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    Technical Bulletin 17 Astm f1869 Moisture Testing

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    ibrahim

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    Technical Bulletin 17 Astm f1869 Moisture Testing

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    Technical Bulletin 17 Astm f1869 Moisture Testing

    Uploaded by

    ibrahim

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 3

     

    Technical Bulletin; 17
     

    ASTM F1869 Moisture Testing Protocol: Abstract


    Significance and Use:
    Use this test method to obtain a quantitative value indicating the rate of moisture vapor
    emission from a concrete floor and whether or not that floor is acceptable to receive
    resilient floor covering. The moisture vapor emission rate only reflects the condition of
    the concrete floor at the time of the test. All concrete subfloors emit some amount of
    moisture in vapor form. Concrete moisture emission is a natural process driven by
    environmental conditions. All floor coverings are susceptible to failure from excessive
    moisture vapor emissions. The moisture vapor emitted from a concrete slab is measured
    in pounds. This measurement is the equivalent weight of water evaporating from 1000
    ft2 of concrete surface in a 24–h period. The calcium chloride moisture test has been the
    industry standard for making this determination and is a practical, well-established and
    accepted test of dynamic moisture. It will produce quantified results directly applicable
    to flooring manufacturer’ specifications. The results obtained reflect only the condition of
    the concrete floor at that time.

    1. Scope:
    1.1 This test method covers the quantitative determination of the rate of moisture vapor
    emitted from below-grade, on-grade, and above-grade (suspended) concrete floors.
    1.2 This quantity of moisture shall be expressed as the rate of moisture vapor emission,
    measured in pounds of moisture over a 1000 ft2 area during a 24-h period.
    1.3 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the standard. The
    values given in parentheses are for information only.
    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.

    2. Referenced Documents
    C670 Practice for Preparing Precision and Bias Statements for Test Methods for
    Constsruction Materials
    F141 Terminology Relating to Resilient Floor Coverings
    Mil Spec B-131H Type 1, Class III

    Recommended Work Practices


    Index Terms: Anhydrous calcium chloride; moisture vapor emission rate; quantitative
    calcium chloride; resilient flooring; RMA referee test; ICS Number Code 91.100.30
    DOI: 10.1520/F1869-04

    ASTM F1869; Calcium Chloride Testing:

    Concrete floor installers began using the Calcium Chloride moisture test back in the early
    1940s to conclude when a new concrete slab was fit for floor coverings such as rubber
     

    which saw an industry increase in the post WWII years. Promulgated by the Rubber
    Manufacturer’s Association, the test became known as the RMA test (for Rubber
    Manufacturer’s Assoc.). Over the ensuing decades, the RMA or Calcium Chloride test
    gained industry acceptance as a practical standard for testing moisture in concrete
    substrates. Although flooring contractors continue to use the Calcium Chloride moisture
    test, post-installation moisture problems are causing it to be questioned as to its validity
    as an accurate test method for todays high tech flooring systems.

    The Calcium Chloride moisture test produced data based on MVER, the quantitative
    indication of how many pounds of slab moisture evaporated from 1000 square feet of
    concrete over a 24-hour period. The applicable industry standard for this test, ASTM
    F1869 defined the scope of Calcium Chloride testing: “This test method covers the
    quantitative determination of the rate of moisture vapor emitted from below-grade, on-
    grade, and above-grade (suspended) bare concrete floors.”

    Although ASTM F1869 states that Calcium Chloride does not address all concrete safety
    concerns, manufacturers and installers declared that an industry-standard MVER of three
    pounds satisfied ASTM F 1869. At that point, it was safe to install floor covering over a
    concrete substrate.

    Getting ready to perform the ASTM


    F1869 moisture test. Be sure to follow
    all procedures as outlined in the ASTM
    standard and as put forth by ICRI1.

    If quantitative assessment indicates moisture vapor emissions, building trades


    experienced decades of qualitative difficulties with the Calcium Chloride moisture test. In
    fact, moisture-plagued concrete slabs certified by ASTM F1869 protocol proved to be a
    patterned and persistent challenge to the concrete flooring industry – so much so that
    industry professionals began to investigate the scientific integrity of the Calcium Chloride
    moisture test and came up with the following three problems:

    1. Surface Measurement: Calcium Chloride measured only the top one-half to


    three-quarters-inch of the slab.
    2. Distorted Readings: Calcium Chloride tended to underestimate the true
    moisture conditions at the high end of the moisture spectrum, while it tended
                                                                                                                   
    1
    ICRI, (International Concrete Repair Institute), www.icri.org
     

    to overestimate the moisture conditions of older slabs. Builders, then, made


    threshold floor covering decisions based on errant readings.
    3. Scope of Assessment: Calcium Chloride failed to methodologically account for
    the fact that concentrated concrete moisture resides at greater depth than ever
    measured by the test. This led to continued moisture problems when that
    moisture eventually reached a covered concrete surface where they could no
    longer evaporate.

    In light of this (and other) research, the ASTM made two changes to moisture
    measurement industry standards. First, it amended ASTM F1869 to remove the Calcium
    Chloride moisture test as a means of measuring lightweight concrete moisture. Second,
    ASTM created the F2170 standard that recognized in-situ relative humidity testing as an
    alternative integral assessment method.

    The Calcium Chloride moisture test is a testing practice with a long lineage. It remains
    rooted in ASTM standard F1869 as the source of many tests tried. But due to a new era
    of technology in both testing and in flooring manufacture and challenges of moisture
    emissions-based testing the choice is becoming increasingly clear.

    ASTM F1869 Recap:

    • Measured in pounds, water emitted from the slab in 1000 ft2 over 24 hrs.
    • Requirement: 1 test per 1000 ft2 with a minimum of 3 tests.
    • Space is climate controlled at the time of the testing.
    • Test Area Surface should be ground clean and remain open for 24 hours prior to
    placement of the test.

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