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Engineering Laboratory

News and Updates

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New IEEE Technical Committee on "Performance Evaluation and Benchmarking of Robotic and Automation Systems" Co-founded by ISD Staff

July 9, 2009

The IEEE Robotics and Automation Society approved formation of a new Technical Committee entitled "Performance Evaluation and Benchmarking of Robotic and

NIST Study Offers First Detailed Look at the Progress of a Wildland-Urban Fire

June 16, 2009

A wildfire rages across southern California wildlands towards residential communities, endangering residents and firefighters and sending property up in smoke

NIST Processes to Help Build Next-Generation Nuclear Power Plants

June 2, 2009

Information exchange processes developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will be at the center of the effort to design and build

High Rise Fire Study Provides Insight Into Deadly Wind-Driven Fires

May 5, 2009

Fire researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have just published two reports providing details of how wind affects fires in

NIST Researcher Dan Madrzykowski Named Fire Service Instructor of the Year

May 5, 2009

Daniel Madrzykowski of the National Institute of Standards and Technology was named George D. Post Instructor of the Year for 2009 by the International Society

New Study: Home Energy Savings Are Made in the Shade

May 5, 2009

Trees positioned to shade the west and south sides of a house may decrease summertime electric bills by 5 percent on average, according to a recent study of

NIST Stairwell Evacuation Study Finds 'What We Know We Don't Know'

March 24, 2009

Most of the time, we use the stairs in buildings—especially in high-rise structures—only as a back-up for faster elevators and escalators, but during a fire or

Comments Sought on NIST Guidelines for Structural Fire Resistance

March 10, 2009

A new draft report released for public comment by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides a comprehensive set of "best practice"

Photo of researchers from France's National Scientific and Technological Institute and NIST with the SPHERE

NIST and French Lab to Study Weathering of Advanced Composites for Bridges and Piers

February 24, 2009

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has signed an agreement to collaborate with the French Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussées

Live Fire Experiments Provide Data on the Effects of Fire Resources

February 5, 2009

ROCKVILLE, Md.—At a live demonstration of fire safety experiments today, a group of firefighting, public safety and scientific organizations described a

The barely visible blue-green area at the top of this X-ray image of concrete with the NIST nanoadditive shows that very few chloride ions penetrate into the concrete.

Viscosity-Enhancing Nanomaterials May Double Service Life of Concrete

January 27, 2009

Engineers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are patenting a method that is expected to double the service life of concrete. The key

Carbon Nanofibers Cut Flammability of Upholstered Furniture

December 9, 2008

Carbon, the active ingredient in charcoal, is normally not considered a fire retardant, but researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology

Graphic showing the buckling of WTC 7 Column 79

NIST Releases Final WTC 7 Investigation Report

November 25, 2008

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) last week released its final report on the Sept. 11, 2001, collapse of the 47-story World Trade Center

Robots being trained to map spaces using their sensors

Rescue Robot Exercise Brings Together Robots, Developers, First Responders

November 25, 2008

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) held a rescue robot exercise in Texas last week in which about three dozen robots were tested by

NIST Leads Revision of International Coordinate Measuring Machine Standard

November 25, 2008

A new testing procedure just published by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) represents the final step in a decade-long effort led by the

Final Strategic Plan for Earthquake Hazard Studies Published

November 25, 2008

The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) has just published a new strategic plan to guide the activities of the four federal agencies that

NIST researcher Cynthia Howard Reed and guest researcher Lance Wallace

Nanoparticles in the Home: More and Smaller Than Previously Detected

November 12, 2008

Extremely small nanoscale particles are released by common kitchen appliances in abundant amounts, greatly outnumbering the previously detected, larger-size

Fire Videos Dramatize Christmas Tree Safety Measures

October 28, 2008

As the weather grows cold and people start planning for the holidays, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have released two

Government Issues R&D Agenda for "Net-Zero" Energy Green Buildings

October 22, 2008

WASHINGTON—Today, the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) released a report describing R&D activities that could decrease use of natural resources

Microtomography image of the pore structure of a fireproofing material

Baked Slug—New Method to Test Fireproofing Material

October 1, 2008

In a high-temperature blaze, how well does a fireproofing material shield a building's important steel structures from heat? Answering this question has been

Safer Buildings Are Goal of New Code Changes Based on Recommendations from NIST World Trade Center Investigation

October 1, 2008

GAITHERSBURG, Md.—Future buildings—especially tall structures—should be increasingly resistant to fire, more easily evacuated in emergencies, and safer overall

New Building Code Revisions Adopt NIST Recommendations from WTC Study

October 1, 2008

Future buildings—especially tall structures—should be increasingly resistant to fire, more easily evacuated in emergencies, and safer overall thanks to 23 major

Image of the Virtual Cybernetic Building Test Bed

NIST Research Leads to Revisions in California Building Code

September 16, 2008

In August, California revised its Title 24 Building Standards Code to incorporate use of the automated fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) technology

Dr. Shyam Sunder, NIST lead investigator, answers questions at a news briefing on August 21, 2008, about NIST's three-year study of the collapse of World Trade Center 7.

NIST Releases WTC 7 Investigation Report for Public Comment

September 3, 2008

The fall of the 47-story World Trade Center building 7 (WTC 7) in New York City late in the afternoon of Sept. 11, 2001, was primarily due to fires, the

New NIST Publication Series Addresses Design of Earthquake-Resistant Structures

September 3, 2008

Where can you find some of the latest insights in designing earthquake-resistant buildings joined together with current information on building codes? As part

Advanced communications
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Bioscience
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-Engineering / synthetic biology
--Biofabrication
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--Genome engineering
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-Gene delivery systems
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Buildings and Construction
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Chemistry
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Electronics
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Energy
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Environment
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Forensic Science
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Information technology
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Infrastructure
Manufacturing
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-Robotics in manufacturing
--Agility and adaptability
--Collaborative robots
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--Mobility and industrial autonomous vehicles
--Navigation / actuation / control
--Sensing and perception
-Supply chain
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-Systems engineering
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Materials
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Mathematics and statistics
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Metrology
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Nanotechnology
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Physics
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Public safety
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Resilience
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