major thrust areas. 

ADEQUACY OF INFRASTRUCTURE 

 At the time of the 2008 panel review, the primary focus was the development of 

advanced computational models, and some hardware and software constraints were 

noted. In the past 2 years, the program has grown to include structural testing and the 

validation of models, and the issue of computational limitations was not raised. 

Computational resources appear to be adequate. The BFRL has made remarkable 

progress in the development of its National Structural Fire Resistance Laboratory which, 

on completion, will fill a huge void in the nation’s capability for performing such fire 

testing. Priority should be given to completing this facility on schedule and to 

developing a management plan for its successful operation. 

 Current professional staff in the Materials and Construction Research Division is 

well qualified to conduct the projects envisioned or underway. The recent hiring progress 

in the earthquake program since the 2008 panel visit is encouraging. Concerns remain 
32 

about the recruiting and retaining of staff for future projects. A number of the key 

personnel in high-visibility programs are likely to retire within the next 3 to 5 years. To 

the extent that certain of these programs are strongly dependent on the capabilities and 

leadership of single individuals, it is imperative that a plan be developed for maintaining 

the momentum of those projects. BFRL management should consider developing a 

formal succession planning program for technical staff in key programmatic areas. 

ACHIEVEMENT OF OBJECTIVES AND IMPACT 

 The Materials and Construction Research Division has excellent linkage with the 

BFRL mission. The work of the division’s professional staff has achieved significant 

recognition in the building and codes and standards community, and the staff has been 

successful in moving research products into standards. 

 For continued success in achieving these impacts, efforts should continue to focus 

on implementing performance-based standards and integrating life-cycle concepts into 

building design and construction practices. An important issue is the development of 

metrics for performance-based engineering for a range of natural and human-made 

hazards. The earthquake program has accepted the performance metrics being developed 

by the Applied Technology Council for performance-based seismic design. Although 

this decision is appropriate, the application of these seismic-design-based metrics to other 

hazards is questionable. Moreover, in the general area of performance-based 

engineering, there are many levels of performance short of collapse that are significant 

issues for structural engineers, architects, and building occupants. The BFRL has the 

opportunity to take a leadership role in developing these more encompassing 

performance metrics. This effort will require nontraditional expertise. In the fire area, in 

particular, the move from prescriptive to performance-based standards will encounter 

significant resistance from current stakeholders. Nonetheless, BFRL staff should 

continue their efforts in this direction. 

 In the area of natural and human-made hazard mitigation, the issues of cost versus 

benefits and life-cycle analysis of alternate strategies are continuing concerns. During 

the current review, the BRFL staff did not evince recognition of these issues. For this 

work to be ultimately accepted in building codes, the issue of costs and benefits must be 

addressed. The BFRL research staff, in conjunction with BFRL’s Office of Applied 

Economics, has the unique ability to address this problem in the public interest. (There is 

a more detailed description of the OAE in Chapter 7, “Overarching Issues.”) 

 The validation of high-fidelity analytical models is an underlying theme in several 

of the high-visibility projects. There is need for validation, but reservations about 

validating one computational model against another should be considered. Moreover, 

there is no evidence that sources of epistemic uncertainty, inherent in any analytical 

model regardless of scale, have been properly incorporated into the validation process. 

The investigators in projects in which the validation of computational models is a major 

research thrust should be cautious in their approach. The renewed interest in 

experimental research, represented especially by the NSFRL, offers more important tools 

for performing this validation. 

 No nuclear plants have been designed in the United States for nearly 30 years, and 

codes and standards are out of date. Therefore, there is an opportunity for the BFRL to 
33 

have a significant impact on the development of design and construction standards for 

nuclear energy facilities. 

CONCLUSIONS 

 The primary activities in the Strategic Priority Area of Measurement Science for 

Disaster-Resilient Structures and Communities revolve around earthquake engineering 

and the performance of structures under multiple natural and human-made hazards. 

These programs build on BFRL technical achievements and contribute to a tradition of 

excellence sustained over a period of many years. They are widely recognized nationally 

and internationally, and their research products have had a significant impact on building 

codes and standards. The professional staff is highly capable, and the research products 

continue to maintain a level of technical excellence. However, there is need for a 

structured succession planning exercise in key areas to sustain program momentum as 

key staff members retire during the next several years. 

 Two recent initiatives will leverage the established expertise of the BFRL 

technical staff. The National Structural Fire Resistance Laboratory is a marvelous 

opportunity to create a unique, world-class testing facility to support improvements in 

fire engineering. The Disaster and Failure Events Studies and Data Archiving initiative 

undoubtedly will have high visibility and, if successful, will engender valuable public and 

political support for BFRL research programs. Both initiatives may place heavy demands 

on current BFRL staff, detracting from their traditional research responsibilities and 

accomplishments if not carefully managed. These initiatives should be carefully 

managed and scrutinized as they develop. 

