112 



At the time of construction, these buildings were state-of-the-art 

 structures in relatively remote locations that provided ideal 

 environments for first-rate science. Thirty years ago, crude 

 integrated circuits barely had been invented. Lasers were an infant 

 technology. And analytical chemists were generally measuring 

 ctemical composition at the part per thousand level, rather than 

 the part per billion level and below common today. 



The combination of advancing age and even more rapidly 

 advancing technology has made NIST's current facilities 

 inadequate for many types of advanced research essential to its 

 mission of providing U.S. industry with the best possible national 

 standards and helping it develop and commercialize very 

 demanding new technologies. The principal problem is a lack of 

 high-quality environmental systems controls to allow precision 

 measurements under predictable, stable conditions. Poor air 

 quality, inadequate temperature and humidity control, lack of 

 vibration isolation, and uneven, unreliable power supplies are 

 major problems at both sites. 



NIST's buildings also are suffering from serious safety and 

 systems capacity problems. Smoke detection and sprinkler system.*- 

 are lacking, serious structural deterioration in building foundations 

 must be repaired, exhaust systems for chemical fumes fail to meet 

 modem standards, and power supplies and a centralized chilled 

 water system for cooling lasers and other energy-intensive 

 research equipment need upgrading. The Boulder site lacks a 

 centralized plant for efficient, reliable heating, air conditioning, 

 and equipment cooling. It also has overhead power lines that are 

 put out of service regularly by high winds and underground water 

 pipes so clogged with rust that water pressure at hydrants is 

 currently less than 40 percent of fire code requirements. 



In a 1990 report to the Department of Commerce, NIST's Visiting 

 Committee on Advanced Technology described the Institute's two 

 sites this way: "Both laboratories have been well cared for and 

 routine maintenance has been exemplary. However, beneath the 

 Institute's attractive exterior, the deterioration and obsolescence of 

 major structures and plant equipment have become so extensive 

 that a 'business as usual' approach is inadequate." 



