#List of astm standards how to
It is up to our industry to know how to identify these products and make sure to request the required material data needed.
Some quarries and their representatives do not embrace this idea, because their products can be marketed to homeowners and residential projects without the need to perform testing. The required testing should be reviewed and, if test results are not available for the stone product, then testing should be performed by the quarry or representative company as required. Some products on the market today have not been tested for quality standards that are required for certain projects. Most architectural specifications require that stone meet certain specified ASTM or other testing standards before it will be accepted for use. How and when these standards apply.Īs stone industry professionals, it is our task to apply the correct standards to materials at appropriate times in order to keep the stone industry strong and to remain a reliable source of quality products. Interior or exterior flooring or paving with an inadequate slip resistance level will more likely cause slipping accidents in public or private projects. If a stone with a below-minimum flexural strength is used for a lintel, then it may be more likely to fail, thus causing damage and possible injury. These standards also serve as benchmarks for quality limits of products. This may cause the owner to incur additional cost for repair and maintenance, and negatively affect the reputation of the stone industry as a whole. For instance, without the minimum standards for Abrasion Resistance of Stone Subjected to Foot Traffic (ASTM C241-90(1997)), it would be more likely that very soft, easily damaged materials would be installed in commercial applications. Materials standards help to prevent the use of stone products for unsuitable applications. The standards that have been developed and set in place for these products are important tools to help protect end users, individual companies, and the industry from negative effects related to product failures. Without a consistent, realistic set of standards and testing procedures for stone products, the stone industry as a whole would be in disarray. In today's building environment, the emphasis is on safe, permanent, low maintenance products, of which stone leads the list in the minds of architects, designers, and consumers worldwide. Why ASTM standards and other like standards are important. Buyers and sellers of materials, products, and services include these standards in contracts engineers, scientists, architects, and designers use them in their work government agencies reference them in codes and regulations and many others refer to them for performance information.ĪSTM International is recognized globally and continues to review and develop new standards needed in a wide range of materials. Negative votes cast during the balloting process are fully considered before forwarding.Ĭompanies, agencies, and individuals use ASTM standards. The entire membership of ASTM International votes on whether a standard is suitably developed and researched before it is forwarded for final approval. These committees meet on a regular basis to discuss and present information for each new or existing standard.
For example, one subcommittee may deal with the development of standards dealing with Test Methods of Dimensional Stone, and another with Anchorage Components and Systems for Natural Stone. These committees are made up of several subcommittees which are tasked to develop and discuss individual segments within the committee's jurisdiction.
Over 30,000 individuals from 100 nations are the members of ASTM International, who are producers, users, consumers, and general interest parties such as government representatives and academicians.Ĭommittees are established which focus on and have jurisdiction over standards for different designations, such as Dimensional Stone (Committee C18) or Cement (Committee C01). The American Society for Testing and Materials International (ASTM), founded in 1898, is a not-for-profit organization that provides a global forum for the development and publication of voluntary consensus standards for materials, products, systems, and services. ASTM is recognized globally for testing and publishing Material Standards, which includes Natural Stone Products.