 There is a proper balance between mandated programs, continuing research, and 

new initiatives. Within the general area of performance-based engineering, there is a 

need to better integrate concepts of life-cycle analysis and sustainability into building 

performance assessment. Attention should be given to the study of appropriate and 

encompassing performance metrics beyond those being developed in connection with 

performance-based earthquake engineering. The BFRL should examine and define its 

role with respect to the current and anticipated rebirth of nuclear power. 

RECOMMENDATIONS 

 The recommendations of the panel based on its assessment of the Strategic 

Priority Area of Measurement Science for Disaster-Resilient Structures and Communities 

are as follows: 

 BFRL management should develop a formal succession planning program for 

technical staff in key programmatic areas. 

 For the NSFRL construction project, an immediate priority will be the 

development and implementation of a staffing plan, including the hiring of a 

facility manager with the authority to conduct shakedown testing of the 

laboratory when it is completed. A model for the sustained operation of the 

NSFRL should be developed, involving the coordination of in-house and 

extramural activities and a protocol for the selection of extramural projects 

and collaborative activities. The BFRL should develop its own model for the 
34 

selection of extramural research projects. Continued collaboration with the 

Fire Research Division of the BFRL will be needed. 

 The outcomes of the Disaster and Failure Events Studies and Data Archiving 

program will need to be carefully managed to achieve its potential. A 

protocol must be developed for balancing the needs for public access to the 

database and compliance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information 

Act, with the need for maintaining the security of potentially sensitive data. 

The BFRL should consider collecting other data that are of interest to the 

building community and useful in the support of ongoing BFRL research 

programs, including information on the serviceability and durability of 

building products. 

 Both of these activities may place heavy demands on current BFRL staff, 

detracting from their traditional research responsibilities and 

accomplishments, so these initiatives should be carefully managed and 

scrutinized as they develop, to avoid such problems. 

 Within the general area of performance-based engineering, there is a need to 

better integrate concepts of life-cycle analysis and sustainability into building 

performance assessment. Attention should be given to the study of 

appropriate and encompassing performance metrics beyond those being 

developed in connection with performance-based earthquake engineering. 

The BFRL should examine and define its role with respect to the current and 

anticipated rebirth of nuclear power facilities—it could have a significant 

impact on the development of design and construction standards. 

 Priority should be given to completing the National Structural Fire Resistance 

Laboratory on schedule and developing a management plan for its successful 

operation. 

 The investigators in projects in which the validation of computational models 

is a major research thrust should be cautious in their approach. The renewed 

interest in experimental research, represented especially by the NSFRL, offers 

important tools for performing this validation. 

 The wind research program continues to be handicapped by the lack of a wind 

tunnel. Consideration should be given to research partnerships with 

universities that may provide a mechanism for supporting experimentation. 
35 

6 

Measurement Science for Innovative Fire Protection 

 The goal of BFRL’s Fire Research Division is to reduce the impact of fire on 

communities, structures, building occupants, emergency responders, and the economy by 

providing the measurement science needed to reduce preventable fire losses. The areas of 

expertise within the division include all areas of fire science and fire protection 

engineering. More specifically, fire science includes flammability, computational fluid 

dynamics, heat transfer, fire growth modeling, and combustion chemistry and toxicity—

whereas fire protection engineering includes hazard assessment; fire detection, 

suppression, and smoke control; building egress design (involving stairway and elevator 

technology and occupant behavior); fire service technologies; and codes and standards. 

 The NIST Fire Research Division ably serves the national needs and is clearly 

superior worldwide to other fire research centers for its breadth and excellence in fire 

research serving national needs. Other fire research centers target different areas of 

specialization. The modeling of the physics and chemistry of fire is the fundamental 

strength of the division. Its Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) model is used worldwide to 

evaluate the hazards of a specified fire. Maintaining and improving on this strength to 

predict fire growth is essential to the division’s longer-term mission. The division is 

notable for its success in performing key research leading directly to the adoption of 

numerous standards and codes. 

 The FRD has four groups: Fire Fighting Technology, Fire Measurements, 

Engineered Fire Safety, and Materials Flammability. 

 The programs and their primary responsibilities supporting the fire protection 

goals are the following: 

 Reduced Risk of Fire Spread in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) 

Program: To improve the fire performance of structures and communities in 

the wildland-urban interface through the development of standard test 

methods for building materials and risk-assessment and risk-mitigation tools 

for use by community decision makers, homeowners, and fire officials. 

