AAMA Updates Three Field Testing Documents for Curtainwall, Sliding Glass Doors and Windows

Three field testing documents used for verifying the performance of installed windows, sliding glass doors, storefronts and low-rise curtain wall have been updated and published by the Schaumberg, Ill.-based American Architectural Manufacturers Association. The publications represent current test methods, specifications and diagnostic documents for field evaluation of fenestration products and are labeled:

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, and AAMA 501.2-03 "Quality Assurance and Diagnostic Water Leakage Field Check of Installed Storefronts, Curtain Walls, and Sloped Glazing Systems."

AAMA 502-02 establishes acceptable levels of air leakage and water penetration, and provides procedures for evaluating the performance of installed products, replacing AAMA 502-90, which had been in place since the early 1990s, according to Rich Walker, executive vice president for AAMA.

AAMA 503-03 is similar to AAMA 502-02, but applies to installed storefronts, low-rise curtain walls and sloped glazing systems. Both documents refer to ASTM documents E 783 and E 1105 for testing methodology and equipment requirements used in testing for field air infiltration and field water penetration. Testing for air infiltration is optional in AAMA 503-03, because of the difficulties posed in measuring air leakage for large spans of curtain walls and ribbon windows, according to Walker.

AAMA 501.2-03 was renamed "Quality Assurance and Diagnostic Water Leakage Field Check of Installed Storefronts, Curtain Walls, and Sloped Glazing Systems," according to Walker, because the title is a more accurate reflection of the document's intended purpose. The history of this document dates back to the National Association of Architectural Metal Manufacturers (NAAMM). In 1976, it was converted from a NAAMM publication to AAMA FC-1-76 "Specifications for Field Check of Metal Curtain Walls for Water Leakage." Updated in 1994 and revised again in 2003, AAMA 501.2-03 addresses industry concerns in regards to potential abuse of the procedure.