New ASTM Guide Helps Predict Performance, Lifespan of Building Sealants

Words: Anonymous Anonymous
A new guide aims to help predict how building sealant systems will perform over time using accelerated testing methods.
A new guide from ASTM aims to help predict how building sealant systems will perform over time using accelerated testing methods.

April 5, 2017 — A new guide will soon be published that can help predict how building sealant systems will perform over time using accelerated testing methods. The standard, C1850, Guide for Improved Laboratory Accelerated Tests to Predict the Weathering and for Developing Methods to Predict the Design Life of Building Sealant Systems, was developed by ASTM International’s committee on building seals and sealants.

The guide outlines a systematic way to develop tests that show the long-term impact of weathering and other factors.  

Christopher White, a research chemist at the U.S. National Institute for Standards and Technology, and an ASTM International member, says, “It is impossible to know how a product will perform in five to ten years, but you have to select a product now. This new standard is a guide to accelerated test methods that will help determine the performance of products in the future.”

White says that the proposed standard could be useful for anyone in charge of choosing or buying sealants. The new standard could potentially serve as a model for the development of accelerated testing standards for other materials. 

For more news in this sector, visit www.astm.org/sn-construction.


ASTM Committee C24 on Building Seals and Sealants Next Meeting: June 11-13, 2017, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Media Inquiries: Dan Bergels, tel +1.610.832.9602; dbergels@astm.org

Technical Contact: Christopher White, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Md., tel +1.301.975.6016; christopher.white@nist.gov

ASTM Staff Contact: Julia Moynihan, tel +1.610.832.9681; jmoynihan@astm.org

Masonry Restoration: Why Walls Fail and How We Fix Them
February 2026

Masonry doesn’t crack. Old brick never has issues. Every masonry wall lasts 100 years or more… right? If only that were true. Masonry is one of the most durable building materials ever used, but like all construction, it responds to time, movement, mo

MCAA President Jeff Buczkiewicz Testifies To Congress On AI In Masonry
February 2026

On February 11, 2026, Jeff Buczkiewicz, President and CEO of the Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA), testified before the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. He spoke during a hearing titled “Building an AI-Ready America: Safer Workp

Safe Driving, Safe Job: A Masonry Crew's Guide to Vehicle Safety
February 2026

Every day, we load up our trucks and head out to the next job. Our vehicles are more than just a ride; they're our mobile workshops, carrying the tools and materials we need to build our proj

MCAA President and CEO Jeff Buczkiewicz To Testify To Congress On AI
February 2026

On February 11, 2026, Jeff Buczkiewicz, President and CEO of the Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA), will testify before the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. Representing a $41 billion industry, Buczkiewicz plans to showcase GEORG