D Lewis-AAMA Certification and Field Testing Program[1]

American Architectural Manufacturers Association

Prepared by Dean Lewis

FENESTRATION FIELD TESTING: WHEN, WHY, and HOW

¾ Founded in 1936; first standard in 1947

¾ First window & door Certification in 1962

¾ Publish over 60 Standards and Specifications

¾ Publish over 118 technical documents

¾ Product Certification program ANSI Accredited since 1972

¾ 334 Manufacturing Locations

¾ 58 Extrusion Facilities

¾ 32 Accredited Laboratories

¾ 82 manufacturers of verified components

¾ 43.9 Million AAMA certification labels purchased in 2002

¾ 60% of windows sold carry the AAMA label

AAMA Specifications...

Windows and Components

ANSI/AAMA/NWWDA 101/I.S.2-97 and

ANSI/AAMA/WDMA 101/I.S.2/NAFS-02 Air-Water-Structural

300 series – Vinyl & other plastic profiles 701/702 - Weatherstrip and Weatherseals

613/614/615 - Organic Coatings on Plastic Profiles 2603/2604/2605 – Organic Coatings on Aluminum 901-908 – Hinges, Balances, Operators, Rollers

AAMA’s Third Party Certification

Manufacturer

Licensed with AAMA

Tests at an AAMA-Accredited Lab Uniform Load Deflection

Uniform Load Structural Air Leakage

Water Penetration Forced Entry

Life Cycle

AAMA’s Third Party Certification

Validator

Reviews Test Reports, Drawings, Components Recommends Product for Certification Inspects Labs for Accreditation

Inspects Plants Production

Quality Control

AAMA’s Third Party Certification

AAMA

Contracts Validator

Licenses Certifying Manufacturers

Accredits Labs – Full Service & Field Testing Authorizes Product Certification

Publishes

Certified Products Directory Verified Components List

AAMA Certification

-Checks & Balances...

Validator

Inspects Accredited Labs, Component Labs Inspects Manufacturing Plants

Inspects Profile Producers

AAMA

Audits Validator

Plant Inspection Lab Inspection Administration

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

AAMA Certified Products Directory • 6,000 Product listings • 334 plants • 32 Laboratories • Windows • Sliding Glass Doors • Storm products

AAMA Certified Products Directory and

Permanent Label...

¾ Performance Based

¾ Material Neutral

¾ Required by IBC and IRC

¾ National in Scope

ANSI/AAMA/NWWDA 101/I.S. 2 -97

is...

Performance Rating

Product Designation System

Product Type Horizontal Slider Performance Class Light Commercial Performance Grade Design Pressure=25 psf

Maximum Size Tested Width x Height HS - LC 25 48x76

Window and Door products included in this standard are designated by a

four-part code which includes product type, performance class, performance grade and maximum size tested. The format for product designation is:

Note: an asterisk (_*) added to the performance grade indicates that the size tested for the optional performance grade was smaller than the minimum test size for the original product type and class.

¾ Mandatory Testing

‰Air Infiltration

‰Water Penetration

‰Structural - Windload

‰Forced Entry Resistance

¾ Optional Performance ‰U Factor ‰Condensation Resistance ‰Acoustical

ANSI/AAMA/NWWDA 101/I.S. 2 -97

Provisions...

Product Type

AP = Awning, Hopper, Projected Window

BW = Basement Window C = Casement Windows DA = Dual Action Windows

DA-HGD = Dual Action Hinged Glass Doors

F = Fixed Windows

GH = Greenhouse Windows

H = Hung Windows (Single, Double, Triple)

HE = Hinged Egress Windows

HGD = Hinged Glass Doors

HP = Horizontally Pivoted Windows HS = Horizontal Sliding Windows J = Jalousie Windows

JA = Jal-Awning Windows

SHW =Side Hinged Inswinging Windows SGD = Sliding Glass Doors

TA = Tropical Awning Windows TH = Top Hinged Windows

VP = Vertically Pivoted Windows VS = Vertical Sliding Windows

Window and Door products covered in this standard are as follows:

Each product type and class requires minimum test sizes for entry into the product class.

Performance Class

Window and Door products covered by this standard are divided into five performance classes as follows:

R = Residential

LC = Light Commercial

C =

Commercial

HC = Heavy Commercial

AW = Architectural

R = Residential

LC = Light Commercial

C =

Commercial

HC = Heavy Commercial

AW = Architectural

Performance Grade

Products are designated by the design pressure for which they have been tested in pounds per square foot. The structural test pressure is 1.5 times the design pressure. Each product performance class shall have a minimum performance grade as follows:

In addition, products may be tested to optional performance grades higher than the minimum grade in increments of 5 psf (240 Pa).

