ASTM E2128: Determining and Evaluating Causes of Water Leakage of Exterior Walls 

The purpose of the ASTM E2128 is to determine the cause of water leakage in exterior curtain walls of a building. Unlike other testing methods, ASTM E2128 is a systematic approach that evaluates wall leaks. By using a sequence of testing methods and activities, ASTM E2128 testing provides an accumulation of information in an orderly and efficient manner. Each step of the process is intended to enhance and supplement the information collected in the previous step, which results in a much more holistic approach to water leakage testing. 

Conducting ASTM E2128 Water Leakage Testing

ASTM E2128 water leakage testing is not designed to be used in scenarios of hypothesis testing or quantitative random sampling. Instead, it is designed to be used when a suspect or known leak already occurs. During the testing, a series of activities occur to locate the leakage site:

1. Review of Project Documents: Before testing can begin, it’s imperative the tester have access to various project documents like Design and Bidding documents or Testing Reports. These documents will influence the path of water leak testing and inform the tester of the building’s water leak history.
2. Evaluation of Design Concepts: Reviewing the Project Documents should reveal any water resistance performance requirements specified for the wall. Further, the wall design must be consistent with the performance criteria in order to achieve the proper performance.
3. Determination of Service History: Gathering information on the service history of leakage problems can indicate where to focus the investigation, and more importantly, provide a checklist of theories and conclusions to be evaluated.
4. Inspection: Designed to complement and extend the information gathered from the review of documents and service history, Inspections determine as-built conditions, current conditions, and allow the tester to formulate hypotheses.
5. Investigative Testing: Water Leak Testing, during a systematic approach, is meant to verify and extend hypotheses. Using controlled and reproducible procedures, Investigative Water Leak Testing can increase efficiency and effectiveness of on-site testing.
6. Analysis: An evaluation is conducted in response to a problem situation and it may involve several procedures adapted and applied to diagnose a specific problem. There is no pass/fail criteria in a systematic approach.
7. Report Preparation: The prepared report will include the conditions the evaluation was conducted in, the methodology used to identify water infiltration sites, the observations and measurements made, and the finding and conclusions of the testing.