Housing and Building Research Centre (HBRC)

 

 

Founded: 1962

Head: Prof. Dr. Adel El-Malawany, Director

Address:

27 El-Tahrir St. Dokki - Giza - P.O. Box: 1770

Cairo, Egypt

Telephone:  202-3356722, 3356853

Facsimile: 202-3367175, 3351564

E-mail:  hbrc@idsc1.gov.eg

 

Institutional framework:

Governmental, Regional

 

Working languages:

 Arabic, English

 

Areas of activity:

Applied science and technology: Applied physics, construction, energy, industry, information and computers, natural resources, standardization and engineering services, transport and communications

Humanities and social sciences: Human settlements, planning and public administration and population

 

Number of staff:

Research professionals: 186

Support professional: 67

Technicians: 43

Staff total: 601

 

Library holdings:

Number of library volumes: 5,833

Sumter of library periodicals: 344

Other holdings: 23,729

 

Mission and objectives:

HBRC is responsible for scientific research and technical development in the gelds of civil engineering, architectural engineering, science and physical planning. HBRC'S main objective is to conduct strategic studies concerning building, housing and planning.

 

Organizational structure:

HCRC is an independent governmental research establishment under the super-vision of the Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities. The Centre includes the following departments:

- Strength of Materials and Quality Control;

- Housing and Architecture;

- Raw Materials and Processing;

- Building Physics and Environment;

- Reinforced Concrete Structures;

- Theory of Structures and Metallic Construction;

- Soil Mechanics and Foundations;

- Physical Planning.

 

R and D activities/schemes:

HBRC'S research areas include reinforced concrete, metallic

structures, building materials and quality control, soil

mechanics and foundations, raw materials and their

processing, building physics and building cotes. In addition,

HBRC carries out the following:

- Economic analyses for building systems and studies of the

best and most economical systems to serve low-income

families, making use of the surrounding environment;

- Theoretical analyses and experimental studies and verifying

them by conducting field measurements.

 

Training activities:

HBRC holds periodical training courses for engineers all over the nation.

 

Meetings, conferences and seminars:

The Centre hosts scientific conferences and symposia in

addition to meetings for developing the Egyptian Codes of

Practice in different areas.

 

Public services:

HBRC provides the following services:

- Consultation services in related gelds to b0th the public and

private sectors;

- Assistance to the building sector in problems requiring

special expertise or experimental facilities;

- Engineering design in the areas of reinforced concrete,

steel structures, sanitary engineering, surveying and

geotechnical engineering;

- Quality control tasting and routine tests.

- Field investigations.

 

Publications:

Non-recurrent: Findings are published in primary journals and

as research reports, HBRC has published more than 200

papers in national and international journals in the past five years.

 

Links to other organizations:

HBRC cooperates with the Scientific Academy of Research

and Technology, the General Organization for Housing and

Building and most faculties of engineering and science in

Egypt. The Centre also maintains links to the British

Research Establishment (BRE), United Kingdom.

 

Parent body/affiliations:

The Centre is affiliated with the Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities.

 

Information sources:

- Information provided by HBRC dated 24 August 1999

- International Research Centers Directory, 1994-1995