As climate change drives an increase in extreme weather events like hurricanes and tornadoes, building codes and standards have become more stringent to help provide confidence in the safety and resilience of structures. To help protect buildings from high-velocity winds and windborne debris, particularly in hurricane and tornado-prone regions, it is essential that the building envelope is designed and tested to meet these rigorous requirements.
At UL Solutions, we offer comprehensive windstorm testing, certification and validation services that help manufacturers to demonstrate product compliance with the necessary building codes and standards, helping to protect lives and property in extreme weather conditions.
Comprehensive windstorm testing services
UL Solutions provides thorough testing services to evaluate the performance of building envelope products under extreme conditions. Our testing includes:
- Impact testing: UL conducts large and small missile impact tests using a compressed air cannon to simulate debris impacts from hurricanes and tornadoes. Large missile testing is conducted at speeds up to 100 mph.
- Test standards: We test products to specific standards, including ASTM E1996, E1886, ICC 500, UL 580, UL 1897 and many others required by state and local building codes such as the TAS series of test Standards.
These rigorous tests help give manufacturers confidence that products like exterior doors, windows, louvers, shutters, panel walls and roofing materials meet applicable requirements to withstand the severe forces they may encounter during extreme weather events.
Certification for windstorm-rated building assemblies
UL Solutions offers certification services that help manufacturers to demonstrate ongoing compliance with local building codes. Our certification includes:
- Quality assurance: We help manufacturers have confidence that their products continue to meet standards through our ongoing factory inspection program, providing regular assessments of the manufacturer’s quality control processes.
- UL Mark: The UL Mark signifies that a product has been tested and certified to meet stringent safety standards. This Mark is recognized and trusted by architects, contractors, building consultants and code authorities, helping to provide confidence in the products used in construction projects.
How UL Solutions supports compliance
UL Solutions offers a comprehensive suite of services to assist manufacturers in assessing their product’s compliance with North American code requirements. Our services include:
- In-house testing: Conducted in our state-of-the-art laboratories, we test products to applicable windstorm standards.
- Certification and quality control: Quality control helps provide manufacturers with confidence in compliance with the building codes for quality assurance reasons. and that the products being manufactured and sold are consistent with the product samples as originally tested
- Validation: Independent validation services that assess product performance and compliance with relevant codes and standards.
We test products to various standards, including ICC 500, , ASTM E1996, ASTM E1886, UL 580, UL 1897 and more, ensuring comprehensive coverage of all necessary criteria for windstorm-rated products.
Why Partner with UL Solutions?
By choosing UL Solutions for windstorm testing, certification, and validation, you benefit from:
- Technical excellence: Our expertise and testing methods help deliver reliable results you can trust.
- Market acceptance: The UL Mark is widely recognized and aids in the acceptance of your products
- Comprehensive services: From initial testing to ongoing certification and quality assurance services, we offer a comprehensive set of solutions to help give you confidence that your products meet applicable standards such as fire, ballistics or durability.
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