Skip to main content

Technology Scanning Efforts Highlight New Opportunities In <br>Housing

HUD.GOV HUDUser.gov
eList
HUDUSERNEWS
HUD and the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH)
have released the first issue of Technology Scanning, which compiles
cutting edge research from a broad array of industries, countries, federal
laboratories, and other building sectors to help homebuilders provide
more affordable, durable, safe, and energy-efficient housing to
America's families. This cross-industry information sharing has never
been performed in such a comprehensive manner.

Technology Scanning examines technology developments in other
industries, from other nations, from federal laboratories, and from other
building sectors and identifies potential breakthroughs that could be
transferred and applied to the residential construction industry.
Technology Scanning efforts also include recommending housing
opportunities to industries that traditionally have not marketed to the
housing industry.

Technology Scanning is comprised of a series of 14 fact sheets, each
focusing on one of the following topics: basic materials; building and
envelope technologies; design and Internet tools; electrical;
energy/power systems generation; heating, ventilating, and air
conditioning; indoor environmental quality; information technology;
materials recycling and reuse; plumbing; safety; surfaces and interior
finishes; sustainable design strategies; and thermal and moisture
protection. The series includes dozens of new and existing technologies
that have potential for building-specific applications and technology
transfer. For example, the Basic Materials fact sheet highlights a new
type of plastic that heals its own cracked or fractured areas by generating
resin around the fissures. The material has been developed for the repair
of car bodies, surfboards, Department of Defense applications , pole
vaulting equipment, and cell phones. Researchers are also exploring
applications such as embedding sensors in materials to identify weak
spots or material fatigue, before they fail and cause harm or injury.

Another fact sheet, Sustainable Design Strategies, describes how
building heights, proximity, and street width influence the heat
generation characteristics of the street surfaces and surrounding grounds
in the local urban micro-climate. For example, wide streets that are
poorly shaded generate more heat for the homes around them than
narrow streets, thus contributing to a condition known as the urban heat
island effect. Research is being conducted by the Department of
Architecture and Urban Design at the University of Constantine, Algeria,
and MIT's Department of Architecture on the effects of building design
on building climate and energy use.

This report presents the results of PATH's initial Technology Scanning
efforts. Many of the technologies addressed therein have the potential to
make housing more affordable, durable, and energy-efficient. Future
reports on PATH's Technology Scanning activities will be prepared as
new technology developments are identified.

To learn more about these and other technology developments, download
Technology Scanning from the HUD USER Web site at:
https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/destech/techscan.html.
Readers may also learn more about PATH by visiting https://archives.huduser.gov/portal/consumer/home.html.

--------------------------------------------

You were sent this HUD USER News update because
you expressed interest in receiving a weekly e-mail to
stay abreast of new HUD research and resources. If you
no longer wish to receive this e-mail, please send an
e-mail to hudusernews@huduser.gov with "unsubscribe"
as the SUBJECT.