Flashing Inspection

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Author Message Brett M. Wilbur CSI, CCS, AIA Senior Member Username: brett Post Number: 189 Registered: 12-2004 Posted on Monday, January 18, 2010 - 12:03 pm:    Are there any ASTM or other standards for specifying flashing and/or air barrier requirements to be used for field quality control inspections in masonry cavity wall construction? Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: awhitacre Post Number: 929 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Monday, January 18, 2010 - 03:02 pm:    well, the Air Barrier Association has standards, but if you didn't reference them in your spec, the contractor will make a big fuss and say it doesn't matter. SMACNA also has inspection information, but again, if you didn't specify a method of insuring quality control, you can't bring one in after the fact. Brett M. Wilbur CSI, CCS, AIA Senior Member Username: brett Post Number: 190 Registered: 12-2004 Posted on Monday, January 18, 2010 - 03:05 pm:    Sorry, I should have been more clear. I am specifying now. This is not under construction yet. Thanks for the info. George A. Everding, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA Senior Member Username: geverding Post Number: 505 Registered: 11-2004 Posted on Monday, January 18, 2010 - 04:19 pm:    The "Pouring the bucket-full of water into the cavity of the partially built wall and making sure it drains" test is pretty effective, but I don't think it is officially documented anywhere. George A. Everding AIA CSI CCS CCCA Cannon Design - St. Louis, MO Ellis C. Whitby, AIA, PE, CSI, LEED® AP Senior Member Username: ecwhitby Post Number: 62 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Monday, January 18, 2010 - 04:43 pm:    It is also a test that is sure to get the contractors attention, especially if the architect shows up & asks for a bucket of water. Robert W. Johnson Senior Member Username: robert_w_johnson Post Number: 56 Registered: 03-2009 Posted on Monday, January 18, 2010 - 04:47 pm:    Don't know if it is still available or if there is something more current, but you might try to find ASTM STP 1063 Article “Masonry Wall Drainage Test – A Proposed Method for Field Evaluation of Masonry Cavity Walls for Resistance to Water Leakage” by Norbert V. Krogstad. Would not relate to air barrier, but only flashing provisions resistance to water leakage. (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - 02:13 pm:    yes, there is. NIBS has a document that is referenced quite a bit in the Green Globes green building rating system for field inspections of several things, flashing and sheet metal inculded. The current version of the standard, in Section 10.7.1 - Flashings contains this requirement: A field inspection of all flashing assemblies was conducted in accordance with NIBS Guideline 3-06: Annex M.1 Construction & Industry Checklist M.1-4 for Flashing and Sheet Metal. The entire draft standard can be obtained by going here: http://www.thegbi.org/commercial/standards/form-ansi-new.asp?d=01-200XP (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - 03:02 pm:    Forgot this one, Green Globes, 10.7.6.1: Masonry Veneer Cladding systems were installed in accordance with industry technical notes and bulletins. A field inspection of Masonry Cladding was conducted in accordance with NIBS Guideline 3-06: Annex M.2 Example Construction Checklist for Building Envelope System for Brick. John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 1162 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 11:04 am:    You can also have simple visual inspection by the testing and inspection agency. Like any other observation, they can document whether the flashing is installed as detailed. Of course, it has to be detailed correctly, too. ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 46 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Thursday, January 28, 2010 - 06:32 pm:    Apparently ASTM is coming to the rescue; they're just not here yet. http://www.astm.org/DATABASE.CART/WORKITEMS/WK6091.htm has information about the upcoming standard C1715-2009 - Test Method for Masonry Wall Drainage Systems. About 10 years ago we used a system described in Masonry Wall Drainage Test — A Proposed Method for Field Evaluation of Masonry Cavity Walls for Resistance to Water Leakage which can be found in STP 1063 at http://www.astm.org/DIGITAL_LIBRARY/STP/SOURCE_PAGES/STP1063.htm. The testing method was based on setting up an exterior rack with hoses and gages. This delivered water at a measured and prescribed rate into the wall via cell vents placed under shelf angles which lined up with the cell vent weep holes located several feet below, directly above the next shelf angle down. In this way we could measure each masonry wall area. Since we wanted to vent the cavity anyway, we included the additional cell vents below the shelf angles so we didn't have to drill and patch extra holes to introduce the water for the test. Water was introduced into the wall and, once the wall reached an equilibrium (essentially when the brick became saturated), we measured the input going in through the cell vents vs. the outflow coming out the weeps. We also visually inspected the interior surfaces for damage. As long as the in matched the out, and no visual damage was observed, we accepted that no water was leaking into the interior. Sounds a lot easier than it was, but it was pretty effective. Certainly got the Contractors attention. Actually, everyone involved was pretty happy, especially the testing agency.