ASTM_E_2128_-_12.pdf

Designation:E212812Standard Guide forEvaluating Water Leakage of Building Walls1This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2128;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 guide describes methods for determining andevaluating causes of water leakage of exterior walls.For thispurpose,water penetration is considered leakage,and thereforeproblematic,if it exceeds the planned resistance or temporaryretention and drainage capacity of the wall,is causing or islikely to cause premature deterioration of a building or itscontents,or is adversely affecting the performance of othercomponents.A wall is considered a system including itsexteriorandinteriorfinishes,fenestration,structuralcomponents,and components for maintaining the buildinginterior environment.1.2 Investigative techniques discussed may be intrusive,disruptive,or destructive.It is the responsibility of the inves-tigator to establish the limitations of use,to anticipate andadvise of the destructive nature of some procedures,and toplan for patching and selective reconstruction as necessary.1.3 This practice does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.Establishappropriate safety and health practices and determine theapplicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.Awarenessof safety and familiarity with safe procedures are particularlyimportant for above-ground operations on the exterior of abuilding and destructive investigative procedures which typi-cally are associated with the work described in this guide.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2C1601 Test Method for Field Determination of Water Pen-etration of Masonry Wall SurfacesC1715 Test Method for Evaluation of Water Leakage Per-formance of Masonry Wall Drainage SystemsE331 Test Method for Water Penetration of ExteriorWindows,Skylights,Doors,and Curtain Walls by Uni-form Static Air Pressure DifferenceE547 Test Method for Water Penetration of ExteriorWindows,Skylights,Doors,and Curtain Walls by CyclicStatic Air Pressure DifferenceE631 Terminology of Building ConstructionsE860 Practice for Examining And Preparing Items That AreOr May Become Involved In Criminal or Civil LitigationE1105 Test Method for Field Determination of Water Pen-etration of Installed Exterior Windows,Skylights,Doors,and Curtain Walls,by Uniform or Cyclic Static AirPressure DifferenceE1188 Practice for Collection and Preservation of Informa-tion and Physical Items by a Technical Investigator2.2 AAMA Standards:3AAMA 501.2 Quality Assurance and Diagnostic WaterLeakage Field Check of Installed Storefronts,CurtainWalls and Sloped Glazing SystemsAAMA 511 Voluntary Guideline for Forensic Water Pen-etration Testing of Fenestration Products,Article 4.2.1.3.1Optional Sill Dam Test(This test method previouslyappeared in AAMA 502.)3.Terminology3.1 DefintionsRefer to Terminology E631.3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:3.2.1 incidental waterunplanned water infiltration thatpenetrates beyond the primary barrier and the flashing orsecondary barrier system,of such limited volume that it canescape or evaporate without causing adverse consequences.3.2.2 water absorptiona process in which a material takesin water through its pores and interstices and retains it whollywithout transmission.3.2.3 water infiltrationa process in which water passesthrough a material or between materials in a system andreaches a space that is not directly or intentionally exposed tothe water source.3.2.4 water leakagewater that is uncontrolled;exceeds theresistance,retention,or discharge capacity of the system;orcauses subsequent damage or premature deterioration.1This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E06 on Performanceof Buildings and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E06.55 on ExteriorBuilding Wall Systems.Current edition approved Jan.1,2012.Published January 2012.Originallyapproved in 2001.Last previous edition approved in 2009 as E2128 01a(2009).DOI:10.1520/E2128-12.2For 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 Architectural Manufacturers Association(AAMA),1827 Walden Office Square,Suite 550,Schaumburg,IL 60173-4268,http:/www.aamanet.org.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 3.2.5 water penetrationa process in which water gainsaccess into a material or system by passing through the surfaceexposed to the water source.3.2.6 water permeationa process in which water enters,flows,and spreads within and discharges from a material.4.Sign