ASTM International

Quick Facts

Overview

ASTM Committee C11 on Gypsum and Related Building Materials and Systems develops voluntary consensus standards for ASTM International, a not for profit organization based in West Conshohocken, PA. ASTM is not a trade association, but provides a member-based, open standards development process, using ASTM’s advanced infrastructure. For a complete ASTM Overview, visit http://www.astm.org/ABOUT/overview.html

Subcommittee C11.01, with a current membership of 120, focuses on standard specifications and test methods for gypsum products and gypsum board. The subcommittee consists of a balance of producers, users and general interest members from key industry stakeholders, including gypsum manufacturers, government representatives from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), trade associations as well as architects and engineers. Here is a link to the Standards and Work Items (current open projects) under Subcommittee C11.01: http://www.astm.org/COMMIT/SUBCOMMIT/C1101.htm

Background

Subcommittee C11.01 started a task group on Screening Buildings for Sulfur Corrosion. The task group consisted of a variety of interests, including gypsum manufacturers, home inspectors and engineers. The task group worked several years in attempting to replicate an updated version of the CPSC Remediation Guidance for Homes with Corrosion from Problem Drywall as of September 15, 2011.

In May 2012, the task group on Screening Buildings for Sulfur Corrosion determined the revised CPSC document adequately addresses the requirements for screening for contaminated drywall.

Link for details on the CPSC Government Drywall Information Center

Current Update

The Drywall Safety Act of 2012 (PL 112-266) was signed into law by President Barack Obama on Jan. 14, 2013. The new law cites ASTM International standard C1264-11, Specification for Sampling, Inspection, Rejection, Certification, Packaging, Marking, Shipping, Handling and Storage of Gypsum Panel Products. The standard provides the CPSC, states, suppliers and consumers with an effective tool for supply chain communication by specifying that each gypsum panel product or package must be marked for the thickness, the name of the producer or supplier, the brand name, if any, and the ASTM specification for the product. The 2011 version of Standard C1264 expanded the labeling requirements to identify drywall by manufacturer, date made and country of origin. The inclusion of ASTM C1264 in the Drywall Safety Act will help builders and consumers better understand the origin and source of drywall and other gypsum products.

For the January 18, 2013 Press Release from ASTM on the Drywall Safety Act, visit http://www.astmnewsroom.org/default.aspx?pageid=2993

Sulfur Content

The Drywall Safely Act requires that the CPSC issue a regulation that limits the sulfur content for drywall manufactured or used in the United States. Several standards are in the process of being revised that will establish a limit of orthorhombic sulfur in gypsum products.

Work Item WK33245 New Test Methods for the Analysis of Gypsum and Gypsum Panel Products for Impurities continues to work on a series of methods that will be used to identify impurities in drywall suspected of emitting sulfide compounds. This work item will be the repository for the development of future test methods used to test for this contamination.

Next Steps/Next Meeting:

ASTM Subcommittee C11.01 will be balloting the revisions of several specifications that will include information related to the establishing limits of orthorhombic sulfur in gypsum including:
• WK40554 C22/C22M-00(2010) - Standard Specification for Gypsum
• WK40555 C318/C318M-00(2010) - Standard Specification for Gypsum Formboard
• WK40557 C1178/C1178M-11 - Standard Specification for Coated Glass Mat Water-Resistant Gypsum Backing Panel
• WK40559 C1658/C1658M-12 - Standard Specification for Glass Mat Gypsum Panels


The Committee C11 on Gypsum and Related Building Materials and Systems as well as Subcommittee C11.01 will be meeting in Indianapolis, IN on May 20-23 at the JW Marriott.

Attendance at the meeting is open to interested parties. For detailed information on the meeting, use this link: http://www.astm.org/MEETINGS/nextmeeting.cgi?+++C11

For ASTM membership, use this link: http://www.astm.org/MEMBERSHIP/index.html