Sovell Investigative Testing and Consulting (SITC) has conducted American Architectural Manufactures Association AAMA and ASTM water penetration testing on residential, light commercial, commercial and architectural grade projects through out the United States and Canada.
For examples of the projects that SITC has conducted in the past see our projects page.
SITC utilizes a variety of ASTM standards and AAMA specifications to conduct both quality assurance water penetration testing and forensic water penetration testing.
The ASTM standards and AAMA specifications listed below are the most commonly utilized by SITC when performing water penetration testing.
AAMA 502
SITC utilizes the AAMA 502. The most current edition is the AAMA 502-12 Voluntary Specification for Field Testing of Newly Installed Fenestration Products.
This specification is for quality assurance testing only.
It can only be utilized prior to the issuance of the building occupancy permit and no later than six months after the installation of the fenestration product.
See our 502 page for further information.
The AAMA 502-12 references the following documents:
AAMA specifications: AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440-11, AAMA 204-98, AAMA 503-08 and AAMA 511-08.
ASTM International standards: ASTM E 122-09, ASTM E 783, ASTM E 1105 and ASTM E 2128.
AAMA 503
SITC utilizes the AAMA 503. The most current edition is the AAMA 503-14 Voluntary Specification for Field Testing of Newly Installed Storefronts, Curtain Walls and Sloped Glazing Systems.
This specification is for quality assurance testing only of storefronts, curtain walls and sloped glazing systems and their installation.
It can only be utilized prior to the issuance of the building occupancy permit and no later than six months after the installation of the fenestration product.
Specifically excluded from this specification are windows, glass doors and skylights. These systems shall be tested per the AAMA 502.
See our 503 page for further information.
The AAMA 503-08 references the following documents:
AAMA specifications: AAMA 502-08, AAMA 511-08, AAMA AG-07 and AAMA 204-98.
ASTM International standards: ASTM E 122-07, ASTM E 783-02, ASTM E 1105-00 and ASTM E 2128-01a.
AAMA 501.2
SITC utilizes the AAMA 501.2. The most current edition is the AAMA 501.2-09 Quality Assurance and Diagnostic Water Leakage Field Check of Installed Storefronts, Curtain Walls and Sloped Glazing Systems.
The diagnostic field water check is utilized for installed storefronts, curtain walls and sloped glazing systems only.
This field water check method is not intended to test the rated or specified water performance representative of a wind driven rain event.
The AAMA 503 is the proper test method for field testing of storefronts, curtain walls and sloped glazing for air leakage resistance and water penetration resistance performance.
Specifically excluded from this field check method is the testing of operable components such as operable window and doors.
The AAMA 502 is the proper test method for field air leakage resistance and water penetration resistance testing of newly installed operable windows and doors.
See our 501.2 page for further information.
The AAMA 501.2-09 references the following documents:
AAMA specifications: AAMA 502-08, AAMA 503-08, AAMA 511-08 and AAMA 204-98.
AAMA 511
SITC utilizes the AAMA 511. The most current edition is the AAMA 511-08 Voluntary Guideline for Forensic Water Penetration Testing of Fenestration Products.
The purpose of this voluntary guideline is to recreate leaks that are known to occur.
This differs greatly from the AAMA 502 and AAMA 503 field testing procedures that are intended for evaluating newly installed fenestration products or quality assurance testing.
The main objective of forensic water testing is to identify the leak paths through the simulation of the weather events that produced the reported leakage.
The AAMA 511 describes steps for calculating the approximate differential air pressures the specimens experienced during actual wind driven rain events.
See our AAMA 511 page for further details.
The AAMA 511-08 references the following documents:
AAMA specifications: AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440-08, AAMA 502-08, AAMA 503-03
ASTM International standards: ASTM E 1105-00, ASTM E 2128-01a and ASTM E 514-06
American Society for Civil Engineers (ASCE): ASCE/SEI 7-05
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): Local Climotologiacal Data
ASTM 331
SITC utilizes ASTM E 331. The most current edition is the ASTM International E331 (Reapproved 2009) Standard Test Method for Water Penetration of Exterior Windows, Skylights, Doors, and Curtain Walls by Uniform Static Air Pressure Difference.
This standard is utilized for laboratory or interior mock up testing only.
ASTM 331 describes the test apparatus, test specimen size and the calibration required to conduct the test properly. This test method exclusively utilizes a uniform static air pressure difference.
SITC conducts this test in our laboratory.
See our ASTM E331-00 page for further details.
ASTM E 331 references the following documents:
ASTM E631.
ASTM 547
SITC utilizes ASTM E 547. The most current edition is the ASTM International E 547-00 (Reapproved in 2009) Standard Test Method for Water Penetration of Exterior Windows, Skylights, Doors and Curtain Walls by Cyclic Static Air Pressure Difference.
This standard is utilized for laboratory or interior mock up testing only.
ASTM 547 describes the test apparatus, test specimen size and the calibration required to conduct the test properly. This test method exclusively utilizes a cyclic static air pressure difference.
SITC conducts this test in our laboratory.
See our ASTM E547-00 page for further details.
ASTM E 547 references the following documents:
ASTM E631.
ASTM 1105
SITC utilizes ASTM E 1105. The most current edition is the ASTM International E1105-15 Standard Test Method for Field Determination of Water Penetration of Installed Exterior Windows, Skylights, Doors, and Curtain Walls, by Uniform or Cyclic Static Air Pressure Difference.
This standard is utilized for either field quality assurance testing or forensic testing.
ASTM 1105 states that the field test may be made at the time the window, skylight, curtain wall or door assemblies are initially installed. The major advantage of testing when assemblies are initially installed is that errors in fabrication or installation can be readily discover and corrections made before the entire wall is completed. Which would be referred to as quality assurance testing.
ASTM 1105 states the field test may also be made after the building is completed and in service to determine whether or not reported leakage problems are due to the failure of the installed assemblies.
There are two different procedures listed for the 1105 test method.
Procedure A is a uniform static air pressure difference.
Procedure B is a cyclic static air pressure difference.
SITC determines what procedure to utilize based on the laboratory testing results.
See our ASTM E1105-00 page for further information.
ASTM E 1105 references the following documents:
ASTM E631.
ASTM 2128
SITC utilizes ASTM 2128. The most current edition is ASTM E2128-20 Standard Guide for Evaluating Water Leakage of Building Walls.
This ASTM guide is for investigative/forensic testing only.
SITC’s objective when utilizing ASTM E2128-20 is to address the question of why, how and to what extent a building leaks.
This starts with a clearly defined sequence of activities that SITC follows during a investigation:
The reviewing of project documents for the building.
The evaluation of the design concept to determine if any water resistance performance requirements were specified for the wall.
The determination of the service history of the building to provide patterns in the observed leakage and visible damage and where to focus our investigation.
The inspection of the interior and exterior of the building to determine as built conditions and to determine the current condition of the wall.
Conducting the investigative testing to verify and extend hypotheses arrived at during the document review and inspection portions of the investigation using controlled and reproducible procedures.
Analyzing the data and establishing a cause and effect relationship between wall characteristics and the observed leakage.
SITC provides our clients a report of the investigations findings and recommendations that is in a clear and concise format. SITC personnel writes our reports with the reader in mind. Not the writer.
See our ASTM E2128-20 page for further information.
ASTM E 2128-20 references the following documents:
AAMA specifications: AAMA 501.2 and 511
ASTM International standards: ASTM C1601, ASTM C1715, ASTM E331, ASTM E547, ASTM E631, ASTM E631, ASTM E860, ASTM E1105 and E1188.