 Advanced Fire Service Technologies Program: To increase the effectiveness 

and safety of emergency responders by enabling the development of improved 

protective equipment, situational awareness, and science-based tactics and 

training tools for the fire service. 

 Reduced Risk of Fire Hazard in Buildings Program: To increase the safety of 

building occupants and the fire performance of structures and their contents 

by enabling the implementation of innovative, cost-effective fire protection 

technologies. This program includes the further development of NIST’s wellknown Fire Dynamics Simulator. 

 The Fire Grants Program: To conduct measurement science that enables 

innovative fire protection and reduced flammability of materials through 

grants and contracts to appropriate institutions. 
36 

 Reduced Flammability of Materials Program (reviewed by the Sustainable 

Infrastructure Materials review team; see Chapter 4 in this report): To develop 

measurement science tools to aid the materials industry in producing 

sustainable, cost-effective, fire-safe products through the development of 

validated bench-scale flammability measurement methods, models, 

guidelines, and databases. 

TECHNICAL MERIT RELATIVE TO STATE OF THE ART 

 The BRFL presented to the panel a sample of projects in each of the major 

research programs as described below. 

Wildland-Urban Interface 

 Fire spread in the wildland-urban interface is an increasing problem caused by 

(1) more people living on the wildland-urban interface (second homes, etc.), (2) the 

increased buildup of vegetative and construction fuels that occurs at the interface, and 

(3) climate change—especially droughts in the southwestern United States. Wildland 

fires are spread by firebrands, radiative heat transfer, and direct flame contact. The WUI 

research program is very responsive and well thought out. The program has three parts 

aimed at technical progress: 

1. To develop validated computer models for fire spread through WUI fuel 

(structures and vegetation), with model development including laboratory and 

field measurements of wind, vegetation, terrain, heat fluxes, and firebrands’ 

generation and transport; 

2. To develop a database characterizing the vulnerability of different structural 

materials and assemblies to ignition from firebrands, including roofing 

materials and firebrand penetration through openings and protective screens 

and vents; and 

3. To perform on-site post-fire forensic studies of buildings in consultation with 

local firefighters to validate NIST’s experience and expertise. 

CFD modeling of fire spread is particularly challenging, as it involves the bridging of 

scales over eight orders of magnitude, ranging from millimeters for structural ignition 

and firebrand production, to hundreds of kilometers for regional-scale smoke transport. 

Three near-term standards are expected from this research. They are as follows: 

1. Measurement of the vulnerability of building elements, including roofing, 

decking, siding, and vents, to ignition and/or penetration by firebrands; 

2. Guidance for both homeowners and professionals regarding the vegetation 

and general landscaping surrounding homes at the WUI; and 

3. Standard methods for reporting fire losses at the WUI that might eventually 

improve the defenses against wildfires by guiding building codes and 

standards improvements. 
37 

Fire Service Technologies 

 The Advanced Fire Service Technologies Program provides great help to 

firefighters by performing research ensuring their safety and effectiveness. A good 

example of the research is the study on the effective functioning of respirators for 

firefighters. The research represents a particularly good use of NIST’s technical 

capabilities. It is customer-driven and requires a multidisciplinary team (involving CFD, 

toxicology, materials, etc.). Another example is the recently issued performance-based 

standard for thermal imaging cameras used by first responders to find victims in smoky 

conditions or fires hidden behind walls or ceilings. Performance-based testing of thermal 

imagers ensures that cameras work under actual-use conditions. In addition, sciencebased standards enable U.S. manufacturers to develop innovative and more effective 

technologies for both domestic and international customers. 

 Another problem in firefighting is the degradation of protective clothing by 

exposure to smoke and toxic products of combustion. A standard is being developed to 

ensure the performance of existing gear and to provide a method for retiring gear that has 

reached the end of its useful life. The problem becomes acute for firefighters and their 

protective clothing exposed repeatedly to contaminants during training exercises. Again, 

it is a complex multidisciplinary problem. 

 Finally, there is the concept of having a device called an Emergency Fire Fighter 

and Occupant Locator to locate people having transponders in a burning building. After 

careful evaluation, the concept appears solvable for residential occupancies but more 

challenging for larger commercial buildings, whose exterior walls are more opaque to 

electromagnetic waves. 

Fire Hazard in Buildings 

 Recent data from New York State show a notable reduction in the loss of life 

following New York’s adoption in 2005 of the new cigarette ignition propensity standard 

(i.e., “fire-safe cigarettes”). Apparently there has been a reduction in the unwanted 

ignition of fires by cigarettes in New York State. Smoking has long been the single 

largest cause of deaths from fires in the United States. However, the adoption of fire-safe 

cigarettes now causes a problem. The widely used ignition-resistance tests for mattresses 

and upholstered furniture (16 CFR 1633 [took effect in 2007] and pending 16 CFR 1634, 

respectively) have used a particular “pre-standard” cigarette, which is no longer 

manufactured. NIST is completing the development of a standard reference material, a 

uniform cigarette with the same ignition propensity as that of the former test cigarette. 

