Dec 15, 2008

Several ASTM International standards are currently being used by the Comisión Guatemalteca de Normas (COGUANOR), the national standards body of Guatemala within the Ministry of Economy, to develop national standards. This is according to the annual report submitted to ASTM International by COGUANOR per the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the organizations in 2005. 

Created in 1962 under the Ministry of Economy, COGUANOR is responsible for developing standards in the agricultural, commercial and industrial sectors and is governed by an executive advisory committee that is made up of representatives from the Guatemalan Ministry of Health, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Labor, Bar of Engineers and the Chambers of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce. 

Since the MOU signing between ASTM International and COGUANOR, more than 100 ASTM standards for steel, cement and concrete, petroleum, road materials, roofing, plastics, mechanical testing, electronics and plastic piping have been adopted, adapted or referenced in national standards.

The authorized Spanish translations of multiple ASTM specifications, test methods and terminology standards are routinely referenced by COGUANOR’s committees in the development of national standards for cement and concrete. The standards are under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committees C01 on Cement and C09 on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates.  Because most of the homes in Guatemala are built with concrete and concrete blocks, the ASTM translated standards are especially beneficial to the local building construction industry. “In Guatemala and most Latin American countries, many of the standards used in the construction sector are based on ASTM standards,” says Emilio Beltranena, president of the CTN Concrete Committee in COGUANOR. 

Other referenced ASTM standards used in local industries cover steel, metal, ceramic floors and tiles, plastic pipes and plumbing products, and wood and wood products.  COGUANOR has partnered with the Instituto del Cemento y del Concreto de Guatemala (ICCG) and the Asociación Guatemalteca de Ingeniería Estructural y Sísmica (AGIES) for work associated with ASTM standards.  ICCG hosts an ASTM Online Center in Guatemala City that provides electronic access to ASTM’s standards, research reports and extensive Digital Library of publications. 

Initiated in 2001, ASTM International's MOU program promotes communication between ASTM International and national standards bodies worldwide, fostering awareness of the standardization systems of all parties involved. The purpose of the program is to increase greater worldwide participation in the ASTM standard development process and facilitate the development of national standards that will aid health, safety, environmental and economic institutions. More information on the MOU program can be found on the ASTM International Web site (www.astm.org/GLOBAL).

 

Release #8126/Dec08