Everything You Need to Know About Building Envelope Testing Accreditation
Several professional organizations help guide the professional standards for building commercial construction. These standards help to drive a higher caliber of work in the building construction industry, allowing the end-user to have a better experience.
If you're new to some of the acronyms, and there are many, it can be confusing trying to understand what relevance they have. Building Envelope Consulting, LLC (BEC) is committed to providing building envelope functional performance testing that meets the highest standards.
To help spread the appreciation of these standards, we want to share what they are and what they mean to you.
ASTM - American Society for Testing Materials ASTM stands for American Society for Testing Materials. A group of scientists and engineers created this organization in the late 1800s to help ensure better standards in developing materials for railroad lines that were frequently failing.
While ASTM doesn't enforce its standards on anyone, many government entities and code organizations recognize their expertise and adopt their standards for quality.
ASTM members don't receive any direct benefits for creating standards, and producers aren't allowed to account for more than 50% of a committee ensuring that standards are ethically set.
BEC follows the ASTM standards including:
• ASTM D7877 Electronic Leak Detection (ELD) Testing • ASTM E779/E1827 Whole Building Pressurization (Blower Door) Testing
• ASTM C1060/C1153 Infrared Facade & Roof Testing
• ASTM D2357 Air Barrier Air Leakage Assembly Testing • ASTM D4541 Air Barrier Adhesion Testing
• And many more
ANSI - American National Standards Institute Like ASTM, ANSI is a nonprofit organization with the mission of evaluating standards to set them to a higher level of quality. ANSI does not develop standards, but they do accredit them, and this independent review ensures that the certified standards are coordinated, developed, and approved by an impartial party.
ANSI standards followed by BEC, LLC:
• ANSI/SPRI IA-1 Roof Uplift Resistance Testing
• ANSI/SPRI FX-1 Fastener Pull Testing
• ANSI/SPRI/FM 4435/ES-1
Wind Design Standard for Edge Systems Used with Low Slope Roofing Systems
USACE - United States Army Core of Engineers
The U.S. Army Core of Engineers was created to support wartime efforts and has been around since George Washington appointed the first engineer to the service during the American Revolution. Today they help set standards for public works, reconstruction of areas that the military has moved on from or is assisting, etc.
USACE testing standards followed by BEC, LLC:
• USACE Whole Building Pressurization (Blower Door) with Infrared Testing w/ ASTM E1186 Site Leak Detection with Smoke Tracer Pen, Fog Machine, and ASTM C1060 Facade Infrared Survey
AAMA - American Architectural Manufacturers Association (Now Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance)
The AAMA has recently joined with the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance (IGMA) to form FGIA. This new organization's vision "focuses on improving home and building performance through better glass, window, door and skylight technologies and standards."
AAMA testing standards followed by BEC, LLC:
• AAMA 501.2/502/503/511 Air & Water Testing
Building Enclosure Commissioning BECx ANSI/ ASHRAE/IES Standard 202-2013 Commissioning Process for Buildings and Systems,
ASTM E2813-12 Standard Practice for Building Enclosure Commissioning and
ASTM E2947 Std Guide for Building Enclosure Commissioning NIBS Guideline 3-2012 Building Enclosure Commissioning Process BECx.
Building Envelope Consulting
Building Envelope Consulting, LLC is here to help you understand the different functional performance testing standards that can help you ensure you're building a high-quality building every time. Our highly trained staff is here to help you answer any questions you might have. We help build betters buildings and reduce your risk. You can contact usor give us a call at 540.999.6232