ASTM E2178-03

Standard Test Method for Air Permeance of Building Materials

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
The purpose of this test is to measure the air permeance of flexible sheet or rigid panel-type materials. The results of this test may be useful in determining suitability of that material as a component of an air retarder system.
This method does not address the installed air leakage performance of building materials. The installed performance of air retarder materials and air retarder systems in low-rise framed wall construction is addressed in Specification E 1677.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method is to determine the air permeance of building materials at various pressure differentials with the intent of determining an assigned air permeance rate of the material at the reference pressure difference (P) of 75 Pa.
1.2 The method is intended to assess flexible sheet or rigid panel-type materials using a 1 m 1 m specimen size.
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurements are included in this standard.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

General Information

• Status: Historical
• Publication Date: 09-Aug-2003
• ICS: 91.100.01 - Construction materials in general
• Technical Committee: E06 - Performance of Buildings
• Drafting Committee: E06.41 - Air Leakage and Ventilation Performance

Relations

• Replaces: ASTM E2178-01 - Standard Test Method for Air Permeance of Building Materials
• Effective Date: 10-Aug-2003
• Replaced By: ASTM E2178-11 - Standard Test Method for Air Permeance of Building Materials
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2011
• Referred By: ASTM E283/E283M-19 - Standard Test Method for Determining Rate of Air Leakage Through Exterior Windows, Skylights, Curtain Walls, and Doors Under Specified Pressure Differences Across the Specimen
• Effective Date: 10-Aug-2003
• Referred By: ASTM E2813-18 - Standard Practice for Building Enclosure Commissioning
• Effective Date: 10-Aug-2003
• Referred By: ASTM E3158-18 - Standard Test Method for Measuring the Air Leakage Rate of a Large or Multizone Building
• Effective Date: 10-Aug-2003
• Referred By: ASTM E2357-23a - Standard Test Method for Determining Air Leakage Rate of Air Barrier Assemblies
• Effective Date: 10-Aug-2003

Standards Content (Sample)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information
An American National Standard
Designation: E2178 – 03
Standard Test Method for
1
Air Permeance of Building Materials
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2178; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 4.2 This method does not address the installed air leakage
performance of building materials. The installed performance
1.1 This test method is to determine the air permeance of
of air retarder materials and air retarder systems in low-rise
building materials at various pressure differentials with the
framed wall construction is addressed in Specification E1677.
intent of determining an assigned air permeance rate of the
material at the reference pressure difference (DP)of75Pa.
5. Sampling
1.2 The method is intended to assess flexible sheet or rigid
5.1 The number of specimens to be tested shall be suitable
panel-type materials usinga1m 3 1 m specimen size.
to establish an air leakage rate which is representative of the
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as
product. In no case shall less than five specimens be tested.
standard. No other units of measurements are included in this
standard.
NOTE 1—Because of the variability in the manufacture of a product, the
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the number of specimens to be tested may vary from product to product.
Certain materials may have standard methods for sampling that shall be
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
used to sample these materials.
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
6. Test Apparatus
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
6.1 A schematic of the air leakage test apparatus is pre-
2. Referenced Documents sented in Fig. 1.
2 6.1.1 Airtight Test Chamber—The airtight test chamber
2.1 ASTM Standards:
shall be at least 320 mm deep and capable of receivinga1m
E283 Test Method for Determining Rate of Air Leakage
by 1 m test specimen, anchored to the test chamber by means
Through Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, and Doors
of a compression frame and clamping devices. The test
Under Specified Pressure DifferencesAcross the Specimen
chamber and compression frame shall be stiff enough to limit
E1677 Specification for an Air Barrier (AB) Material or
deflection within the operating flexibility of the gaskets used to
System for Low-Rise Framed Building Walls
seal the test specimen to the chamber. Two parallel ribbons of
3. Terminology self-adhesive gasket material shall be applied at all sealing
points of the apparatus/test specimen assembly. The gasket
3.1 Definitions:
ribbons shall be made of medium-density gasket material that
3.1.1 air permeance—therateofairflow(L/s),perunitarea
2
can be fused or glued at joints. The test apparatus shall contain
(m ) and per unit static pressure differential (Pa).
an over-pressure control device and windows to verify the
4. Significance and Use
specimen installation.
6.1.2 Flow Measuring Devices—The flow measuring de-
4.1 The purpose of this test is to measure the air permeance
vices used to gage the air flow through the test specimen shall
of flexible sheet or rigid panel-type materials. The results of
-6 3
be capable of measuring air flow rate from 1 3 10 m /s (.001
this test may be useful in determining suitability of that
-2 3
L/s) up to 1.88 3 10 m /s (18.8 L/s), with an accuracy of 6
material as a component of an air retarder system.
3 % of the reading.
6.1.3 Pressure Measuring Devices—The static pressure dif-
1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E06 on ferentialacrossthetestspecimenshallbemeasuredbypressure
Performance of Buildings and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E06.41
measuring devices with an accuracy of 6 0.5 % of the pressure
on Air Leakage and Ventilation Performance.
reading. The laboratory barometric pressure shall be measured
Current edition approved Aug. 10, 2003. Published October 2003. Originally
with a device capable of measuring barometric pressure within
approved in 2001. Last previous edition approved in 2001 as E2178–01 DOI:
10.1520/E2178-03.
6 3 % of the reading.
2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
6.1.4 Piping—The piping connecting the flow measuring
contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM
devices and the vacuum blower shall be airtight and contain
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
the ASTM website. flow control devices to regulate the static pressure across
...