ASTM_E_1643_-_11.pdf

Designation:E164311Standard Practice forSelection,Design,Installation,and Inspection of WaterVapor Retarders Used in Contact with Earth or Granular FillUnder Concrete Slabs1This standard is issued under the fixed designation E1643;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 This practice covers procedures for selecting,designing,installing,and inspecting flexible,prefabricated sheet mem-branes in contact with earth or granular fill used as vaporretarders under concrete slabs.1.2 Conditions subject to frost and either heave or hydro-static pressure,or both,are beyond the scope of this practice.Vapor retarders are not intended to provide a waterproofingfunction.1.3 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regardedas standard.The values given in parentheses are mathematicalconversions to SI units that are provided for information onlyand are not considered standard.1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2E1745 Specification for Plastic Water Vapor Retarders Usedin Contact with Soil or Granular Fill under Concrete SlabsE1993 Specification for Bituminous Water Vapor RetardersUsed in Contact with Soil or Granular Fill Under ConcreteSlabsF710 Practice for Preparing Concrete Floors to ReceiveResilient Flooring2.2 Other Standard:3ACI 302.2R06 Guide for Concrete Slabs that ReceiveMoisture-Sensitive Flooring Materials3.Significance and Use3.1 Vapor retarders provide a method of limiting watervapor transmission and capillary transport of water upwardthrough concrete slabs on grade,which can adversely affectfloor finishes and interior humidity levels.3.2 Adverse impacts include adhesion loss,warping,peeling,and unacceptable appearance of resilient flooring;deterioration of adhesives,ripping or separation of seams,andair bubbles or efflorescence beneath seamed,continuous floor-ing;damage to flat electrical cable systems,buckling of carpetand carpet tiles,offensive odors,growth of fungi,and unde-sired increases to interior humidity levels.4.Manufacturers Recommendations4.1 Where inconsistencies occur between this practice andthe manufacturers instructions,conform to the manufacturersinstructions for installation of vapor retarder.5.Material,Design,and Construction5.1 See ACI 302.2R06 for material,design,and construc-tion recommendations.5.2 See Specifications E1745 and E1993 for vapor retarderspecifications.5.3 Vapor Retarder Material SelectionThe following cri-teria should be considered when selecting a vapor retardermaterial.5.3.1 Local building code and regulatory requirements.5.3.1.1 Comply with local building code and regulatoryrequirements as a minimum consideration.5.3.2 The water-vapor permeance of the vapor retardermaterial.5.3.2.1 The water vapor permeance of the vapor retardermaterial shall be at such a rate so that adverse impacts to floorfinishes and coatings do not occur1This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E06 on Perfor-mance of Buildings and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E06.21 onServiceability.Current edition approved Oct.1,2011.Published October 2011.Originallyapproved in 1994.Last previous edition approved in 2010 as E1643 10.DOI:10.1520/E1643-11.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.3Available from American Concrete Institute(ACI),P.O.Box 9094,FarmingtonHills,MI 48333-9094,http:/www.concrete.org.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 5.3.2.2 Refer to X1.6 for discussion on water vapor trans-mission rate of vapor retarder.5.3.2.3 The perm rating determined under these criteriashall supersede that in references 5.2 should this value be lessthan required under references in 5.2.5.3.3 The types and amounts of deleterious compounds inthe soil on the building site.5.3.3.1 Review building site soil analyses for deleteriousmaterials and compounds and select a vapor retarder materialthat will withstand exposure to such deleterious materials orcompounds.5.3.4 The tensile strength and puncture resistance of thevapor retarder material.5.3.4.1 Select a vapor retarder material capable of with-standing potential construction site damage.5.3.5 The type of base material on which the vapor retarderis to be installed.5.3.5.1 Select vapor retarder material capable of withstand-ing tea