 Smoke inhalation kills more people than the number who die of burn injuries, and 

smoke obscuration is a principal factor in the escape time from a fire. There is need for a 

standard laboratory test method for estimating the toxic potency of smoke from burning 

buildings and furnishing. NIST has available considerable well-documented data for 

smoke and toxic products produced in full-scale residential fires. A project is underway 

to subject specimens from complex products (chairs, electrical cables, bookcases, etc.) to 

several different laboratory-scale test methods to determine the extent to which accurate 

toxic-potency data for smoke can be obtained, compared with data from room burns of 

the full objects. 
38 

 Egress modeling is receiving considerable attention. A thorough technical 

foundation for egress modeling has three elements: building details, human behavior, and 

the movement of people. Research on these elements should lead to models as well as 

codes and standards. 

Modeling of Fires 

 The well-known Fire Dynamics Simulator has provided the foundation for much 

of NIST’s fire research over the past decade. Its development by NIST took 30 years of 

patient research. Fire protection engineers now use it worldwide. The engineer typically 

specifies the geometry and heat-release rate of the fire, and the code then predicts the 

subsequent movement of the smoke and hot products of combustion. It provides 

excellent visualization, is easy to use, and is surprisingly fast on a typical personal 

computer. There have been several recent improvements in the numerics in the code of 

interest to CFD specialists. These include employing the dynamic Smagorinsky closure, 

optimizing scalar transport, and implementing the Werner-Wengle wall-stress model. 

 FDS is limited in its ability to predict the fire spread or growth rates of hazardousscale fires. This limitation prevents the use of FDS to predict whether a small fire will 

grow and transition into a big fire. It is a serious limitation. The difficulty arises from 

the fact that thermal radiation dominates the heat transfer in hazardous-scale fires, and 

FDS lacks a validated treatment for thermal radiation. As a result, engineers using FDS 

must specify the fire heat-release rate rather than letting the model calculate the heatrelease rate. To move forward the division needs to reach out to other organizations for 

the expertise in measuring and modeling thermal radiation in fires. Other institutions, 

including the commercial insurance company FM Global and the Sandia National 

Laboratories (SNL), are currently moving the state of the art forward. Both FM Global 

and SNL have decades of experience in both measuring and modeling the heat transfer 

taking place in large fires. 

Large Fire Laboratory 

 NIST has recently upgraded its Large Fire Laboratory (LFL), used by the 

division. Soon to be attached to the LFL will be the new National Structural Fire 

Resistance Laboratory. The expanded facilities will have a major impact on the entire 

BFRL program—both technical and managerial. There is a need for added staff. It will 

also require considerable managerial resources and a business plan for the operation of 

the facility over the next several years. 

 Measurements taking place inside large fires can be technically demanding. 

Instruments must be extraordinarily rugged to survive large-fire environments. The 

division was pleased to report its reduction in the uncertainty in the measurement of the 

rate of heat release from fires in the LFL. This reduced uncertainty increases the quality 

of the facility and its potential for national use. The BRFL should consider having a 

biannual workshop among the three leading U.S. large-fire research laboratories (NIST, 

FM Global, and SNL) dedicated to advancing measurement techniques specific to large 

fires. 
39 

Fire Grants Program 

 The Fire Grants Program, even though shrunk by a factor of eight in inflationadjusted terms since the 1980s, has proven to be a vital resource in stimulating research 

in areas critical to the BFRL’s needs and in developing future fire researchers in 

universities. The grants program, together with workshops and Cooperative Research 

and Development Agreements, are vital tools for focusing the rest of the nation in 

important research in fire science and engineering. 

ADEQUACY OF INFRASTRUCTURE 

 The panel did not learn anything suggesting that the facilities in this priority area 

need improvement. The division is appropriately using ARRA funding for the new 

buildings. The staff has also devoted much time and effort to improving the general 

awareness of safety. For this they are to be commended. Even though the technical work 

reviewed is of high quality, there are significant areas not being addressed—specifically, 

measurements and modeling of flame heat transfer including thermal radiation. 

 Important technical staff members have been lost through promotion and 

retirement. Staff with leadership potential need to be added in these areas. 

ACHIEVEMENT OF OBJECTIVES AND IMPACT 

 The dissemination of the results of this work to the research and customer 

communities is excellent. 

