Letters

Testing TPOs

"Testing TPOs," August issue, page 38, is an excellent summary of the presentation Helene Hardy Pierce, vice president of technical services, codes and industry relations for GAF, Parsippany, N.J., and Rene Dupuis, principal and president of Structural Research Inc., Madison, Wis., made during the 2015 International Roofing Expo^® (IRE). During the past 40 years, I've attended many continuing education programs and national and international technical conferences. The presentation Hardy Pierce and Dupuis made was the best I've ever heard. They gave a great synopsis of TPO membranes' progress in the marketplace; the development and improvement of ASTM D6878, "Standard Specification for Thermoplastic Polyolefin Based Sheet Roofing"; presented a thorough discussion of the research program; and presented specific recommendations for improving ASTM D6878.

Clearly, a lot of brain power went into developing the scope and specifics of the research program. It was well thought out and executed. The comprehensive nature of the research provided a solid foundation for the conclusions and recommendations.

For those involved with the manufacturing, design or installation of TPO membranes, this article is an important one to study. To gain further insights into the research, there are several documents (including a copy of the slides presented at the IRE) that can be downloaded from the web exclusives page of Professional Roofing's website.

I implore ASTM International to expeditiously consider the research recommendations and incorporate improvements to ASTM D6878.

I commend GAF for undertaking this research and congratulate Structural Research for the excellent work.

Tom Smith, AIA, RCI, F.SEI
TLSmith Consulting Inc.
Rockton, Ill.