News and Updates

Displaying 1 - 25 of 93

a machine 3d printing a single-family home built out of concrete

Spotlight: Shawn Platt and the Concrete Christmas Tree

December 23, 2024

Some people like plastic Christmas trees; others prefer real wood and needles. This year, NIST is printing a tree out of concrete. The tree is not only festive

NIST’s Long Phan and Marc Levitan Receive Service to America Medal

September 10, 2024

The award recognizes their efforts to develop standards and building codes to make structures resistant to tornadoes.

Tornadoes Are Deadly. These New Building Codes Will Save Lives.

July 9, 2024

NIST research has led to the first building code provision for tornado resilience.

Spotlight: NIST Researchers Are Helping Make Communities More Resilient Through Wind Tunnel Testing of Building Models

June 11, 2024

NIST researchers are helping by evaluating building structures through wind tunnel testing.

NIST Earthquake Engineering Group Members Conduct a Preliminary Earthquake Reconnaissance Mission to Turkey

August 31, 2023

In the early morning hours of February 6, 2023, a M W 7.8 earthquake occurred in Turkey, followed by four additional earthquakes throughout the day with MW of 5

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.

Assessing the Fineness of Construction Materials

January 20, 2023

Portland cement powder is characterized by particle size for use in calibrating instruments, measuring fineness characteristics of portland cement, and other

Yalda Saadat poses sitting at a table at home, next to an open laptop and a vase of roses.

Spotlight: Yalda Sadaat Delves Into the Backbone of Urban Life, Infrastructure

November 7, 2022

Infrastructure: There's more to the term than you might think, and civil engineer and researcher Yalda Saadat can shed light on its scope.

Camila Espina Young poses outdoors for a head shot

Once Her Struggle, Now Her Strength: Camila Young Evaluates Shelters in the Wake of Hurricane Maria

October 14, 2022

At NIST, Camila works on a National Construction Safety Team investigation of how critical buildings and systems performed during the storm.

A model of a hospital building is positioned on the floor of a wind tunnel, a hallway structure with small posts on the floor and fans visible at the back.

El NIST presenta avances en el estudio del Huracán María

September 20, 2022

Read in English Mientras que Puerto Rico se recupera de los efectos del Huracán Fiona, NIST continúa su investigación sobre el impacto del Huracán María con la

NIST Reports Progress on Hurricane Maria Study

September 20, 2022

Highlights of tasks recently completed include wind tunnel testing and surveys on emergency communications.

Three people pose smiling for a casual selfie in front of white rectangle of material with some cracks in it.

Spotlight: Examining Solar Panel Materials at the Microscale

September 12, 2022

Before making the investment in an array of solar panels, potential buyers may wonder: How long will the technology last before it breaks down? That’s just what

Large chunks of concrete bristling with rebar and colored flags sit in a warehouse.

June 15, 2022, Update on the NIST Champlain Towers South Investigation

June 15, 2022

The NIST team investigating the partial collapse of the condo building is preparing to begin invasive testing and preparation of physical evidence collected

A steel column with a deep web on the left and a steel column with a shallow web on the right.

Proposed Updates to Steel Building Standard Could Enhance Earthquake Resilience

January 7, 2022

Since the mid-1990s, a type of steel column that commonly features slender cross-sectional elements has become more prevalent in buildings along the West Coast

Major New Building Standard Can Map Out Tornado Threat for the First Time

June 21, 2021

Of the natural hazards in Mother Nature’s arsenal, tornadoes are some of the most vicious. But while other hazards are regularly considered in building designs

The 2020 NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions for New Buildings and Other Structures

February 1, 2021

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) coordinated with the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) and the earthquake engineering

A view of rubble in the central business district of Christchurch, New Zealand, following a devastating earthquake.

New Report Charts Path Toward Superior Earthquake Recovery

January 27, 2021

For the last century, seismic building codes and practices have primarily focused on saving lives by reducing the likelihood of significant damage or structural

NIST Reports Progress in Learning from Hurricane Maria’s Impacts on Puerto Rico

January 22, 2021

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a report summarizing progress in its multi-year study of the impacts of Hurricane Maria

Data Collection Instruments Published Using New NIST Data Collection Instrument (DCI) and Best Practices Publication Series

November 16, 2020

The NIST Engineering Laboratory recently launched the Data Collection Instrument (DCI) and Best Practices publication series. This publication series is

Materials and Structural Systems Division