Abstract
CERL has completed a 10 year field exposure study of PVC roofing membrane materials. The intent of the CERL study was to compare the results of lab tests of membrane properties with field performance. Periodically, over the 10 years, CERL visually inspeccted the roofs to evaluate their perofrmance and removed samples for lab characterization of selected mechanical and physical properties. NIST conducted statistical analysis of the 10 year data set. The paper summarizes the results of the field observations and analyses. Membranes from three manufacturers were installed at Chanute Air Force Bae, Illinois, Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, and Ft Polk, Louisiana. A major difference int he roof constrctions was that at Chanute, the membranes were ballasted, whereas at Dugway & Ft Polk, they were mechanically attached and adhered. Performance was generally satisfactory at Dugway & Ft Polk, whereas problems related to shattering and splitting occurred at Chanute. Because of the less than satisfactory performance at Chanute, the data analysis focused on determining whether changes in any of the measured properties were consistently different for samples from Chanute than for samples from Dugway and Ft. Polk. The results did not, in general, discriminate between the performance of the PVC membranes at Chanute and those at Dugway and Fort Polk. It was observed that, with one exception, thethickness of the samples decreased over time, and the ballasted samples experienced the greatest decrease. This result is discussed in relation to recent data published by the CIB/RILEM committee on Membrane Roofing Systems.
CERL has completed a 10 year field exposure study of PVC roofing membrane materials. The intent of the CERL study was to compare the results of lab tests of membrane properties with field performance. Periodically, over the 10 years, CERL visually inspeccted the roofs to evaluate their perofrmance and removed samples for lab characterization of selected mechanical and physical properties. NIST conducted statistical analysis of the 10 year data set. The paper summarizes the results of the field observations and analyses. Membranes from three manufacturers were installed at Chanute Air Force Bae, Illinois, Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, and Ft Polk, Louisiana. A major difference int he roof constrctions was that at Chanute, the membranes were ballasted, whereas at Dugway & Ft Polk, they were mechanically attached and adhered. Performance was generally satisfactory at Dugway & Ft Polk, whereas problems related to shattering and splitting occurred at Chanute. Because of the less than satisfactory performance at Chanute, the data analysis focused on determining whether changes in any of the measured properties were consistently different for samples from Chanute than for samples from Dugway and Ft. Polk. The results did not, in general, discriminate between the performance of the PVC membranes at Chanute and those at Dugway and Fort Polk. It was observed that, with one exception, thethickness of the samples decreased over time, and the ballasted samples experienced the greatest decrease. This result is discussed in relation to recent data published by the CIB/RILEM committee on Membrane Roofing Systems.
Date
9/1997
9/1997
Author(s)
David Bailey; Stuart Foltz; Walt Rossiter; James Lechner
David Bailey; Stuart Foltz; Walt Rossiter; James Lechner
Page(s)
253-264
253-264
Keyword(s)
analysis; building technology; deterioration; field exposure; PVC; single ply; stability; field exposure
analysis; building technology; deterioration; field exposure; PVC; single ply; stability; field exposure