ASTM Committee on Sustainability aims to define resiliency

Sources: ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pa.; CP staff

ASTM Committee E60 on Sustainability is drafting a proposed standard, WK54254, to help reach a consensus-driven, widely applicable definition of resiliency, and enable evaluation of that characteristic in products and materials.

“The topic of resiliency is becoming more discussed both in ASTM and outside by a variety of parties,” says E60 Chairman and Gypsum Association Director of Technical Services Michael Schmeida. “But there is not a definition of resiliency developed in a consensus manner, nor one that covers the concept at high level.”

WK54254 will help business interests and consumers determine what materials and products are best suited, in terms of resiliency, for various applications. The primary users of the guide will be other standards developers looking to better define resiliency for their product types. Designers and consumers could also use the guide to make environmentally-conscious and sustainable purchases.

In addition to the proposed standard, E60 plans an October 2017 symposium on the safety, resiliency, and sustainability paradigm. Interested parties can contact E60 Vice Chair and symposium chair Emily Lorenz, [email protected]. Committee members invite participation of all stakeholders in sustainability measures, and are especially keen on expanding Subcommittee E60.07 on Water Use and Conservation. The committee and subcommittees will meet October 24-27 in Orlando. Contacts: technical, Michael Schmeida, 301/277-8742, [email protected]; staff liaison, Stephen Mawn, 610/832-9726, [email protected].