by Brianna Crandall — February 3, 2017 — A set of proposed test methods from global standards organization ASTM International will help support the growing number of roofing projects that use liquid-applied polymers. The proposed standard will help manufacturers, testing labs, and the construction industry as they sample, test, and compare products, and facilities managers may be interested in the standard in order to stay informed on building materials trends for their current and future projects.
The proposed standard, being developed by ASTM’s Committee D08 on Roofing and Waterproofing, includes ways to test liquid-applied polymers that are cured to form roofing and waterproofing membranes that are directly exposed to all kinds of weather. By their nature, these materials are seamless. They are also useful when working with complex surfaces and custom-fit projects.
ASTM member Philip Moser notes that these membranes have been traditionally used for waterproofing of elevated parking decks, but that their use for applications like roofing is quickly rising.
Moser, a senior project manager specializing in building technology at Simpson, Gumpertz and Heger, points out:
Delivery to the exact point of application in relatively small containers makes these products particularly attractive for small rooftop terraces, congested urban areas, and roofs that are not accessible by crane, where delivery of larger containers would create logistical problems.
The test methods would be used by manufacturers and testing labs as well as the people who write specifications that indicate which test methods should be used to evaluate physical properties, notes ASTM.
The proposed standard, WK40123, Test Methods for Sampling and Testing Liquid Applied Polymeric Roofing and Waterproofing Membranes that are Directly Exposed to Weather, will be available for purchase from the ASTM Standards and Publications Web page.
ASTM welcomes participation in the development of its standards. For more news in this sector, visit ASTM’s Construction Web page.
