AN ASSESSMENT OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY BUILDING AND FIRE RESEARCH LABORATORY
FISCAL YEAR 2010
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the panel responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This study was supported by Contract No. SB134106Z011, TO#8, between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the agency that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-16167-1
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-16167-3
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Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.
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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
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.
