April 5, 2017 — A new guide will soon be published that can help predict how building sealant systems will perform over time using accelerated testing methods. The standard, C1850, Guide for Improved Laboratory Accelerated Tests to Predict the Weathering and for Developing Methods to Predict the Design Life of Building Sealant Systems, was developed by ASTM International’s committee on building seals and sealants.
The guide outlines a systematic way to develop tests that show the long-term impact of weathering and other factors.
Christopher White, a research chemist at the U.S. National Institute for Standards and Technology, and an ASTM International member, says, “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 sealants. The new standard could potentially serve as a model for the development of accelerated testing standards for other materials.
For more news in this sector, visit www.astm.org/sn-construction.
ASTM Committee C24 on Building Seals and Sealants Next Meeting: June 11-13, 2017, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Media Inquiries: Dan Bergels, tel +1.610.832.9602; dbergels@astm.org
Technical Contact: Christopher White, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Md., tel +1.301.975.6016; christopher.white@nist.gov
ASTM Staff Contact: Julia Moynihan, tel +1.610.832.9681; jmoynihan@astm.org