CONCLUSIONS 

 The panel’s overall conclusions are as follows: 

 The innovative BFRL Fire Research Division ably serves the national needs 

and is clearly superior to other research centers worldwide for excellence in 

fire research serving the national needs. Other fire research centers target 

different areas of specialization. 

 The modeling of the physics and chemistry of fire is the fundamental strength 

of the division. Maintaining this strength will require adding staff with 

leadership potential and expertise in the modeling of flame heat transfer 

within fires. 

 The division does an excellent job of interacting with customers, but it does 

not always take advantage of leading work taking place around the world 

(China, FM Global, and the Sandia National Laboratories). 

RECOMMENDATIONS 

 The recommendations of the panel based on its assessment of the Strategic 

Priority Area of Measurement Science for Innovative Fire Protection are as follows: 

 The BFRL should add staff with leadership potential and expertise in the 

modeling of flame heat transfer within fires. 
40 

 For the Large Fire Laboratory, additional staff are needed. Considerable 

managerial resources and a business plan for the operation of the facility over 

the next several years are also needed. The BRFL should consider holding a 

biennial workshop among the three leading U.S. large-fire research 

laboratories (NIST, FM Global, and the Sandia National Laboratories) 

dedicated to advancing measurement techniques specific to large fires. 
41 

7 

Overarching Issues 

 Several areas cut across the five Strategic Priority Areas, impacting all aspects of 

BFRL’s work, as discussed in this chapter. 

OFFICE OF APPLIED ECONOMICS’ SUPPORT OF AND INTEGRATION 

WITH LABORATORY INITIATIVES 

 Staff from the Office of Applied Economics at the BFRL have traditionally 

worked on projects led by other groups in the laboratory, both to help identify and to rank 

proposed projects and to facilitate the likelihood of implementing successful outcomes by 

accounting for human interaction and response to evolving technologies. The 

promulgation of measures and standards for the use and application of emerging science 

is only as successful as they are understood and used effectively. Historically, when 

BFRL activities were organized according to disciplinary unit, this crosscutting 

responsibility of OAE staff led to an awkward review and reporting process. Now, with 

the implementation of laboratory-wide strategic goals that are supported by 

multidisciplinary teams, most units within the BFRL function in this interdisciplinary 

mode. 

 A unique feature of the staff in the OAE is that most staff members have 

multidisciplinary backgrounds and/or experience. Many hold advanced degrees in 

economics, but with academic or industrial experience in engineering or the physical or 

natural sciences. Identifying potential staff candidates with these combinations of 

expertise is difficult because few institutions or universities are organized to facilitate 

cross-disciplinary activity. However, since the review 2 years ago, the OAE has been 

successful in filling four vacant positions with well-qualified individuals through 

extensive informational and recruiting activities. Since the primary assets for OAE’s 

activities are the number and caliber of its staff, supported by adequate computational 

tools and informational access, this group has sustained a high degree of technical merit, 

given its recent hires and the ongoing training of existing staff. 

 Currently, the OAE budget seems adequate to achieve the stated goals, but with 

additional resources there might be much more that the OAE could do to further BFRL’s 

objectives. 

 At the highest level, since the ultimate objective of many activities at the BFRL is 

to establish measures of performance and standards for the evaluation of alternatives that 

facilitate the economical introduction of evolving technologies, it would be useful to 

establish criteria for when, why, and how such standards are to be promulgated. 

Competing considerations include how a new measure and/or standard might speed the 

commercialization and widespread adoption of a new technology, material, or system 

versus how the premature adoption of a standard might inhibit further technological 

innovation. A second consideration is the likelihood that, in the absence of an industry 

standard, an individual firm might define that standard implicitly with its own unique 

product in order to monopolize the industry. Thus while the prospect of gaining market 
42 

power may provide a powerful incentive to innovate, once a single firm is in control, 

particularly when it has a unique grip on an essential link to other aspects of the industry, 

additional incremental innovations may be stifled. These are threshold issues that set the 

context for performing a cost-benefit evaluation of the desirability of developing a new 

standard. 

 Since the focus at the BFRL has been on establishing and implementing 

performance-based (rather than prescriptive) standards, the OAE staff has been 

particularly valuable in devising methodologies for evaluating the merits of trade-off 

technologies and/or techniques. Examples abound in methods for selecting least-cost, 

safe, and environmentally benign building methods and materials as applied to the zeronet-energy-building goal. The staff not only identifies methods for estimating the value 

of each measure of a desirable outcome, they do so in a conformable manner so that the 

evaluation of trade-offs is facilitated. The standards prepared by the OAE staff typically 

are of a decision-making procedure or process that is intended to help potential users 

make their own evaluations, and state-of-the-art methodologies are typically employed as 

long as they can be set up in a user-friendly manner. 

 An added step that should be implemented in the future, now that a number of 

these evaluation standards have been in place for a number of years, is to compare actual 

performance and outcomes with those estimated using these methodological evaluation 

standards. A systematic ex post validation process might reveal differences between the 

predicted and actual performance of systems and components resulting from both 

technological deterioration and unanticipated human intervention and performance. 

Those disparities might then be anticipated and incorporated into the establishment of 

subsequent standards. One illustration might be the use of “real-options” decisionmaking processes to augment life-cycle-costing methodologies. 

 Another area warranting additional attention is in devising measures of 

construction productivity. The key is the proper identification and measurement of what 

is wanted as society moves into an age of sustainability. Life-cycle cost per unit area 

may simply be inadequate unless all other attributes that are valued by users and society 

can be measured in terms of dollars. As an example: are different measures required for 

constructing new space as compared to rehabilitating existing space, and is the trade-off 

between the two evaluated in a way that accounts for the environmental consequences? 

 If society is to enhance its anticipation of unintended consequences that might 

arise from the implementation of a particular measure, procedure, or standard, it helps if 

individuals with diverse training and experience are deployed to work on the goal. 

Therefore, in order to sustain the desired talent pool of multidisciplinary individuals at 

the BFRL, it is essential to continue to overcome disciplinary-based institutional barriers 

to hiring new staff. 

CODES AND STANDARDS 

 In this section the role of the Building and Fire Research Laboratory in the 

development of codes and standards is described, supplementing coverage in the chapters 

on the individual priority areas. 

1. Assessment Criterion: The technical merit of the current laboratory programs 

relative to current state-of-the-art programs worldwide. 
43 

 Relative Technical Caliber: The work of the BFRL reviewed during the 

panel’s visit is of the highest technical caliber. It compares very favorably 

with work being done by others around the world. The search by the 

BFRL for a codes and standards manager is to be commended. The 

management of codes and standards activities will coordinate the efforts of 

the programs in the BFRL. It will also further the implementation in 

building codes of the measurement science improvements for fire and life 

safety of the type that evolved from BFRL’s involvement in the analysis 

of the World Trade Center disaster. The WTC effort gained much positive 

recognition for the BFRL, and having a manager for codes and standards 

in place will allow the BFRL to continue its leadership role in the 

development of measurement science that leads to improved codes and 

standards. 

 Relevance: The BFRL has the role of identifying needs for new 

measurement science to help in the later development of standards. Thus 

the work of the BFRL is by its nature ahead of the adopted codes and 

standards in the construction industry. This is the proper role for the 

BFRL to play. By aspiring to create new measurement standards, the 

BFRL creates “proto-standards,” which lead in turn to widely used codes 

and standards. BFRL staff is well informed of work taking place in other 

national laboratories, at universities, in private industry, and in other 

nations. The staff has long-standing and active relationships with other 

research facilities and organizations around the world. 

 Balance: Although the BFRL does much of its work in groundbreaking 

research into new fields, such as sustainable materials and fire research, it 

also provides input into the development of codes and standards for 

immediate use. The active participation of the BFRL in the development 

of new building code requirements based on the experiences gained in the 

WTC failure analysis have resulted in revisions that are now in place in 

the International Building Code. The BFRL also maintains active 

participation with standards development organizations such as the 

ASTM, the ISO, and the National Fire Protection Association, where 

laboratory staff serves on committees that develop new standards for use 

in the construction industry and also leads the measurement science efforts 

to identify needs for potential upcoming standards. The BFRL balances 

the short-term development of new standards for use in prescriptive design 

with the longer-term goal of providing a good basis for the future 

development of performance-based codes and standards. 

2. Assessment Criterion: The adequacy of the laboratory budget, facilities, 

equipment, and human resources, as they affect the quality of the laboratory’s 

technical programs. 

 Available Tools: The National Structural Fire Resistance Laboratory that 

has been designed and on which construction will start in the fall of 2010 

will fill an important gap in the fire test facilities at the BFRL. Also 

coming to the NIST site is a new test house for use in studying methods 

for achieving net-zero-energy buildings. This facility will allow the BFRL 
44 

to measure the performance of various energy conservation technologies 

and techniques and that of local energy generation technologies. The NetZero Energy Residential Test Facility will allow the reconfiguration of 

many of its component parts to facilitate installation of new technologies 

and test protocols as they are developed. 

 Critical Mass: As noted above, the hiring of a new manager of codes and 

standards will fill an important gap in the organization and staffing of the 

laboratory. The various groups working at the BFRL have been making 

contributions to the codes and standards developments discussed above, 

but this new overall manager will coordinate the efforts of the various 

groups. The BFRL has adequate funding for the efforts that it has 

underway and that are planned for the immediate future. It is hoped that 

the recent level of funding for the laboratory can be maintained or even 

increased. 

