AAMA 507 headed back to code council

The American Architectural Manufacturers Association of Schaumburg, Ill., met the Aug. 20 deadline to bring a revised proposal to allow AAMA 507 as an alternative thermal performance rating back to the International Code Council for consideration at the 2008 code hearings. AAMA officials brought the EC-9 code change proposal before the Washington, D.C.-based code organization during the 2006-2007 code change cycle , but it was voted down by the ICC at its final action hearings in May. The current IECC only recognizes NFRC 100 and NFRC 200, energy rating systems from the National Fenestration Rating Council, Greenbelt, Md., and requires determination of thermal performance values by use of default tables included in the IECC or labeling in accordance with NFRC 100. Despite industry-wide support from the Aluminum Extruders Council of Wauconda, Ill., the Glass Association of North America of Topeka, Kan., and the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance of Ottawa, Ontario, the council disapproved the measure to add AAMA 507 as an alternative, says Ken Brenden, codes and industry affairs manager for AAMA. “That earlier edition did not require the use of the certificate of compliance described in the standard. The [ICC committee] had some concern that the certificate was not mandatory, and the proposal was disapproved,” Brenden says. The organization has since revised AAMA 507 making the certificate of compliance mandatory. “This proposal would permit use of AAMA 507 to determine U-factor and solar heat gain coefficient of glazed assemblies in commercial buildings,” Brenden says. “The validity of the installation is provided by a certificate of compliance, which is completed by the glazing contractor or a registered design professional. The proposal also specifies that the testing will establish the values included on the certificate of compliance to be done in accordance with NFRC 100 and NFRC 200.” In addition to using AAMA 507 as an alternative to NFRC 100 and NFRC 200, AAMA officials say the standard will be an important alternative to NFRC’s nonresidential energy rating program, the Component Modeling Approach, which is still under development. “AAMA 507 is seen as an effective alternative to the NFRC’s CMA method for rating highly customized commercial fenestration systems that will save time and costs for every commercial project, as well as save time and effort on the part of code officials,” says Angela Dickson, AAMA senior coordinator of communications. “AAMA 507 eliminates the need for costly and time-consuming re-testing or re-simulation of each variation.” Tom Culp, president of Birch Point Consulting LLC in La Crosse, Wis., says the addition of AAMA 507 to the codes would provide an important service to the industry. “A little competition is good for everyone,” Culp says. “It makes for better standards and helps more products get out there.” The proposals will be heard first at the public comment hearings in February 2008. If approved, the code changes will appear in the 2009 edition of the International Codes.

—By Katy Devlin, e-Newsletter Editor, e-glass weeklyShare this article: