NRCA recently learned of at least one insurance carrier and
several consultants who are beginning to mandate field testing of
newly installed low-slope membrane roof systems in hurricane-prone
regions in an attempt to verify in-place wind-uplift resistances. I
briefly will review the recognized field test methods, explain
their limitations and share NRCA's opinion of this type of
quality-assurance testing.
There are two recognized field test methods for determining
uplift resistances of membrane roof systems: ASTM E907, "Standard
Test Method for Field Testing Uplift Resistance of Adhered Membrane
Roofing Systems," and FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheet
1-52, "Field Uplift Testing."
Both test methods are largely similar and provide for affixing a
5- by 5-foot dome-shaped chamber to the top side of a roof surface
and applying a defined negative pressure to the roof surface inside
the dome using a vacuum. During the tests, membrane surface
deflection is measured and visually monitored to determine whether
the...
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