WALTHAM, Mass. – A nuclear moisture testing protocol developed by SPRI – with the extensive input of RCI Inc. – has been approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as a national standard. SPRI represents sheet membrane and component suppliers to the commercial roofing industry and worked closely with RCI Inc. on the new ANSI/SPRI/RCI NT-1 2012 standard.

SPRI’s task force based its standard on a 20-year-old protocol, “Detection and location of latent moisture of building roofing systems by nuclear radio isotropic thermalization,” which can be found in Appendix E of RCI Inc.’s Manual of Practice. The document contains information on proper handling of nuclear based moisture survey equipment in the field, as well as calculating and analyzing survey results.

“Interest in the initiative was shown within SPRI, and we had a well-rounded task force of about one dozen members,” said SPRI task force chairman David Hawn, FRCI, RRC, CEM. “The members of the committee became strongly engaged and active in working toward development of a consensus based standard.”

Hawn is also president of Dedicated Roof and Hydro-Solutions LLC, Centreville, VA, and an RCI Inc. past president.

“We realized there was a shortcoming in the RCI protocol not being consensus based,” says Hawn. “Nuclear based technology is relatively simple and hasn’t changed much over the years. But there was a fair amount of language changes from the RCI protocol that needed to be made.”
The new document fit the format and vernacular of a true ANSI standard, which helped it move through the organization’s approval process successfully.

“Although roof consultants will use the standard more than anyone else, ANSI/SPRI/RCI NT-1 2012 will be a benefit to more than just RCI Inc. members,” said Hawn. “Roofing work is being judged using nuclear testing on a daily basis,” continues Hawn. “So anything that can standardize this process and make it more consistent will work toward the good of the entire industry.”

For more information, visit www.spri.org.