Air & Water Testing

Question 1

What is a general description of air and water testing?

Answer 1

Field testing of installed exterior windows, skylights, doors, and curtain walls.

Question 2

What standards cover field air and water testing?

Answer 2

ASTM E1105 (2015): standard method for field determination of water penetration of installed exterior windows, skylights, doors, and curtain walls, by uniform or cyclic static air pressure difference
ASTM E783 (2010): Standard test method for field measurement of air leakage through installed exterior windows and doors
AAMA 501.2 (2015): Quality assurance and diagnostic water leakage field check of installed storefronts, curtain walls and sloped glazing systems
ASTM E1186 (2009): Standard practices for air leakage site detection in building envelope and air barrier systems

Question 3

What standards cover laboratory air and water testing?

Answer 3

ASTM E331 (2009): Standard test method for water penetration of exterior windows, skylights, doors, and curtain walls by uniform static air pressure difference.
ASTM E283 (2010): Standard test method for determining rate of air leakage through exterior windows, curtain walls, and doors under specified pressure differences across the specimen

Question 4

How do you determine which test to apply?

Answer 4

• Field testing parameters can be specified in the project construction documents or derived from specification for lab test requirements.
• test parameters can also be found through the manufacturer as product data or through sample specifications.

Question 5

Which tests are water tests?

Answer 5

• AMAA 501.2 (nozzle)
• ASTM E1105 (spray rack)

Question 6

What is the purpose of the AAMA 501.2 test?

Answer 6

To “provide quality assurance and diagnostic field water check method for installed storefronts, curtain walls, and sloped glazing systems”

Question 7

What does the AMAA 501.2 test procedure encompass?

Answer 7

1. Test area is divided into ~5-feet sections of the framing and perimeter sealant joint using a water pressure range between 30 and 35 psi.
   - Hold the nozzle perpendicular to the plane of the wall at a distance of 1 foot from the test specimen
   - Evaluate each 5-foot section of test area for a period of 5 minutes (1 min per foot) by slowly moving the nozzle back and forth over the test section while maintaining the nozzle perpendicular to the wall.
2. Working from the exterior, test each wall section by wetting each area progressing from the lowest horizontal framing member, then the adjacent framing intersectinos, then the adjacent vertical framing members, etc.
3. Another member will observe the interior side of the test area using a flashlight during the test to identify any water leakage and will note where it comes from.
4. Utilize hydrion water detection paper in areas that cannot be visually inspected as a secondary means to verify the presence of moisture.

Question 8

What are pass/fail criteria for AMAA 501.2?

Answer 8

A passing test occurs if water leakage is not observed at the specimen. Water leakage is defined in AMAA 501.2 as “any uncontrolled water that appears on any normally exposed interior finishes, that is not contained or drained back to the exterior, or that can cause damage to adjacent materials or finishes. Water contained within the drained flashings, gutter, and sills is not considered water leakage.” Test failure occurs if water leakage is observed.

Question 9

What should be included in the AMAA 501.2 test report?

Answer 9

• Project and Client name
• Test Date
• Window/specimen Information
• Water Pressure photos
• Diagnostics
• Recommendations

Question 10

What does ASTM E1105 test for?

Answer 10

ASTM E1105 test standard is “intended primarily for determining the resistance to water penetration through such assemblies for compliance with specified performance criteria, but it may also be used to determine the resistance to penetration through joints between the assemblies and the adjacent construction.”

Question 11

What testing components makeup the ASTM E1105 test?

Answer 11

• spray rack with water pressure measurement and setup 20 inches from specimen face
• negative pressure chamber installed on test specimen interior
• air exhaust controls
• air pressure measurement
• water supply

Question 12

What are the two types of test procedures for ASTM E1105?

Answer 12

• Uniform Static Pressure
• Cyclic Pressure

Question 13

What is the procedure for ASTM E1105 uniform static pressure?

Answer 13

Uniform static pressure consists of inducing a uniform static pressure difference across the specimen for 15 min. straight while introducing water at the specimen exterior by means of calibrated spray rack
- test pressure is derived from the project specifications, manufactures’ published literature, and/or agreed to by the project team prior to testing. NOTE: the field differential pressure is 2/3 of the specified lab pressure
- virtually inspect the specimen from the interior during the 15 min. test for signs of water intrusion
- removed the chamber from the test area and visually inspect the area for signs of water intrusion.
- use the hydrion water detection paper in areas that cannot be visually inspected as a secondary means to verify the presence of moisture.

Question 14

Approximately how many pounds is a gallon of water?

Answer 14

8.34 lbs

Question 15

What is the procedure for ASTM E1105 cyclic pressure?

