ASTM International eNews is a monthly online newsletter that features the latest happenings at ASTM International, including technical committee news, publications, meetings, symposia and more. Like ASTM's bimonthly magazine Standardization News, eNews is a free benefit available to all ASTM members.
International Green Construction Code
ASTM International is a cooperating sponsor of the International Green Construction Code, an initiative that is committed to reducing energy usage and the carbon footprint of new and existing commercial buildings. Buildings consume approximately 40 percent of energy used and produce about the same amount of the nation's carbon emissions. The American Institute of Architects is also a cooperating sponsor. Learn more about the IGCC and the recent meeting of the Sustainable Building Technology Committee (SBTC).
ASTM Provides Comments on Nanotechnology to European Commission
The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Consumers (DG Health) and the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) are currently conducting a risk assessment of nanomaterials to gain a greater understanding of risks as EU legislative proposals are formulated. For DG Health's recent review of consumer safety and health issues associated with nanomaterials, ASTM International provided an overview of the work of ASTM Committee E56 on Nanotechnology and urged European regulators to avoid policies that may prevent the use of standards that could play an important role in advancing their health- and safety-related objectives. Click here to view ASTM’s full statement.
Smart Grid Technology
ASTM International was a co-sponsor of a recent Congressional briefing on the nation’s effort to develop a “smart” electric power grid to maximize energy usage. As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Department of Energy is soliciting applications for $3.9 billion in grants to support efforts to modernize the electric grid, allowing for greater integration of renewable energy sources while increasing the reliability, efficiency and security of the nation’s transmission and distribution system. The briefing highlighted the challenges and progress that standards developers and utility companies face as they identify and develop technical standards to meet the grid's needs. Visit the NIST Web site for more information about the Smart Grid project.
Virtual Officers' Training
Registration is now open for Virtual Officers' Training Week, to be held Sept. 21-24. On these dates, ASTM staff will conduct online training modules using WebEx. The training is intended primarily for committee officers, subcommittee chairs, or those who aspire to become officers. Visit the ASTM Web site to view a list of the training modules being offered.
COMMITTEE NEWS . . . The latest from ASTM's technical committees
Additive Manufacturing The successful first meeting of ASTM's newest committee evidenced the need for standards in the area of additive manufacturing. [Full story]
Aquatic Play Equipment Committee F24's new practice addresses an emerging need for standards that cover the aquatic play equipment industry. [Full story]
Skateparks Skatepark owners and operators, as well as equipment designers and manufacturers, will be the users of a new Committee F08 standard. [Full story]
Insulating Glass Units Committee E06's new standard provides a method for testing the concentration of the inert gases that are found in insulating glass units to help make windows more energy efficient. [Full story]
Nanotechnology A revision to an important nanotechnology standard incorporates a large-scale interlaboratory study that took place in 2008. [Full story]
Personal Protective Clothing Manufacturers of cold weather clothing for consumers and insulated apparel for the workplace will be the primary users of a new standard practice from Committee F23. [Full story]
Wire Cloth and Sieves An extensive revision of a Committee E29 specification will lead to better control of the quality of sieve cloths and test sieves. [Full story]
Arc Protective Blankets A new test method from Committee F18 will be used to determine the effectiveness of arc protective blankets in suppressing the combined effect of an arc flash and an arc blast. [Full story]
Search and Rescue Interested parties are welcome to join Committee F32 in the development of a number of new standards that cover both mounted and land search and rescue. [Full story]
Epoxy Barrier Coating Those involved in the rehabilitation of pressurized piping systems are invited to participate in the development of a new standard from Committee F17 on Plastic Piping Systems. [Full story]
Eye Safety for Field Hockey Committee F08 has approved a new specification that addresses the unique aspects of eye safety for field hockey players. [Full story]
Oil Spill Response A new standard from Committee F20 will cover the vessel-mounted cameras often used by the ship crews who investigate and respond to oil spills. [Full story]
Hydrocarbon Exploration Committee D05 is developing a new test method for measuring the reflectance of vitrinite dispersed in sedimentary rocks, one of the most commonly used tools for hydrocarbon exploration. [Full story]
GLOBAL NOTES . . . ASTM around the world
China Mr. Liu Fei, ASTM's chief representative in China, made a presentation at the International Federation of Standards Users (IFAN) Workshop held in Shenzen, China, in June. Liu Fei spoke about sustainability and ASTM International standards on buildings and construction, the environment, water, air, energy and waste. Also in June, the China National Institute of Standardization invited Liu Fei to speak at the 2009 Standardization Discipline and Education Workshop in Beijing on the topic of standards in education engineering.
Kazakhstan The ASTM International training course, "Crude Oil: Sampling, Testing and Evaluation," was held in Astana, Kazakhstan, in July. The course was presented at the invitation of the Kazakhstan Institute for Standardization and Certification (KAZINST). Attendees included representatives from KAZINST, as well as various government agencies and petroleum companies. This was the first ASTM training course in Kazakhstan since ASTM and KAZINST signed a memorandum of understanding in 2008. View more information about the ASTM MOU program here.
DID YOU KNOW? . . . Amusement Safety
This year, millions of people will enjoy the thrills and chills of various rides and attractions at amusement and theme parks around the world. Standards play a significant role in ensuring the safety of both children and adults who visit these parks. ASTM Committee F24 on Amusement Rides and Devices develops standards that are referenced in several global amusement safety regulations, including ASTM F2291, one of the most important safety standards for the design and manufacture of amusement rides and attractions. F24 standards cover important safety issues like maintenance, testing, inspection and operations of amusement rides. For those who enjoy something different from the typical roller coaster, there are also standards for specialty attractions like water slides and aquatic play equipment as well as go-karts and inflatable amusement devices.
Search for other ASTM publications. Visit the ASTM Digital Library to get instant access to the digital editions of nearly every ASTM book and paper published in the past 100+ years.
October Committee Week, October 18-23, Atlanta, GA
November Committee Week, November 8-13, Atlanta, GA
December Committee Week, December 6-11, Atlanta, GA
See information on ASTM technical committee meetings and committee weeks, including locations, schedules and future meeting dates.
View listing of ASTM meetings by committee.
View a full course listing of ASTM TPT courses.
For more information, please visit the ASTM Web site.
To see a full list of ASTM's technical committees and view their Web pages, click here.
ASTM International is one of the world's largest management systems for the development of voluntary standards for materials, products, systems, and services. Currently, ASTM has more than 30,000 members representing industry, government, academia, and consumers. Participation in ASTM International is open to any interested party. ASTM International meets the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles for the development of international standards: coherence, consensus, development dimension, effectiveness, impartiality, openness, relevance and transparency. ASTM standards are accepted and used in research and development, product testing, quality systems and commercial transactions around the globe.
