ISSN: 1546-962X
CODEN: JAIOAD
Published Online: 21 September 2011
Page Count: 30

Thermoplastic Polyolefin Roof Membranes Exposed in the Western United States for Seven Years

Delgado, Ana H.
National Research Council of Canada,

Ludwig, Michael
Building Envelope Technology and Research,

Elliot, Stephen
Building Envelope Technology and Research,

Barnhardt, K.C.
Quality Roofing and Sheet Metal, Bozeman, MT 59718.,

Chapman, Chuck
Tecta America Arizona, Glendale, AZ 85301,

Ober, Randy
Carlisle Syntec Inc, Carlisle, PA 17013.,

Moskowitz, Steve


Wacenske, Dwayne


Carlson, Jim
Building Envelope Technology and Research,

Paroli, Ralph M.
National Research Council of Canada,

(Received 10 February 2011; accepted 26 July 2011)

Abstract

The Western States Roofing Contractors Association (WSRCA), thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) roofing manufacturers, and the National Research Council Canada started a TPO Weathering Farm Project in 2000 to examine weathering characteristics of TPO roof membranes by exposing them to various weather conditions of four distinctly different climatic regions in the Western United States. The goal was to provide technical and performance information to the Western States Roofing Contractors Association membership, and the North American roofing community at large, regarding TPO roof membranes’ attributes, performance properties, and resistance to weathering. The results are applicable to other regions in North America as the roofs are in four distinctive climate zones (hot and dry, hot and humid, cold and damp, moderate with wet and dry periods). The results and laboratory analyses (thickness, DMA, FTIR, TG/DTG) performed on the TPO roof membranes that were exposed for seven years in the various conditions will be summarized.

Keywords:
TPO, WSRCA, NRC, DMA, FTIR, TG/DTG, AK, Las Vegas, Seattle, TX, thickness, tensile strength, glass transition, roof membrane, thermoplastic polyolefin, Western State Roofing Contractors Association, WSRCA, weathering, single-ply roofing

Paper ID: JAI103759
DOI: 10.1520/JAI103759
ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.