Building codes & standards

News and Updates

A slab of concrete with ragged edges sits on a warehouse floor as researchers use equipment to extract core samples.

NIST Provides Update on Investigation Into the Collapse of Champlain Towers South

September 7, 2023

Preliminary evaluations show additional deviations from design in pool deck construction, no underground voids.

Photo on top showing researchers studying a large concrete structure on a wall; image on bottom showing a heat map of forces on a similar simulated structural column.

New Building Standard Paves the Way for Collapse-Resistant Structures

June 5, 2023

A new building standard can help engineers prevent the worst.

AI Could Set a New Bar for Designing Hurricane-Resistant Buildings

March 29, 2023

Determining the right level of winds to design for is tricky business, but support from artificial intelligence may offer a simple solution.

Projects and Programs

Collapse Assessment of Buildings under Seismic Loading

Completed

NIST recently completed a multi-year study of three structural steel framing systems to evaluate the correlation between ASCE/SEI 7 (ASCE 2010) and ASCE/SEI 41

Sustainable Engineered Materials

Ongoing

To develop and deploy measurement science tools that enable the manufacturing, construction, and transportation industries to reliably assess the performance of

National Fire Research Laboratory: Research Development and Operations Project

Ongoing

At present, there is no research facility in the world that allows scientists and engineers to conduct research on the response of real-scale structural systems

Assessment of Available Collapse Simulation Methods for Use in Performance-Based Seismic Engineering Project

Completed

While it is a key aspect of structural analyses that support current Performance-Based Seismic Engineering (PBSE), "structural collapse" is not clearly defined

Publications

Evaluation of Experimental Methods for Burning Velocity of Flammable Refrigerants

September 25, 2023

Author(s)

Gregory T. Linteris

Elucidating the challenges in extracting ultra-slow flame speeds in a closed vessel - A CH2F2 microgravity case study using optical and pressure-rise data

September 25, 2023

Author(s)

Raik Hesse, Chaimae Bariki, Michael Hegetschweiler, Gregory T. Linteris, Heinz Pitsch, Joachim Beeckmann

Refrigerants with a low global warming potential (GWP) possess mild flammability. Hence, a fundamental understanding of their combustion characteristics is

Simultaneous Particle Image Velocimetry and Schlieren Measurements of Slow-burning Flames

September 25, 2023

Author(s)

Christian Schwenzer, Raik Hesse, Roman Glaznev, Valeri I. Babushok, Gregory T. Linteris, Heinz Pitsch, Joachim Beeckmann

The measurement of laminar flame speed is an essential factor in determining the reactivity, exothermicity, and diffusivity of a combustible mixture. In this

Flame Propagation in Mixtures of Moist O2/N2 Oxidizer with Fluorinated Propene Refrigerants (CF3CFCH2, CF3CHCHF, and CF3CHCH2)

September 25, 2023

Author(s)

Gregory T. Linteris, Valeri I. Babushok, Michael Hegetschweiler

A preliminary kinetic model is presented for the combustion of the refrigerants: 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (R-1234yf), 1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (R-1234ze(E))

Tools and Instruments

The National Fire Research Laboratory

The National Fire Research Laboratory (NFRL) is a unique experimental facility dedicated understanding fire behavior and structural response to fire. The