ASTM INTERNATIONAL

eNewsNOVEMBER 2012   

ASTM eNews is a monthly e-newsletter that features the latest happenings at ASTM International, including technical committee news, publications, meetings, symposia and more. Like ASTM's bimonthly magazine Standardization News, eNews is a free benefit available to all ASTM members.

    

ASTM Publications

 

STP 1544, Performance of Protective Clothing and Equipment: 9th Volume, Emerging Issues and Technologies       

 

 

ASTM Interactive Catalogs

 

New! 2013 Standards Catalog

 
2012 Products Catalog

 
Proficiency Testing
 Programs 
 
    

 

 

CALENDAR

Committee Week

 

 November Committee Week   

Nov. 11-16, Atlanta, GA

 

 December Committee Week   

Dec. 2-7, Atlanta, GA   

 

See more on committee meetings/committee weeks. 

 

Symposia/Workshops   

Technical/Professional 
Training Courses
 


Corrosion Testing
Nov. 27-28, Atlanta, GA

Crude Oil
Nov. 12-14, Houston, TX

Gasoline
Nov. 13-15, Savannah, GA

Phase I/Phase II
Environmental Site
Assessment

Nov. 6-8, New Orleans, LA
Nov. 27-29, Las Vegas, NV

Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, Commercial Real Estate
Nov. 13-14, Elk Grove, IL
Dec. 4-5, San Francisco, CA

Property Condition Assessments
   
Online training courses in Spanish are available at EnginZone.
  

 

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HEADLINES...This month's top stories 

ASTM Launches New Initiative for Product Category Rules and Environmental Product Declarations    
[Full Story] ASTM International has announced that it is now a Program Operator for Product Category Rules (PCRs) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)As green and sustainability become more prevalent terms, and measurement systems and labels more common, the need is growing to understand the real environmental impact of products from raw material extraction to disposal and recycling. PCRs will detail the rules and guidelines for developing environmental declarations for products that can fulfill equivalent functions. EPDs will be verified to ensure their adherence to the ISO 14040 standards as well as to ensure that life cycle assessment data accurately describes the environmental aspects of a product. For inquiries about developing new PCRs and verifying EPDs, please contact ASTM's Certification and Declarations Department at [email protected] or visit www.astm.org/EPDs. [Full Story]
ASTM and AASHTO Agreement Benefits Road Construction and Transportation 
On Nov. 6, ASTM International President James A. Thomas and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Executive Director John Horsley signed an agreement of standards in Washington, D.C. The agreement solidifies coordination between ASTM and AASHTO for the common interest of highway construction, safety, maintenance and sustainability, and is an outgrowth of the ongoing relationship between the two groups"ASTM International is pleased to enter into this agreement with AASHTO," says Thomas. "We hope that it will foster better coordination in mutual areas of interest, reduce unnecessary duplication of effort and be responsive to industry needs in an efficient and collaborative manner." For more on ASTM transportation news, visit www.astm.org/sn-transportation. [Full Story]   
Nuclear Power Roadmap Now Available 
Early this year, ASTM added a Nuclear Portal to its website that ties together the nuclear-related activity being conducted across technical committees. Included in the portal is the updated Roadmap in Support of Commercial Nuclear Power, a comprehensive look at nuclear energy information as it relates to ASTM technical committees. ASTM is a key participant in the Nuclear Energy Standards Coordination Collaborative, which was initiated in 2008 to support the standardization effort for operating plants and the design and construction of new nuclear plants. The ASTM Nuclear Roadmap provides an understanding of the nuclear sector and how to effectively contribute to the industry through ASTM technical committees, as well as pertinent information such as ASTM's goal for providing up-to-date standards used in the nuclear industry and the Society's alliances with other societies and organizations in the industry. See the Nuclear Roadmap at www.astm.org/portals/nuclear. If you would like to request a hard copy, contact [email protected]. [Full Story] 
New Professor's Tool Kit Provides Materials for Standards Education 
A new academic offering, the ASTM Professor's Tool Kit, provides various informational tools to help educators promote awareness of standards in the classroom. The tool kit includes a collection of ASTM materials in one place, so instructors may pick and choose which components work best for their classes. Supplies in the kit include scripted PowerPoint modules, sample syllabi and standards, short videos, informational brochures, industry sector overviews, standards case studies and more. As an added benefit for international students and professors, a number of the materials have been translated into Spanish, Mandarin and Portuguese. To access the Professor's Tool Kit online, visit www.astm.org/toolkit[Full Story]
 
Reminder - Renew Your ASTM Membership for 2013 
Don't forget to renew your membership for 2013. It is easy to do online at www.astm.org/MEMBERSHIP. Click here to see information about the benefits for all membership types: participating, organizational, informational and student. The Membership page also includes information on how to invite a colleague to join ASTM and the Benefits of ASTM Membership video.
Nominations are Invited for Dudley Medal 
Nominations of publications are invited for the Charles B. Dudley Medal Award, which honors an outstanding contribution that has a widely recognized impact on a particular field of ASTM interest and has been documented in ASTM literature, either in a paper or group of papers; a Special Technical Publication; a Data Series publication; or a manual, monograph, or computer software program. The deadline for submissions is April 15, 2013. For more information visit www.astm.org/dudleymedal.
   