 Agility: The BFRL has done an excellent job in responding to the 

increasing demand for measurement science associated with several fields 

of research directly related to codes and standards development. One of 

these is sustainable design. The demand for “green” technologies and 

materials is growing rapidly. There is a great need for assessment 

techniques and measurements to benchmark the use of various materials 

and technologies. The BFRL is among the leaders in identifying 

measurement science needs for these initiatives. 

 The BFRL has also responded to the need for a reduction in the use 

of materials and processes with global-warming potential. The BFRL has 

been pioneering new efforts to move toward the design, construction, and 

maintenance of buildings that have a net-zero-energy-use budget. The 

BFRL is meeting the needs curve for net-zero buildings by helping to 

create measurement science techniques to close the technology gap that 

currently prevents the widespread construction of such buildings. 

 Further, the BFRL has been doing outstanding work in the field of 

fire science for fires in the wildland-urban interface. Through partnerships 

with various fire protection organizations such as NFPA, the National 

Association of State Fire Marshals, and other laboratories, the BFRL has 

created test equipment to duplicate burning brands that often spread 

wildfires in urbanized areas. 

3. Assessment Criterion: The degree to which laboratory programs in 

measurement science, standards, and services achieve their stated objectives 

and desired impact. 

 Technical Planning: The implementation of Stage-Gate project planning 

and review techniques puts in place an ongoing improvement process for 

project and laboratory management. The stated goal of producing 

performance-based codes and standards is admirable and proper for the 

BFRL. This goal is ahead of the capabilities of the construction industry 

to implement widely at this time, but it is nonetheless the right thing for 

the BFRL to be doing—leading by example. 
45 

 Dissemination: The construction industry is very fragmented, with many 

small component parts. The BFRL does a good job of informing this 

diverse audience. The participation of the laboratory in the codes and 

standards development processes exposes other participants in those 

processes to the work of the BFRL. 

 Impact: BFRL’s participation has historically been very good in standards 

development. Starting with the World Trade Center review, the BFRL is 

now moving into the building code development process as well. There is 

a need for new measurement science at both component and systems 

levels in construction. Since buildings are typically one-of-a-kind and 

built on-site, designers need information about the performance of 

subsystem components as well as ways of determining the performance of 

complex systems after they are assembled. The BFRL has the means and 

programs in place to contribute to addressing these needs. The BFRL has 

a mission to foster the development of new measurement science for new 

materials and techniques. The BFRL can also improve assessment 

methodologies for existing materials, as they are doing with research into 

such widely used materials as Portland cement. 

 Responsiveness: The BFRL demonstrated great abilities to respond to a 

new need when it rose to the challenge of the WTC failure analysis. This 

brought the BFRL into the public eye in a very beneficial way and brought 

the laboratory into the code development process. The creation of the new 

post of manager of codes and standards will position the BFRL to have an 

ongoing impact in both the codes and standards arenas. 

COMMENTS ON MANAGEMENT 

 Management at the BFRL has several levels. The primary level is that for 

projects, the intermediate level is management of the various divisions, and the top 

management level is for the laboratory as a whole. A number of the key personnel in 

management positions at all levels are likely to retire within the next 3 to 5 years. To the 

extent that certain programs are strongly dependent on the capabilities and leadership of a 

single individual, it is imperative to develop a plan to identify new managers, either from 

within the existing laboratory staff or through active outside recruitment. BFRL 

management should consider developing a formal succession planning program for 

technical staff in key management areas. Also, leadership training and staff development 

programs currently in place to develop new technical expertise and technical managers 

should be continued. 

 The implementation of Stage-Gate project planning and review techniques put in 

place an ongoing improvement process for project and laboratory management. The 

process is still in a state of rollout, and several areas should be considered as next steps. 

The review team did not see inclusion of clear milestones with specific time frames. The 

use of the Stage-Gate process to move the programs toward transition would benefit from 

receiving more precision by project leaders. The impact of results has been good in many 

cases, but without independent review, some major projects may not achieve their 

potential impact. Cross-programmatic reviews by nonproject personnel and the 

development of laboratory-wide review material and templates should be considered. 
46 

 The Stage-Gate process has also led to increased consistency and cohesion across 

the BFRL. It has also assisted in the targeting of resources toward a focus on highimpact areas. The staff should continue to manage and prioritize projects using this tool. 