Answer 15

Consist of inducing a cyclic pressure difference across the specimen for 5 min. increments while introducing water at the specimen exterior by means of calibrated spray rack.
- introduce water at the pre-calibrated rate
- induce negative pressure: test pressure is derived from the project specifications, manufactures’ published literature, and/or agreed to by the project team prior to testing
- while maintaining the water spray, reduce the air pressure difference to zero for a period of not less than 1 min.
- repeat the preceding two steps to accomplish 3 cycles for a total test duration of 17 min.
- visually inspect the specimen from the interior during the test for signs of water intrusion
- remove the chamber from the test area and visually inspect the area for signs of water intrusion
- utilize hydrion water detection paper in areas that cannot be visually inspected as a secondary means to verify the presence of moisture

Question 16

What are ASTM E1105 pass/fail criteria?

Answer 16

Water penetration is defined in ASTM E1105 as penetration of water beyond a plane parallel to the glazing (the vertical plane) intersection the innermost projection of the test specimen, not including interior trim and hardware, under the specified conditions of air pressure difference across the specimen.”

Question 17

What should ASTM E1105 test documentation consist of?

Answer 17

• Test location
• window information
• assembly materials
• test parameters
• photographs
• leak locations
• test notes
• witnesses

Question 18

What should the ASTM E1105 test report consist of?

Answer 18

• Project and client name
• test date
• window information
• equipment photos
• pressure photos
• diagnostics
• recommendations

Question 19

What test standards cover air testing?

Answer 19

ASTM E783
ASTM E1186

Question 20

What is ASTM E783?

Answer 20

The ASTM E783 test standard is “intended to measure only such leakage associated with the assembly and not the leakage through the openings between the assemblies and adjacent construction. The test method can be adapted for the latter purpose provided the potential paths of air movement and the sources of infiltration and exfiltration can be identified, controlled, or eliminated”

Question 21

What is the ASTM E783 Test Procedure?

Answer 21

ASTM E783 consists of inducing a uniform static pressure difference across the specimen and measuring the air flow required to maintain this pressure. Masking is then applied to the exterior of the specimen and the same uniform static pressure difference is induced across the specimen. The air flow rate is measured again and the difference between the two air flow rates is the air leakage through the test specimen.

Question 22

What are the procedural steps for ASTM E783?

Answer 22

1) induce a negative pressure of XX pounds per square foot (psf). The test pressure is derived from the project specifications, manufactures’ published literature, and/or agreed to by the project team prior to testing.
2) Measure the air flow required to induce the negative test pressure across the specimen. Take fifteen pressure and airflow measurements at 30 second intervals. This measurement is designated Q(e)
3) Remove the masking from the exterior of the test specimen
4) Repeat measurement of the air flow required to induce the negative test pressure across the specimen. Take fifteen pressure and airflow measurements at 30 second intervals. This measurement is designated Q(t).
5) Identify all calculated airflow values cited above in the report after testing is complete.

Question 23

What are the pass/fail criteria for E783?

Answer 23

A passing test occurs when the measured airflow is less than the allowable airflow value of XX cfm/ft^2 at a differential pressure of XX psf. The allowable airflow and differential pressure values are provided in the project specifications/identified in the product technical data/derived from AAMA/WDMA, CSA 101/I.S.2/A440-11 NAFS and AAMA 502/503. Test failure occurs if the measured airflow exceeds the allowable value.

Question 24

What information is needed for the ASTM E783 report?

Answer 24

• Test location
• Window information
• Test Parameters
• Flow Photographers
• Test Notes
• Witnesses

Question 25

What is ASTM E1186?

Answer 25

ASTM is the chamber pressurization or Depressurization in conjunction with smoke tracers. This practice consists of sealing an approximately airtight chamber to a section of the interior or exterior of the air barrier system and using a fan to create a pressure differential across the air barrier specimen. If a smoke tracer source is moved over the surface of the test specimen on the high pressure side, air leakage will draw smoke toward an air leakage site, visually indicating the location. Conversely, if a smoke tracer is moved over the surface of the test specimen on the low pressure side, air jets at air leakage sites will cause smoke to move away from the air leakage site.

Question 26

What is the test procedure for ASTM E1186?

Answer 26

1. Under normal operating conditions, pressure differentials across the building envelope due to differences in air density and wind will induce airflow through air leakage sites. Building pressurization or depressurization techniques can be used to provide enhanced unidirectional air flow through the sites which provides a greater opportunity for smoke seeded air to be affected by airflow through the sites.
2. With flow established in one direction through the air leakage sites, via pressurization or depressurization of the building interior, the controlled smoke source is moved close to the suspected air leakage site and the smoke direction carefully noted.
3. Using the smoke trace on the higher pressure side of the envelope is generally the preferred technique since the smoke is drawn into the leakage site.
4. When the smoke tracer is used inside the building, potential obscuring effects include airflow from the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system. When the smoke tracer is used on the building exterior, wind may make observation difficult.
5. Knowledge of potential air leakage sites is necessary to limit the investigation area to be covered by this means. Normally the controlled smoke source must be close to the leakage site (within approximately 10 cm) for best results, therefore only areas which can be physically reached can be surveyed using this practice.