Free Virtual Classroom for Members 
ASTM offers free one-hour online training courses for members. Upcoming courses are: Interlaboratory Studies Program (Nov. 7), Developing and Revising an ASTM Standard (Nov. 27), Balloting and Handling Negative Votes (Nov. 29), New Member Orientation and Training (Dec. 11),WebEx Training (Dec. 11), Training on ASTM Online Tools (Dec. 12) and Roster Maintenance Training (Dec. 17). Visit the ASTM website to register. Available on-demand tutorials include Electronic Balloting and Strategic Planning and New Activity Development.  

committeenewsCOMMITTEE NEWS . . . The latest from ASTM's technical committees

 

Rare Earth Materials

Standards from a new F40 subcommittee on Rare Earth Materials will be used across a wide range of industries, including defense, energy, automotive, electronics and mining. [Full Story] 

 

Artist Paints

Committee D01 is developing new standards on aerosol products and artists' pastels. [Full Story] 

  

Nanotechnology         

A new Committee E56 standard focuses on the zeta potential in systems containing biological material such as proteins, DNA, liposomes and other organic materials. [Full Story]   

  

Building Acoustics         

Committee E33 is developing a test method that will be helpful to the construction industry in designing acoustic properties for buildings. [Full Story] 


Lumber and Engineered Wood Products   

All interested parties are invited to participate in the standards developing activities of a new task group on structural insulated panels within Committee D07. [Full Story]    

  

Geosynthetics         

A proposed Committee D35 standard will focus on turf reinforcement mats made only with geosynthetics and no organic materials. [Full Story]     

 

Concrete Pipe        

Load and resistance factor design methodology developed by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials plays a key role in a proposed C13 standard on the design of culverts and storm drains. [Full Story] 

  

Oil Spill Response        

Committee F20 is developing a standard that will provide a nondestructive test for determining storage life of coated fabric products used for oil spill response. [Full Story]    

 

Copper         

Committee B05's new standard focuses on the mechanical properties of machining brasses. [Full Story]   

    

Interlaboratory Studies

Committee D02's new guide provides an overview of an interlaboratory study to obtain precision and bias statements, particularly as they relate to standards for petroleum products. [Full Story]

 

Vinyl Siding          

Committee D20 has developed a new standard that covers insulated vinyl siding. [Full Story] 

     

High-Strength Steel Sheets

Steel sheets, generally known as advanced high-strength steels, are covered by a new Committee A05 standard. [Full Story] 

  

more3GLOBAL NOTES . . . ASTM Around the World    

 

ASTM Leads Training Session in Doha, Qatar         
On Oct. 1-2, ASTM member Dr. Richard Szecsy led a training session in cooperation with the Standardization Organization for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GSO) in Doha, Qatar. More than 25 participants from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region attended the session, which focused on establishing a green building code that will contribute to environmental sustainable development in the GCC region. GSO has been active in promoting ASTM standards in the GCC region since signing an MOU with ASTM in 2006. [Full Story and Photo]


Mongolian Agency for Standards and Metrology           
Liu Fei, ASTM's chief representative in China, led a series of workshops at the Mongolian Agency for Standards and Metrology (MASM) on Oct. 11-12. ASTM and MASM signed a memorandum of understanding in 2004. The first workshop, "ASTM International and the Value of Standards to Global Industry," featured information about ASTM standards and the balloting process, the ASTM-MASM MOU, ASTM's electronic tools and the value that standards offer in global trade. The second presentation focused on ASTM environmental standards and how they are used domestically and internationally in the sustainability sector. 
 

DID YOU KNOW? . . . Disaster Preparation and Response               

Natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes and wild fires present enormous challenges for all affected. Technical standards can be used to ensure greater safety and security before disasters occur and provide needed assistance in the wake of events. Because standards present clear-cut procedures to achieve objectives, the use of ASTM standards are essential when dealing with the uncertainty that often results from emergency situations. ASTM standards that deal with disaster situations are in place across various ASTM committees, including E05 on Fire Standards, E06 on Performance of Buildings, E54 on Homeland Security Applications, F30 on Emergency Medical Systems and F32 on Search and Rescue. For example, ASTM standards cover performance of windows and other exterior areas during hurricanes; fire penetration of walls; and the potential economic loss due to earthquakes. In addition, crucial topics such as hospital preparedness, search and rescue operations and emergency medical systems are also addressed by ASTM standards. [Full Story]


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Erin K. Brennan, Editor
[email protected]


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