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Engineering Laboratory

News and Updates

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New AI Model Shows How to Evacuate for Fires One Safe Step at a Time

June 4, 2026

A NIST-led team has created a new AI model that can identify safe evacuation routes in a single-story floor plan during a fire, with a multilevel version in the...

NIST Researchers Discover a New Way to Whisk Alloys Together With Lasers

June 4, 2026

NIST also improved how X-rays are used to study the atomic structure of metals in real time during 3D printing, allowing researchers to observe how materials...

Left side is a photo of a firefighter dressed in full equipment, including heavy clothing, a helmet and a breathing mask. Right side is a diagram showing the three layers typically found in firefighter gear: outer shell, moisture barrier and thermal barrier.

Wear and Tear Changes Measurable PFAS Levels in Firefighter Hoods, Gloves and Wildland Gear

May 13, 2026

In the fourth of an ongoing series of reports, NIST shows that wear and tear increased the levels of PFAS found in hoods and gloves.

NIST Submits Annual Report to Congress Summarizing FY 2025 Progress on National Construction Safety Team Investigations

March 19, 2026

The report includes an overview of work completed on the Champlain Towers South investigation.

Glenn Bell speaks at a podium with an IStructE banner behind him.

NIST’s Glenn Bell Is Awarded Institution of Structural Engineers Gold Medal

November 14, 2025

Bell is the associate lead of NIST’s investigation into the 2021 partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium.

A wide view of a concrete beam assembly inside a large metal frame. A hydraulic arm is part of the metal frame, and it’s posed to press down at a section in the middle where the concrete pieces connect.

NIST Engineers Design 5 New Ways to Connect Concrete Pieces for More Resilient Buildings

September 29, 2025

One of the biggest challenges with precast concrete is connecting the concrete pieces at a job site.

Champlain Towers South Investigation Nears Completion of Technical Work

September 9, 2025

Investigators share likely failure scenarios, advance indicators of building’s distress.

Some Air Cleaners Release Harmful By-Products. Now We Have a Way to Measure Them.

September 2, 2025

Many types of air cleaners can generate small amounts of air pollution. Until now, there was no standard way to measure these negative by-products.

NIST to Provide Updates on Construction Safety Team Investigations in September Advisory Committee Meeting

August 6, 2025

The public meetings will include updates on NIST’s investigations into the impacts of Hurricane Maria and the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South.

A man wearing a yellow hardhat and fire-resistant jacket points to burnt frame of a window.

NIST’s Alex Maranghides Receives Service to America Medal

July 17, 2025

The award recognizes Maranghides for 25 years of work investigating devastating wildfires in the United States and creating actionable guidelines on how to save...

NIST Shares Preliminary Findings From Hurricane Maria Investigation

July 14, 2025

As NIST’s National Construction Safety Team nears the end of its investigation, it has released a video update that highlights significant milestones and...

2025 Material Flammability Research Highlights

June 30, 2025

Members of the Material Flammability Characterization Project recently presented or co-authored a series papers at the 16th International Conference and...

NIST Releases Extensive Video Update on Champlain Towers South Investigation

June 23, 2025

The update reviews the investigation’s history, shares preliminary findings and highlights potential impacts.

A two-lane highway lined with the burnt remains of vehicles that were destroyed by fire while in traffic.

NIST Updates Critical Wildfire Evacuation and Sheltering Guidance

April 24, 2025

The ESCAPE report redefines how to save lives in the face of fast-moving wildfires.

Colorful image shows area of bright colors overlaid with blue cubes at different angles.

Spotlight: Is This the Latest Design by Lisa Frank? No! It’s a Diagram of Crystals in a 3D-Printed Metal.

April 18, 2025

Almost all solid metals are made of repeating patterns of atoms or “crystals.” Understanding the crystal structure of these metals is an important step in...

Horizontal concrete slab is visible in a forest of scaffolding and equipment in a large indoor space.

Champlain Towers South Investigation Team Provides Update to Structural Engineers

April 11, 2025

This outreach will help ensure that the team’s findings and recommendations lead to improvements to codes, standards and practices.

A black and white image of the aluminum alloy under a microscope. Most of the image is light grey, but there are many small black spots that have lines extending out from them like cracks.

Rare Crystal Shape Found to Increase the Strength of 3D-Printed Metal

April 7, 2025

NIST researchers have found special atomic patterns called quasicrystals in 3D-printed aluminum alloys.

NIST Report to Congress Provides Update on Champlain Towers South Investigation

February 5, 2025

The report notes that the team has completed all experimental work on the physical evidence from the building’s structural elements.

NIST Hosts Second Stakeholder Workshop on Digital Twins

January 1, 2025

On January 14, 2025, NIST held the second of three stakeholder workshops in its ongoing series on Digital Twins, building upon the initial workshop held in...

NIST Researchers Meet with NHTSA Experts to Share Approaches to Assessment of Automated Vehicle System Performance

January 1, 2025

Measurement science and standards are needed to support the safe and predictable operation of future automated vehicles (AVs), and to realize their potential to...

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...

PFAS Found in Firefighter Gloves, Hoods and Wildland Gear

December 17, 2024

The amount of PFAS in each sample varied greatly, so it may be possible to design gear that reduces exposure.

NIST Transfers Evidence From Champlain Towers South to Miami-Dade Police Department

November 21, 2024

The National Construction Safety Team has reached an important milestone in its investigation into the 2021 partial collapse of Champlain Towers South.

AI Can ‘Hear’ When a Lithium Battery Is About to Catch Fire

November 14, 2024

NIST researchers have trained AI to detect the telltale sound even in noisy environments.

NIST Hosts Annual Meeting for the Technical Language Processing Community of Interest

November 1, 2024

On 24-25 September 2024, NIST hosted the annual meeting for the Technical Language Processing Community of Interest (TLP COI) . This year’s meeting centered on...

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