Building façades must resist water infiltration to maintain their durability. Pennoni Associates, an award-winning consulting engineering firm, is pleased to announce it recently added spray rack testing to the services they provide for building façade investigations. The spray rack is an 8'-0" x 8'-0" assembly that provides a uniform static water pressure of 10 psi against a building. The water pressure is calibrated and can be adjusted based on calculated wind driven rain pressures. The rack is certified and allows Pennoni to perform the following tests:
- AAMA 501.2-Quality Assurance and Diagnostic Water Leakage Field Check of Insulated Storefront, Curtain Walls and Sloped Glazing Systems
- AAMA 511-Voluntary Guideline for Forensic Water Penetration Testing of Fenestration Products
- ASTM E331 – Standard Test Method for Water Penetration of Exterior Windows, Skylights, Doors, and Curtain Walls by Uniform Static Air Pressure Difference
- ASTM E2128 – Standard Guide for Evaluating Water Leakage of Building Walls
The testing was recently performed on two of the group's façade projects: the Cure of Ars Façade Investigation in Long Island, New York, and a medical office building in Jessup, Pennsylvania. The Cure of Ars façade is a mass masonry wall constructed in 1926. The medical office façade is prefabricated metal panel cladding.
Pennoni was successful in locating leaks for both buildings. Finding the locations of leaks is critical to assisting the clients with developing appropriate repairs.