Applied Research

The work of Federal agencies bridges the gap between background research and technologies developed by industry. Universities and institutional researchers do not focus on developing products for the market, and manufacturers and industrial groups do not always have research development resources. Neither group is likely to conduct the interim work achieved by Federal agencies.

Since its inception, PATH has worked with the largest Federal research facilities performing housing-related work including the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Products Laboratory, the Department of Energy's labs, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. PATH conducts specific research projects to fill the knowledge gap.

• PATH is conducting research on low-e storm windows and electrochromatic windows with the Department of Energy (DOE). PATH and DOE previously collaborated on a field test of advanced duct-sealing technologies within the Weatherization Assistance Program. More DOE Resources.
• PATH collaborates with the USDA Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) on wood research and demonstration projects, such as an exploration of the outdoor durability of wood-plastic composite lumber. More FPL resources.
• To improve the disaster-resistance of housing, PATH coordinates with FEMA on demonstration and outreach projects. More FEMA resources.

Current Projects

Taking "Lean Building" to the Factory

Industrializing the Residential Construction Site - Phase 5 Modification: Virtual Manufacturing

Results of Recent PATH Applied Research

Information Technology to Accelerate and Streamline Home Building (PDF)
PATH has an opportunity to advance information technology (IT) in the home building industry in ways that increase efficiencies and cut costs. Due largely to rapid changes in the IT sector, the means to achieve these goals have changed since PATH first examined IT issues in its first progress report. Information Technology to Accelerate and Streamline Home Building discusses the knowledge that PATH has gained since 2002, and recommends an updated strategy to achieve PATH's IT goals.

Building Moisture and Durability
This document provides recommendations for future research on moisture problems in housing that will help to prevent such problems or resolve them once they have occurred. Recommended research topics are organized under three overarching goals: building improved knowledge about the nature, extent and implications of moisture problems, pursuing a variety of methods for preventing and detecting moisture problems, and taking greater advantage of the potential offered by moisture modeling tools.

Organizing Residential Utilities: A New Approach to Housing Quality
Utilities are run almost haphazardly through the walls of stick-built homes, sometimes compromising structure and insulating integrity, and always making repair and modification difficult. In the future, utilities will become more complicated as homes become centers of work, learning, communication, entertainment, preventative health care, and distributed energy production. This report outlines methods of disentangling utilities, with the goal of increasing the functionality of housing, while reducing its cost.

Content updated on 11/15/2006