b'Electronic Leak DetectionFinding Leaksin RoofingElectronic leak detection becoming standard practice By Warren HeeleyE lectronic leak detection (ELD) for roofing membranes has come a long way since itThe establishment of recognized standards for ELD was paramount for acceptance was first introduced in Germany in the 1970s. When ELD was first introduced, itsof ELD testing, says Pat Vokey, Vice President, Detec Systems. Standards were also the use was limited to membrane integrity on exposed green roofs and other specifickey to solving problems created by lack of knowledge and misinterpretation of methods types of roofing assemblies. It is now being used on a wider range of roofing and water- in order to conduct ELD testing.proofing applications. Theindustrycommittedtimeandresourceswithotherstakeholderstodevelop Testing roofing membranes with ELD has become the accepted practice for owners,aguidelineforapplicationoftheirproducts.Thisprocesswascompletedin2014 specifiers, contractors and others in the commercial and industrial sectors of the build- whentheAmericanSocietyforTestingandMaterials(ASTM)publishedASTM ing industry worldwide. Electronic leak detection is quicker, more accurate and lessGuideline 7877Standard Guide for Electronic Methods for Detecting and Locating Leaks in expensive than other options such as flood testing. Waterproof Membranes.The progress made by ELD was challenging as more and more roofing and water- As spelled out in its scope, the guideline describes standard procedures for using proofing materials required testing, and owners and contractors needed to become fa- electrical conductance measurement methods to locate leaks in exposed or covered wa-miliar with how tests should be conducted and what assemblies should be tested. This,terproof membranes. The guideline provided the industry with a benchmark for applica-coupled with the various technologies for ELD, challenged the industry to provide train- tion of ELD.ing and information on the various options available for roofing membrane integrity. The work on ASTM 7877 was followed up in July of 2019 with the publication of ASTM Practice D8231 Standard Practice for the Use of a Low Voltage Electronic Scanning System for Detecting and Locating Breaches in Roofing and Waterproofing Membranes. This practice was Standards Development developed from the technologies listed in ASTM 7877 and provides requirements for one Electronic leak detection was first introduced in Canada in the early 2000s. By 2007,particular type of low voltage scanning platform.the ELD industry recognized the need to establish guidelines or standards for how leakThe document includes requirements for conductivity between the substrate and the testing should be conducted with the technologies available in the market. By creatingmembrane, conductive substrate positioning directly below the membrane, and methods such documents, consultants and others who wished to name ELD for a roofing systemto locate potential leaks in both electrically insulating materials and moderately conduc-would have a benchmark to use in their specification. tive materials such as black EPDM.14ONTARIO ROOFING NEWSISSUE 3 2019 THE ONLY SOURCE FOR PROFESSIONAL ICI ROOFING CONTRACTORS IN ONTARIO ORN'