The staff should also refine the metrics of the tool based on experience with project 

outcomes and do postmortem analyses of projects to learn from the use of the process. 
47 

8 

Overall Conclusions 

 The work of the Building and Fire Research Laboratory is of the highest technical 

quality. It compares very favorably with work being done in similar research institutions 

around the world, with some exceptions. For example, in the High-Performance 

Buildings Program it is difficult to attain international leadership through “R&D push” 

alone, while at the same time meeting the needs of an industry whose innovative capacity 

is being pulled in a different direction by energy pricing and regulatory policies over 

which NIST has no control. For that reason, the panel strongly endorses recent efforts to 

adopt a Stage-Gate process and to lay the foundation for, or help the construction 

industry prepare for possible implementation of, whole-building performance standards. 

Both of these efforts will position the BFRL to realign its R&D priorities promptly if 

emphasis shifts to “demand pull” policies of the types being implemented in Europe and 

Asia: for example, pricing carbon emissions or taxing energy, or whole-building 

performance standards aimed at forcing industry to develop technologies that may not be 

cost-effective at prevailing energy prices. 

 The BFRL has an excellent record of publishing in peer-reviewed journals and of 

collaboration with universities nationally and internationally. The outcome of the BFRL 

research will advance progress toward achieving a renewal of the nation’s physical 

infrastructure; better-quality, faster, safer, and less-costly construction; global 

competitiveness; and the protection of life and property. 

 The BFRL has responded effectively to the 2008 assessment panel 

recommendation that it adopt project management tools such as those used in industry. 

The implementation of Stage-Gate project planning and review techniques provides an 

ongoing improvement process for project and laboratory management. The stated goal of 

producing performance-based codes and standards is admirable and proper for the 

laboratory. For example, in the Strategic Priority Area on Measurement Science for 

Disaster-Resilient Structures and Communities, the research staff has, in a relatively short 

period of time, undertaken a broad range of projects, from the so-called ATC Roadmap, 

intended to bridge the gap between scientific earthquake analysis and engineering 

practice, to the assessment of first-generation seismic design methods and the 

development of efficient nonlinear seismic measurement science tools. With the 

implementation of laboratory-wide strategic goals that all are supported by 

multidisciplinary teams, most units within the BFRL now function in this 

interdisciplinary mode. 

 Good use of ARRA funding has been made for both upgrading BFRL facilities 

and investing in the National Structural Fire Resistance Laboratory and the Net-Zero 

Energy Residential Test Facility. The demands on staff time and resources to 

commission the NSFRL raise concerns regarding the need to develop a model for the 

sustained operation of this significant capital investment, involving coordination of inhouse and extramural activities, and to develop a protocol for the selection of extramural 

projects and collaborative activities. Of equal concern is the impact that the planning and 

maintenance of the mandated Disaster and Failure Events Studies and Data Archiving 
48 

initiative will have on the professional staff and its ability to continue, in view of the 

episodic nature of the failure investigations, to discharge ongoing programmatic 

responsibilities at the BFRL effectively. 

 The BFRL staff and management have addressed a pressing need to improve 

safety through upgrading facilities and improving safety management systems. 

 In the area of staffing, the BFRL is currently able to meet existing needs, but as 

more senior researchers retire, replacing them may be difficult. Not replacing key staff 

may lead to deficiencies in core competencies. On the plus side, there are leadership 

training and staff development programs in place to develop new technical expertise and 

technical managers. The outreach program to students at universities should be 

continued so as to recruit young talent and to provide postdoctoral fellowships to handle 

an increased workload. 

 The work of the BFRL’s professional staff has achieved significant recognition in 

the building codes and standards community and has been successful in moving research 

products into standards. The BFRL has done an excellent job in responding to the 

increasing demand for measurement science associated with several fields of research 

directly related to codes and standards development. An added step that might be 

implemented, now that a number of these evaluation standards have been in place for a 

number of years, is to compare actual performance and outcomes with those estimated 

using these methodological standards. The creation of the new post of manager of codes 

and standards will position the BFRL to have an ongoing impact in both the codes and 

standards arenas. Efforts should continue to focus on implementing performance-based 

standards and integrating life-cycle concepts into building design and construction 

practices. 

 NIST is well positioned to provide technological leadership and the consequent 

ability to influence a competitive positioning of the United States in the building and firesafety industries. As described in this report, the BFRL has a broad spectrum of 

opportunities and potential to expand its scope of inquiry and analysis. These include 

adding staff with leadership potential in the modeling of flame heat transfer in order to 

maintain the BFRL traditional leadership in modeling fire; defining an appropriate role 

for the BFRL at a time when nuclear power is seeing a rebirth; integrating the concepts of 

life-cycle analysis and sustainability into building performance assessment; and 

anticipating the kinds of measurement science needed to support the transition to 

performance-based standards and the Smart Grid as well as the multidimensional nature 

of building performance (energy, air quality, comfort, and electronic noise).