Minimum Test Sizes

Test Sample Requirements (Casement Windows)

Window Designation Minimum Frame Size

C – R15 1’5” (430 mm) x 4’0” (1220 mm)

C – LC25 2’0” (610 mm) x 4’0” (1220 mm)

C – C30 2’0” (610 mm) x 4’0” (1220 mm)

Minimum Performance

Requirements Listed by Class

Comparison Between the AW and HC

Class Requirements

CRITERIA HC PRODUCTS AW PRODUCTS

Air Infiltration Pressure

Sliding Seal Products _{1.57 psf (75 Pa) 6.24 psf (300 Pa)} Air Infiltration Pressure

Compression Seal Products _{6.24 psf (300 Pa) 6.24 psf (300 Pa)} Air Infiltration Allowance

Sliding Seal Products 0.3 cfm/ft

2

(5 m3/hr/m2)

0.3 cfm/ft2 (5 m3/hr/m2) Air Infiltration Allowance

Compression Seal Products 0.3 cfm/ft

2

(5 m3/hr/m2)

0.1 cfm/ft2 (2 m3/hr/m2) Water Test Pressure as a

Percent of Design Pressure _{15% 20%}

ASTM Test Method for Water Penetration E 547 & E331 E331 Required Deflection Limit

At Design Pressure

None except Hung Products at L/175

L/175 for all AW Products

Primary (Gateway) Performance

Requirements

ft3_{/min m}3_/hr

(Minimum Test Size) psf Pa psf Pa psf Pa psf Pa /ft2 _/m2

Single/Double/Triple Hung Windows

H-R15 (3'8" x 5'0") 15 720 22.5 1080 2.86 140 1.57 75 0.3 5 H-LC25 (3'8" x 6'5") 25 1200 37.5 1800 3.75 180 1.57 75 0.3 5 H-C30 (4'6" x 7'6") 30 1440 45.0 2160 4.50 220 1.57 75 0.3 5 H-HC40 (5'0" x 8'0") 40 1920 60.0 2880 6.00 290 1.57 75 0.3 5 H-AW40 (5'0" x 8'0") 40 1920 60.0 2880 8.00 390 6.24 300 0.3 5 Casement Windows C-R15 (1'5" x 4'0") 15 720 22.5 1080 2.86 140 1.57 75 0.3 5 C-LC25 (2'0" x 4'0") 25 1200 37.5 1800 3.75 180 1.57 75 0.3 5 C-C30 (2'0" x 4'0") 30 1440 45.0 2160 4.50 220 1.57 75 0.3 5 C-HC40 (2'0" x 4'0") 40 1920 60.0 2880 6.00 290 6.24 300 0.3 5 C-AW40 (3'0" x 5'0") 40 1920 60.0 2880 8.00 390 6.24 300 0.1 2

GROUP II Compression Seal Window Products

Air Infiltration Test Pressure Maximum Rate Structural Test Pressure Water GROUP I Design Pressure

Sliding Seal Window Products Resistance

Test Pressure Window/Door

Section 4.0

Optional Performance Grades

Under “Optional Performance

Grades”, manufacturers can test their

products to exceed the minimum

performance requirements outlined in

sections 1.0 and 2.0, for both design

load and water test pressure.

Glass and Glazing Materials

Annealed glass installed in windows shall meet ASTM C 1036.

Safety glazing materials where used, shall conform to ANSI Z97.1 or CPSC 16 CFR 1201. Tempered glass, where used, shall conform to ASTM C 1048 (Kind FT). Safety glazing shall be furnished on glass doors.

Sealed insulating glass, where used, shall conform to ASTM E 774 level C or higher (Level A for AW products).

Glass furnished by the manufacturer shall meet or exceed the values given in ASTM E 1300 for the design pressure rating of the product. Allowable

pressures from the graphs are allowed to be increased as noted for the use of heat strengthened, fully tempered or sealed insulating glass and are

required to be decreased as noted for the use of laminated glass.

Conformance Tests

Unless otherwise stipulated in this specification, windows and doors

submitted for tests under sections 2 and 4 shall contain glazing intended for use in the product. For products with glass infill, the glass type shall be the minimum strength required for a given load and size based on ASTM E 1300, with the exception that frame or sash deflections, where not specified in the document, are not limited to the glass edge dimension divided by 175.

