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VRML Modeling of the NIST Fire Research Facility Emissions Control System


[Construction sequence animation]   [Click for larger image] The actual Emissions Control System (ECS) has been built to reduce fire test pollutants from the Large Fire Research Facility to levels that will satisfy EPA and Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) regulations. The system includes exhaust hoods and industrial ductwork to capture the test emissions and direct them to the emission control equipment.

The ECS has been modeled in VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) as a test to show how construction process information can be made available through an advanced web-based 3D user interface. Initially it was modeled with a Beam PROTO (macro) to simplify modeling a wide variety of steel beams. Subsequently, the VRML for the structural steel was generated directly from a CIS/2 file.


Use the VRML plugin detector to check if your web browser is properly configured to be able to view VRML files. The following VRML files are displayed properly with most VRML plugins.

If you're interested in your own local copy of most of the VRML models, then download this free zip file to your computer. Unzipping the file will create a directory nist_cic_vrml. Use a web browser to load the file ecs.html in that directory to display a local copy of this web page.

This project was concluded in 2001. All of the VRML models and PROTOs are provided as-is. No support is available.

  • ECS model generated directly from a CIS/2 file. CIS/2 is the CIMsteel Integration Standards.
  • Structural steel from the ECS in a Google Earth model

  • NIST Fire Research Facility ECS (~650 beams) with construction sequence simulation, links to CAD drawings and photographs, and texture mapped terrain. This is the original VRML model using the Beam PROTO described below and is based on a preliminary design which is very different from the final design.
  • Same as above with no links, texture map, fire, or frames.

  • Wind frame assembly and erection - Use the slider to see parts of the wind frame be assembled in the laydown yard and erected into place.
  • Laser range scanning model - building only, no ECS, with laser range scanning point clouds, ~310 Kb to download.   Laser range scanning (LIDAR) is used to capture the geometry of the terrain during the construction process. Only 5% of the points in each point cloud are shown. The terrain shown was not generated from the point cloud data. It was generated by fitting a surface to survey points.
Aerial photos of site: before construction, during construction

Photographs of the completed ECS. Click on a thumbnail for a larger image.

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ECS Model


VRML PROTOs


This software was developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology by employees of the Federal Government in the course of their official duties. Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code this software is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. This software is an experimental system. NIST assumes no responsibility whatsoever for its use by other parties, and makes no guarantees, expressed or implied, about its quality, reliability, or any other characteristic. We would appreciate acknowledgement if the software is used.

This software can be redistributed and/or modified freely provided that any derivative works bear some notice that they are derived from it, and any modified versions bear some notice that they have been modified.

By selecting some of the links above, you will be leaving NIST webspace. We have provided these links to other web sites because they may have information that would be of interest to you. No inferences should be drawn on account of other sites being referenced, or not, from this page. There may be other web sites that are more appropriate for your purpose. NIST does not necessarily endorse the views expressed, or concur with the facts presented on these sites. Further, NIST does not endorse any commercial products that may be mentioned on these sites.

The original URL for this page is http://cic.nist.gov/vrml/ecs.html

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Date created: July 1, 1999
Last updated: October 12, 2006

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