by Brianna Crandall — April 3, 2017 — A new guide aims to help predict how building sealant systems will perform over time using accelerated testing methods. The new standard will soon be published as ASTM C1850, Guide for Improved Laboratory Accelerated Tests to Predict the Weathering and for Developing Methods to Predict the Design Life of Building Sealant Systems.
Developed by ASTM International’s Committee C24 on Building Seals and Sealants (C24), ASTM C1850 outlines a systematic way to develop realistic tests that show the long-term impact of weathering and other factors.
ASTM International member Christopher White, a research chemist at the U.S. National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), noted:
It is impossible to know how a product will perform in five to ten years, but you have to select a product now. This new standard is a guide to accelerated test methods that will help determine the performance of products in the future.
White says that the proposed standard could be useful for anyone in charge of choosing or buying a building sealant. He says the new standard could potentially serve as a model for the development of accelerated testing standards for other materials.
To purchase standards, visit ASTM’s Standards & Publications Web page and search by the standard designation. ASTM welcomes participation in the development of its standards.
For more news in this sector, visit ASTM’s Construction Web page.