Products tested with a specific glass type shall qualify products of a smaller size manufactured with a different glass type provided the glass conforms to ASTM E 1300, as referenced above.

Products tested with plastic materials shall not qualify glass glazing materials, nor products tested with glass qualify plastic glazing materials.

Field Testing

Quality Assurance

Project Specifications

Not all projects have a field quality control section listed in the specifications. In these cases the laboratory performance requirements are usually referenced and used to develop an on-site test program.

If the quantity, size and other details of the field test specimens are not listed in the project specification, standards/specifications such as AAMA are normally utilized.

Typically the field quality control section of the project specification will either reference an AAMA field test

Field Test Methods: ASTM

ASTM E 783,

Field Measurement of Air Leakage

Through Installed Exterior Windows and Doors

ASTM E 1105,

Field Determination of Water

Penetration of Installed Exterior Windows,

Curtain Walls and Doors by Uniform or Cyclic

Static Air Pressure Difference

Standards/Specifications: AAMA

AAMA 502-02,

Voluntary Specification for Field

Testing of Windows and Sliding Glass Doors

AAMA 503-03,

Voluntary Specification for Field

Testing of Storefronts, Curtain Walls, and Sloped

Glazing Systems

AAMA 501.2-03,

Quality Assurance and Diagnostic

Water Leakage Field check of Installed

Standards/Specifications: AAMA

Short Form Field Testing Specifications are provided for both 502 and 503

AAMA Field Testing Specifications are intended for testing of installed new fenestration

Test chambers may be installed on the outside

(positive pressure) or inside (negative pressure) of the building

Field Testing to be conducted by an

AAMA-accredited lab; AAMA 204-98,

Guidelines for

AAMA Accreditation of Independent Laboratories

Performing On-Site Testing of Fenestration

AAMA 502-02

Test Methods A and B differ in the location of the chamber perimeter lines and therefore, whether or not the perimeter seals, subframe/receptor system, and frame corners are tested under pressure.

Test Method A is the default. Non-structural

interior trim may have to be removed to check for leaks

AAMA 502-02 Method B

Test Method B tests the product and its installation in the rough opening. Chamber is applied to the

wall construction.

If interior wall materials have been installed, they must be removed at the test area to provide visual access to check for leaks

AAMA 502-02 Performance Criteria

Allows 1.5 times the 101/I.S.2 specified maximum air leakage rate. A ‘blank’ may be used to identify and subtract extraneous air; e.g., through sides of the frame

Water penetration resistance is tested at 2/3 of the 101/I.S.2 specified pressure. Cyclic pressure is

used for R, LC, & C products; Uniform pressure for AW; both for HC.

Alternate air leakage & water penetration resistance requirements may be specified

Interior Test Chamber AAMA 502-02 Method B

AAMA 503-03

Contract should specify testing area, and whether perimeter seals are to be included. Otherwise, the specimen should include perimeter seals, typical splices, frame intersections, and, if applicable, at least two entire vision lites and two entire

spandrel lites containing an intermediate vertical and an intermediate horizontal.

Field air leakage tests are only recommended for discrete “punched opening” curtain walls,

storefronts, and sloped glazing elevations. Not

recommended for a portion of a continuous system due to problems with compartmentalization and

AAMA 503-03

Windows and sliding glass doors included within the specimen are tested per AAMA 502

Water penetration is tested per E 1105, applying uniform (not cyclic) pressure

Timing is critical; sheetrock, trim, insulation, etc. that would affect chamber attachment or visual inspection must be removed if installed

If air leakage is to be tested, it must be performed before water penetration testing

AAMA 503-03 Performance Criteria

Air leakage test performed at a minimum of 1.57 psf and not to exceed 6.24 psf. Allows 1.5 times the project specification rate or 0.09 cfm/ft2

whichever is greater

Water penetration test shall be conducted at two-thirds of the specified project water test

pressure, but not less than 6.24 psf

Alternate air leakage & water penetration resistance requirements may be specified

Interior Test Chamber AAMA 503-03

AAMA 501.2-03

Handheld spray nozzle (specified) No air pressure differential

Field check; NOT a performance test

Does not evaluate the system in a ‘real world’ fashion Used for QA during construction, or as a follow-up

Thank you for your time and interest

R