A S T M
Wire Cloth, Sieve Cloth, or Hardware Cloth?
By Jim Hojnacki, CCS, ASTM
Member, CSI's Grand Rapids MI Chapter
This month is the final installment of a series of new and deleted standards that I began
last October. Committee E?29 on Particle and Spray Characterization added ASTM E2016,
Specification for Industrial Woven Wire Cloth. The standard was developed to replace
AWCI-01 which was withdrawn in 1997 by the American Wire Cloth Institute. The main use of
industrial wire cloth is to separate particles in industrial applications, although many
home gardeners rely on it to separate the rabbits from the spinach or aspidistras. The
standard does not cover aluminum or fiberglass insect screen (ASTM D3656), testing sieve
wire cloth (ASTM E11), nor hardware cloth (ASTM A740). It is the only standard to cover
wire cloth that is specified and manufactured according to mesh count and is based on the
principles of the outdated Federal Specification RR?W?360 that had been used since 1954.
In a related action, Committee F-14 on Fences has added ASTM F2000, Guide for Fences for
Ballfields and Other Sports Facilities, which may affect those firms that specialize in
the design of school athletic facilities or sports facilities.
Committee D-14 on Adhesives has introduced a new standard for adhering gypsum board to
wood framing. ASTM D6464, Specification for Expandable Foam Adhesives for Fastening Gypsum
Wallboard to Wood Framing, gives contractors a new approach for attaching wallboard in
residential and light commercial applications. The existing standard, ASTM C557, only
covers adhesives that are dispensed from cartridges. The new standard allows dispensing
adhesives from pressurized containers and offers contractors a choice for using a foam
type adhesive that expands as it cures and fills the spaces between the substrates. It
also establishes specific procedures for conducting shear strength and tensile strength
testing at varying conditions. For additional information about this next generation
technology in adhesives, contact Van Foster, Elmer=s Products, Inc., Columbus, Ohio,
614/225-7692 or email him at vfoster@elmers.com.
Consumer Products Committee F-15 has issued an emergency Provisional Standard, PS-120,
Safety Specification for Window Fall Prevention Devices with Emergency Escape (Egress)
Release Mechanisms. The standard establishes requirements for devices intended to
alleviate the risk of injury and death from accidental falls from windows by children 5
years old and younger. The standard is not intended to meet specific requirements of the
American With Disabilities Act (ADA). The standard is also separate from another
Provisional Standard, PS-112, which was recently approved as ASTM F2006, Safety
Specification for Window Fall Prevention Devices for Non-Emergency Escape (Egress) and
Rescue (Ingress) Windows, which only applies to windows in installations more than 75 feet
above ground level.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has entered into an agreement
with ASTM Committee C-09 on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates to do computer modeling
studies about flowable concrete mixes. The computer models will study the standard
concrete slump test, ASTM C143, and simulate how concrete flows. It will take into account
the water/cement ratio, the amount and sizes of coarse and fine aggregates, and the
presence of admixtures which are supposed to improve flow. The committee will then be able
to use the information to determine various concrete mixes for specific applications and
be able to predict how certain mix designs are best suited for specific site applications.
Committee F-17 on Drain, Waste, and Vents has added a new standard that you plumbing
engineers may want to take a good look at. They passed ASTM F2021, Specification for
Design and Installation of Plastic Syphonic Roof Drainage Systems. Syphonic is a well
known principle for moving fluids naturally through pipe or tube by using negative
pressure or vacuum. The standard gives the necessary design requirements for using such a
system and even offers some of the system=s limitations. A syphonic system can operate
more efficiently, can be self-cleaning, and will require less piping than the traditional
gravity down spout system. All this translates to less installation time, better
performance, and less cost - a true no-brainer. Other technical and performance data may
be obtained from Paul Sample, 308 Walden Road, Wilmington DE, telephone 320/656-3212 or
email at sample@bellatlantic.net.
For those of you who have ordered and received the four-volume set of the year 2000's ASTM
Standards in Building Codes, I have discovered a potentially serious error in the front
Index. On Page iv, showing "Discontinued Standards," they list ASTM's A366,
A569, A570, A611, A620, and A715, all without replacement. These critical standards are
used by many sheet steel product fabricators and manufacturers, and are referenced in
several specification sections. I spoke with George Luciw, Director of Standards
Development for ASTM, and he indicated that although the deletions are technically
correct, the announcement was premature. These standards and others affecting sheet steel
products have been voted on and approved to be discontinued. However, the new replacement
standard, ASTM A1008, has yet to be adopted by the Steel Committee, so those sheet steel
standards are still in effect. The correction should be published in a few months and I
will report on it at that time. As always, please request copies of the referenced
standards by contacting ASTM at 100 Barr Harbour Dr., West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, or
by calling them at 610/832-9500, faxing them at 610/832-9555, or by sending an email to service@astm.org.