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[NRC-IRC: who we are and what we do]
On August 1, 1947, the Division of Building Research, later named the Institute for Research in Construction (NRC-IRC), was established to provide a research service to the construction industry and to help ensure affordable and safe housing for a growing population of Canadians. The new organization was also given the mandate to lead the development of the National Building Code of Canada. Since then, NRC-IRC has grown to encompass emergent areas of research in support of the Canadian construction sector.
Today NRC-IRC is at the forefront of construction research and is proud of its accomplishments and the solid reputation that employees have built over the years.
1950s - The construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway, which revolutionized the transport of goods in eastern North America, was the catalyst for some groundbreaking fire research that led to a similar revolution in fire safety guidelines for buildings... [more]
1950s - Major construction in Canada's north during the Second World War drew attention to problems posed by permafrost, a geotechnical condition that affects more than half of Canada's landmass. To address the lack of information about permafrost, a small Permafrost Section was formed in 1950 within the National Research Council's Division of Building Research (DBR)... [more]
1980s - Researchers at the NRC Institute for Research in Construction (NRC-IRC) put their geotechnical expertise to work in the 1980s to help clients allay safety and environmental concerns associated with an oil pipeline in Canada's permafrost zone... [more]
1980s - NRC-IRC helps the Spray Foam Industry hold its market share. Fast action by the NRC-IRC helped the plastic foam insulation industry deal with a technical crisis in the late 1980s stemming from environmental concerns... . [more]
1990s - Researchers undertook a ten-year project to advance the firefighting effectiveness of compressed-air foam bringing the technology to a point where it is now licensed and established as an environmentally friendly fire extinguishment system... [more]
Construction Innovation article
Strengthening the foundation of the construction industry over 60 years
