Reclamation-NIST Exploratory Research Symposium Summary Report

Published

April 6, 2016

Author(s)

Nicholas Barbosa, Jessica Torrey

Abstract

The Reclamation-NIST Exploratory Research Symposium was held on August 4-5, 2015, at the Reclamation Denver Federal Center facility in Lakewood, CO, and the NIST facility in Boulder, CO. Staff from the Bureau of Reclamation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) participated, as well as guest representatives from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The workshop objective was to identify specific areas in ongoing research where collaboration between Reclamation and NIST would be mutually beneficial. The Bureau of Reclamation has wide-ranging responsibility for water infrastructure and supply in the western United States. NIST provides the measurement science, in support of standards, needed for efficient use of materials such as steel, concrete, and polymers, as well as expertise in a range of environmental measurements. It was recognized that the two agencies have complementary capabilities in applied engineering and basic science research. The Reclamation-NIST Exploratory Research Symposium was created as a forum for specific information exchange on mission-critical research projects in two topic areas: Infrastructure Sustainability and Water Management and Measurement. Three topics areas were identified as high priority for future collaboration: Composite Materials, Concrete Shrinkage and Cracking, and Water Quality. These topics were deemed focus areas for both Reclamation and NIST and had specific staff members from each organization interested in leading potential collaborations. Collaboration opportunities between the two organizations were defined to range from simple goals, such as a commitment to share information, to actual joint research projects, which have a shared goal broken down into separate but interdependent research tasks.

Citation

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

Pub Weblink

http://www.usbr.gov

Pub Type

Websites

Keywords

Reclamation, water, infrastructure, interagency, corrosion

Citation

Barbosa, N. and Torrey, J. (2016), Reclamation-NIST Exploratory Research Symposium Summary Report, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, [online], http://www.usbr.gov (Accessed June 5, 2025)