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Metrication in Building Design, Production, and Construction

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Metrication in Building Design, Production, and Construction A111D3 07DbflQ vi S F ANDARDS 4 ECH R c '! ~| j|°| | | || ' ^ A1 11 £ um u 0307068b' M ( lca,lon in c?; building d 'S3 r QC10O .U57VSW«NO.530. 1978 C.2 NBS-PUB-C 19 i || NBS SPECIAL PUBLICATION OOU " """CM Of U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE / National Bureau of Standards NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS 1 The National Bureau of Standards was established by an act of Congress March 3, 1901. The Bureau's overall goal is to strengthen and advance the Nation's science and technology and facilitate their effective application for public benefit. To this end, the Bureau conducts research and provides: (1) a basis for the Nation's physical measurement system, (2) scientific and technological services for industry and government, (3) a technical basis for equity in trade, and (4) technical services to promote public safety. The Bureau's technical work is performed by the National Measurement Laboratory, the National Engineering Laboratory, and the Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology. THE NATIONAL MEASUREMENT LABORATORY provides the national system of physical and chemical and materials measurement; coordinates the system with measurement systems of other nations and furnishes essential services leading to accurate and uniform physical and chemical measurement throughout the Nation's scientific community, industry, and commerce; conducts materials research leading to improved methods of measurement, standards, and data on the properties of materials needed by industry, commerce, educational institutions, and Government; provides advisory and research services to other Government Agencies; develops, produces, and distributes Standard Reference Materials; and provides calibration services. The Laboratory consists of the following centers: Absolute Physical Quantities 2 — Radiation Research — Thermodynamics and Molecular Science — Analytical Chemistry — Materials Science. THE NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY provides technology and technical services to users in the public and private sectors to address national needs and to solve national problems in the public interest; conducts research in engineering and applied science in support of objectives in these efforts; builds and maintains competence in the necessary disciplines required to carry out this research and technical service; develops engineering data and measurement capabilities; provides engineering measurement traceability services; develops test methods and proposes engineering standards and code changes; develops and proposes new engineering practices; and develops and improves mechanisms to transfer results of its research to the utlimate user. The Laboratory consists of the following centers: Applied Mathematics — Electronics and Electrical Engineering 2 — Mechanical Engineering and Process Technology 2 — Building Technology — Fire Research — Consumer Product Technology — Field Methods. THE INSTITUTE FOR COMPUTER SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY conducts research and provides scientific and technical services to aid Federal Agencies in the selection, acquisition, application, and use of computer technology to improve effectiveness and economy in Government operations in accordance with Public Law 89-306 (40 U.S.C. 759), relevant Executive Orders, and other directives; carries out this mission by managing the Federal Information Processing Standards Program, developing Federal ADP standards guidelines, and managing Federal participation in ADP voluntary standardization activities; provides scientific and technological advisory services and assistance to Federal Agencies; and provides the technical foundation for computer-related policies of the Federal Government. The Institute consists of the following divisions: Systems and Software — Computer Systems Engineering — Information Technology. 'Headquarters and Laboratories at Gaithersburg, Maryland, unless otherwise noted; mailing address Washington, D.C. 20234. ! Some divisions within the center are located at Boulder, Colorado, 80303. The National Bureau of Standards was reorganized, effective April 9, 1978. * RATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS S'EF-fI 1978 METRICATION IN BUILDING DESIGN, PRODUCTION, AND CONSTRUCTION —————— —————-—________________ Spe_<2_t C\| P^^W (Lotion A Compendium of 10 Papers Hans J. Milton Building Economics and Regulatory Technology Division Center for Building Technology National Engineering Laboratory National Bureau of Standards Washington, DC 20234 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Juanita M. Kreps, Secretary Dr. Sidney Harman, Under Secretary Jordan J. Baruch, Assistant Secretary for Science and Technology U- V NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS, Ernest Ambler, Director » »• Issued September 1978 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 78-600086 National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 530 Nat. Bur. Stand. (U.S.), Spec. Publ. 530, 188 pages (Sept. 1978) CODEN: XNBSAV U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1978 For Sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 Stock No. 003-003-01971-2 Price $3.75 (Add 25 percent additional for other than U.S. mailing). Abstract This publication is a compendium of ten papers prepared during 1977 by Mr. Hans J. Milton, Technical Consultant on metrication and dimensional coordination to the NBS Center for Build- ing Technology. It may be used as an information and general reference document in the metric subject area. International experience has enabled the author to refer to precedent in other English-speak- ing countries which have preceded the United States in the change to metric (SI) . The papers are directed at the disciplines of building design, production, and construction. However, they contain much information which could be adapted for use in other sectors of the economy. Some of the subject areas addressed are: management and economics of metrication; specific product metrication; public construction sector role in metrication; building standards and codes in metrication; graphic design in metrication; and, United States' opportunities in metrication. A subject index has been included for ready reference to specific metric topics. Key words: Economics of metric conversion; harmonization; management of change; metric familiarization; metrication; rationalization; SI; standardization; transitional period. iii Preface Metric opportunities and benefits for the various sectors of the U.S. construction community form the central theme, -in this pu.bLLcati.on. The ten papers -in this compendium were written by Hans Hilton within the past yean, white serving as a Technical Consultant on metrication and dimensional, coordination to the MBS Centex for Building Technology. In the. period 1970 to 1974, Mr. Milton was a prominent figure In the Australian change to metric measurement In building design and construction. He was the author of the AustraLian Metric Handbook, "Metric Conversion In Building and Construction." Mr. Hilton also was the Chairman of the Government Construction Sector Committee of the AustraLian Metric. Conversion Board. Currently, Hans Hilton is an Assistant Secretary in the AustraLian department of Environment, Housing and Community development, on loan since August 1976 to the National Bureau of Standards of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Extensive assistance In the. compilation of this document was provided by Ms. Sandra A. Berry. Ms. Berry eduted and harmonized these ten papers, which were prepared each for a (Liferent audience, into a unified compendium. In addition, the cooperation of Ms. Laurie Ertter of the CBT Word Processing Center In typing this material is gratefully acknowledged. This Special Publication contains papers which reflect an authoritative and practical view of various aspects of metrication-- from managing the change Itself, to questions that should be addressed prior to converting a specific Industrial product group to the International System of Units. The papers provide a broad overview of how the change to metric (SI) could benefit the United States contraction community. James G. Gross, Cltlef Buil.du.ng Economics and Regulatory Technology division Center for Building Technology National Engineering Laboratory iv . Terms Used in Text Metric System. A measurement system developed in France during the 1790' s, based on the "meter" and a series of other fundamental units which traditionally have been standardized. The measurement system also contains a set of decimal prefixes which can be attached to ref- erence units to alter their magnitude. SI - The International System of Units. The "modern metric system," in which all units have a coherent (one-to-one) relationship; developed in 1960 by the General Conference on Weights and Measures (GCWM) , which is an international treaty organization, SI has been adopted by all countries which have changed to metric measurement since 1960, and countries using pre-SI systems are changing those; units that have been superseded. Metrication. A term coined in Britain to describe "metric conversion;" any process of change from customary measurement to SI, including the planning and coordination necessary for the change Exact Conversion. The change from a customary value to its "precise" metric equivalent, gen- erally expressed to a number of places of decimals. Soft Conversion. A change in description only, but no physical change; generally a soft con- version is the rounding of an exact conversion within tolerances to a more workable numerical value Hard Conversion. A physical change from an existing numerical value to a new and
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