Organization

---

Headquarters

BFRL is the national laboratory dedicated to enhancing the competitiveness of U.S. industry and public safety through performance prediction and measurement technologies and technical advances that improve the life cycle quality of constructed facilities.

Divisions

BFRL Organizational Chart

• Materials and Construction Research   The Materials and Construction Research Division serves as the world-class resource for developing and promoting the use of science-based tools – measurements, data, models, protocols, and reference standards – to enhance (a) the global competitiveness of U.S. industry through innovations in building materials and construction technology, and (b) the safety, security, and sustainability of the nation’s buildings and physical infrastructure.
• Building Environment   The Building Environment Division reduces the cost of designing and operating buildings and increases the international competitiveness of the U.S. building industry by providing modeling, measurement, and test methods needed to use advanced computation and automation effectively in construction, to improve the performance of building equipment and systems.
• Fire Research   The Fire Research Division develops, verifies, and utilizes measurements and predictive methods to quantify the behavior of fire and the means to reduce the impact of fire on people, property, and the environment.  The Division provides leadership for advancing the theory and practice of fire safety engineering, fire fighting, fire investigation, fire testing, fire data management, and intentional burning.

Offices

• Applied Economics  The Office of Applied Economics provides economic products and services through research and consulting to industry and government agencies in support of productivity enhancement, economic growth, and international competitiveness, with a focus on improving the life-cycle quality and economy of constructed facilities.
• National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP)  The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program is the Federal government’s coordinated long-term nationwide program to reduce the risks to life and property in the United States resulting from earthquakes. NEHRP was established by Congress when it passed the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (P.L. 95-124).

Cement and Concrete Reference Laboratory (CCRL)
This group of research associates housed at NIST operates under the sponsorship of AASHTO and ASTM. The group conducts laboratory inspection and proficiency sample programs that promote the quality of testing in construction materials laboratories that test hydraulic cement, concrete, concrete aggregates, and steel reinforcing bars.  CCRL also carries out complementary research planned in consultation with BFRL.

AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory (AMRL)
The primary responsibility of AMRL is to promote uniformity and quality of testing in construction materials testing laboratories.  AMRL's programs currently provide service for the following materials: asphalt binder, emulsified asphalt, hot mix asphalt, aggregate, and soil.  AMRL's mission is achieved through the AASHTO Accreditation Program (AAP), the Laboratory Assessment Program (LAP), and the Proficiency Sample Program (PSP).

 

Privacy Policy / Security Notice / Accessibility  |  Disclaimer  |  FOIA NIST is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce