Product Performance Testing
Performance of construction products is an increasingly important design consideration. Whereas in the past ultimate design was the key, now designers are also held to account for whether the design works and provides an acceptable environment. With our strong experience in the design and performance of pitched roofing products, it is only natural that we continue to work in the field of construction product performance.
This is closely linked to our work in failure investigation as the one often leads to the other. Once a weakness has been identified it is usually necessary to do some research into the best, and most cost-effective, way of correcting the problem.
Unlike wind loading, the problems are mostly the result of a combination of environmental factors:
- Wind and rain
- Wind and snow
- Rain and temperature (freeze-thaw)
- Rain and pollutant dispersal (acid attack)
Recent work in this area includes helping to develop new methods of performance testing for patent glazing systems (the sort of sloping roof glazing commonly found in shopping malls) and vertical curtain wall systems. We probably know more about the combined occurrence of wind and rain in the UK than anybody, having analysed more than ½ million records! The graph to the right shows a typical scatter plot of 5-minute wind speed and rainfall rate.
