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Abstract
A field investigation of tape bonded seams of EPDM roof membranes is described. Since the early 1990s, the use of tape-adhesive systems for fabricating EPDM seams has increased significantly in the United States. This study was conducted at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under the auspices of an industry-government consortium assembled in response to U.S. roofing industry requests that independent studies of tape-bonded seams be conducted. Forty-seven EPDM roofs having tape-bonded seams and four having liquid-adhesive-bonded seams were inspected and seam samples were obtaned. The ages of the roofs with tape- bonded seams ranged from 0.1 year (new) to 8 years with an average age of 2.3 years. The four roofs with liquid-adhesive-bonded seams had an average age of 4.3 years. Peel strength were measured for all field samples and time- to-failure were determined on a selected number. The results of the field inspections showed that the tape-bonded seams were performing satisfactorily. From the laboratory evaluations, it was found that the majority of the tape- bonded seams had times-to-failure that were greater than those of the liquid- adhesive-bonded sample sets. Finally, it was observed that field-fabricated tape-bonded seams that fail cohesively during testing can acheive peel strengths and times-to-failure comparable to those of tape-bonded seam samples prepared in the laboratory using clean, primed EPDM.
A field investigation of tape bonded seams of EPDM roof membranes is described. Since the early 1990s, the use of tape-adhesive systems for fabricating EPDM seams has increased significantly in the United States. This study was conducted at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under the auspices of an industry-government consortium assembled in response to U.S. roofing industry requests that independent studies of tape-bonded seams be conducted. Forty-seven EPDM roofs having tape-bonded seams and four having liquid-adhesive-bonded seams were inspected and seam samples were obtaned. The ages of the roofs with tape- bonded seams ranged from 0.1 year (new) to 8 years with an average age of 2.3 years. The four roofs with liquid-adhesive-bonded seams had an average age of 4.3 years. Peel strength were measured for all field samples and time- to-failure were determined on a selected number. The results of the field inspections showed that the tape-bonded seams were performing satisfactorily. From the laboratory evaluations, it was found that the majority of the tape- bonded seams had times-to-failure that were greater than those of the liquid- adhesive-bonded sample sets. Finally, it was observed that field-fabricated tape-bonded seams that fail cohesively during testing can acheive peel strengths and times-to-failure comparable to those of tape-bonded seam samples prepared in the laboratory using clean, primed EPDM.
Date
6/1998
6/1998
Author(s)
Walt Rossiter; Mark Vangel; Kevin Kraft
Walt Rossiter; Mark Vangel; Kevin Kraft
Page(s)
325-346
325-346
Keyword(s)
adhesive tape; EPDM; adhesive testing; creep rupture; peel strength; seams; time to failure; field study
adhesive tape; EPDM; adhesive testing; creep rupture; peel strength; seams; time to failure; field study