By Philip Dregger, PE, RRC The 19th Federal Roof Committee (FRC) meeting was held at the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) in Hanover, New Hampshire, October 26 and 27, 1994, hosted by Wayne Tobiasson. The FRC meetings were initiated with the intent to open lines of com¬ munication about roof related activi¬ ties, increase cooperation and reduce duplication between the various gov¬ ernmental agencies. RCI was pleased to accept an invitation to attend the meeting along with repre¬ sentatives of other industry organiza¬ tions (e.g„ SPRI, NRCA, ARMA). Both RCI Treasurer Robb Smith, RRC, and this writer represented RCI. Presentations by several federal agencies indicated a growing accep¬ tance and implementation of ROOFER Engineered Management System. The agency representatives voiced general support for the regi¬ mented approach to roof manage¬ ment, but expressed concern about their ability to follow through with needed repair and replacement work in light of base closures and declin¬ ing operating budgets. Mr. Andre Desjarlais (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) reported on a full-scale attic insulation study of a pre-manufactured housing system. One interesting conclusion was that, due to (1) energy loss at the perime¬ ter, (2) compression of the insulation at the eave edge, and (3) truss con¬ struction, the “gross heat loss” of the system was virtually the same for tests using two layers of R-7 glass fiber insulation as for tests using one layer of R-7 glass fiber plus powder evacuated panels (a new type of insulation with an R value of 25 per inch). Representatives from RCI report¬ ed that the Institute now has four weather stations fully packaged and (Above) Robb Smith examines wind tunnel used to model snow drifting around arctic buildings. (Below) FRC participants tour CRREL test laboratory facility. ready to be installed on buildings in the path of the next major wind storm event as part of RCI’s Hurricane Research and Disaster Response Project. Thanks to the gra¬ cious cooperation of State Farm Insurance Company, literally hun¬ dreds of buildings along the East Coast, with well documented roof constructions, are now included in the project. The weather stations, with specially fabricated metal shielding, will be installed by RCI consultants on buildings shortly before hurricanes make landfall in an effort to gather site specific storm weather data. Brief highlights of other federal agency and industry reports include: 1. Mr. Dave Bailey (U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory) described plans to test several passive leak detection devices includ¬ ing one that sends out a radio signal when water fills a shal¬ low plastic ring and activates an internal battery. 2. Mr. Desjarlais reported that the measured loss of solar reflectance (from 0.8 to 0.59) of an acrylic radiation control coating after four years of exposure was not reversible by washing the surface of the coating. 3. Mr. Walter Rossiter (National Institute of Standards and Technology) stated that his group has completed the Creep Rupture (time to failure) testing of adhesive bonded rubber lap seams. The group is presently working with a consortium of interested industry organiza¬ tions to begin a similar testing for tape bonded lap seams. 4. Mr. Tom Smith, AIA, RRC, (National Roofing Contractors Assn.) reported that the third edition of its roofing and waterproofing manual is slated for publication in the spring of 1995 and will include new sec¬ tions addressing both spray applied polyurethane foam and metal roofing. 5. Ms. Helena Hardy Pierce (SPRI) reported that her group was working with RCI to make field measurements of insula- January/February 1995 17 tion drying rates for three or four different roof systems on a building in Pembroke, Virginia. 6. Mr. John Clinton (Polyisocya¬ nurate Insulation Manufactur¬ ers Assn.) reported that the U.S. insulation industry was on course to complete the replace¬ ment of CFC-1 1 blowing agent with the new HCFC-141B blowing agent by January of 1996. The FRC meeting included an informative but chilly tour of the “well-below-freezing” CRREL facili¬ ty. Fortunately, the “blue-lipped” participants thawed shortly there¬ after, thanks to a very warm recep¬ tion that evening at the Tobiasson home nestled back in the nearby wooded hills. _ Interface Editorial Guidelines General Guidelines Interface is a bi-monthly journal which features technical articles on a wide variety of roofing- related topics. All articles submitted are subject to a peer review process. This process gives an author several advantages and provides an initial reader reaction. Rebuttals desired by the author can then be integrated into the text prior to actual publica¬ tion. Interface seeks technically meritorious articles rather than those which would serve commercial interests. • Submissions should be typed, double-spaced, and one-sided. • There are no length restrictions; however, typical articles range between 500 and 2,000 words. • Photos should be black and white glossy prints, clearly labeled. Color photos or slides will be accepted. Photos will be returned upon request. • Illustrations should be camera-ready or print quality originals. • Peer-reviewed manuscripts may be submitted on computer diskette using IBM compatible MS-DOS format usable or convertible by Word Perfect 6.0. • Footnote references serve to enhance a manuscript’s professionalism and credibility. Footnotes should follow accepted documentation practice. • The published article will include a byline, a short biographical sketch, and the author’s photo if one is available. Additional Categories All of the following are subject to editorial review for length, style and content. • Project descriptions for unique or challenging roofing projects will be considered for publication. • Articles on topics such as finance, legal issues, environmental concerns, and business management are routinely published. • Interface carries a “Contractor’s Column” which features timely and relevant topics from the contractor’s point of view. • Press releases about events, services, and products are published as space allows in an “Industry News” column. • Interface welcomes letters to the editor about any issue of concern to the Institute or the roofing industry. Letters must be signed and include a return address and telephone number. • Interface is always looking for quality front cover photos and illustrations. All submissions will be considered and, depending upon space, a brief description of the photo will be published inside the magazine. • Additional feature columns may be developed based on readers’ interests and needs. Interface welcome all ideas and suggestions. Interface is written by, for, and about those interested in roofing technology. Interface eagerly seeks innovative ideas, topics for articles, and suggestions for improvement. Cutoff dates for text are the first of the month prior to the month of issue. Send your inquiries, ideas, suggestions and manuscripts to RCI, attn: Editor, 7424 Chapel Hill Road, Raleigh, NC 27607 • Tel 800-828- 1902 • 919-859-0742 • Fax 919-859-1328 18 Interface Between The World and The Weather Since 1928 Help Protect Your Reputation With High Performance ELASTOMERIC BUR SYSTEMS Featuring Spunbond Polyester Felts SEBS Modified Mopping Bitumens BARRETT COMPANY 3422 Old Capitol Trail Wilmington, DE 19108 1-800-647-0100 BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS FOR TOTAL QUALITY ROOFING Since 1926, Southern California Roofing Company (SCR) has been dedicated to total quality roofing. We realize that our roofing customers need the assurance that they are receiving quality workmanship. That is why we welcome the scrutiny of the independent roofing consultant. After all, your customer is our customer. 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