With heightened interest in issues involving corrosive gypsum board, the first draft of a proposed new standard on the subject, ASTM WK26072, Practice for Evaluation of Buildings to Identify Corrosive Gypsum Board, was reviewed and edited at a task group meeting on Nov. 10 in Atlanta, Ga.
The proposed new standard is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Subcommittee C11.01 on Specifications and Test Methods for Gypsum Products, part of ASTM Committee C11 on Gypsum and Related Building Materials and Systems. Development and approval of WK26072 is a priority for Committee C11, which has set a goal of publication in 2010 for the standard.
The task group meeting was attended by more than 25 participants including consultants, home inspectors, representatives of the gypsum industry and government entities. Following a positive question and answer session, the group reviewed the entire draft and agreed that the scope for the proposed standard would be to identify gypsum board capable of producing corrosive gases.
All interested parties are invited to participate in the ongoing development of WK26072. The WK26072 task group is especially seeking the participation of home inspectors in its work.
Recently released information from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission provides current information on issues possibly related to drywall.
Founded in 1915, ASTM International Committee C11 develops specifications and guides for gypsum products and gypsum board, metal lath, studs, fasteners and related metal products, as well as practices for application of stucco and EIFS products.
ASTM International welcomes and encourages participation in the development of its standards. For more information on becoming an ASTM member, visit www.astm.org/JOIN.
ASTM Committee C11 Next Meeting: May 17-19, 2010, St. Louis, Mo.
Technical Contact: Spiderman Mulholland, U.S. Building Consultants Inc., Gainesville, Fla., Phone: 352-505-6771; spiderman@usbcinc.com
ASTM Staff Contact: Thomas O’Toole, Phone: 610-832-9739; totoole@astm.org
ASTM PR Contact: Barbara Schindler, Phone: 610-832-9603; bschindl@astm.org
