November 2003

BFRL Monthly Highlights

November 2003

January 2004

February 2004

March 2004

April 2004

PAST Highlights

---

Patent Issued on NIST Integrating Sphere-Based Weathering Device

Patent Number 6,626,052, “Method and Apparatus for Artificial Weathering,” was assigned to Jonathan Martin and Joannie Chin on Sept. 30, 2003, for the device known as the Simulated Photodegradation via High Energy Radiant Exposure (NIST SPHERE). It can uniformly irradiate test specimens with a high ultraviolet radiant flux while accurately and precisely controlling this flux, in addition to other weathering elements such as temperature and relative humidity, in order to predict the service life of polymeric materials. The NIST SPHERE provides a source of high-intensity, collimated UV radiation with a spatial uniformity greater than 95 percent. Ultraviolet radiant fluxes equivalent to approximately 22 “suns” of solar ultraviolet radiation can be achieved at 32 sphere exit ports. Temperature and relative humidity in the specimen chambers attached to the sphere can also be independently and precisely controlled over wide temperature and relative humidity ranges and over long exposure periods.

Additional information on the NIST SPHERE and the NIST Service Life Prediction Program can be found at slp.nist.gov.

Contact:
Joannie Chin
301-975-6815
joannie.chin@nist.gov

 

BFRL Releases BridgeLCC 2.0

BFRL’s Office of Applied Economics recently released BridgeLCC 2.0, a user-friendly, life-cycle costing software tool. The software is designed to assist engineers, material specialists, and budget analysts in determining the life-cycle cost effectiveness of their bridge designs and processes. While BridgeLCC is specially tailored to compare the life-cycle costs of new and conventional bridge materials, it also can be used in comparing alternative conventional materials and for the economic analysis of civil infrastructures other than bridges. The software uses a life-cycle costing methodology based on ASTM Standard E 917 and a cost classification published in NISTIR 5864, The Economics of New-Technology Materials: A Case Study of FRP Bridge Decking. New features introduced in this version of the software include improved Monte Carlo simulation capability, context-sensitive help, an expanded concrete service life prediction tool, and a probabilistic events wizard.

The software and accompanying users manual are available for download at www.bfrl.nist.gov/bridgelcc.

Contact:
Amy Rushing
301-975-6136
amy.rushing@nist.gov

 

 

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