ASTM E1677-23

This document is not an ASTM standard and is intended only to provide the user of an ASTM standard an indication of what changes have been made to the previous version. Because
it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
of the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.
Designation: E1677 − 19 E1677 − 23
Standard Specification for
Air Barrier (AB) Material or Assemblies for Low-Rise Framed
Building Walls
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E1677; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope
1.1 This specification covers minimum performances and specification criteria for an air barrier (AB) material or system for
framed walls of low-rise buildings. The intended users are purchasers of the AB, specifiers of the AB and regulatory groups. The
provisions contained in this specification are intended to allow the user to design the wall performance criteria and increase AB
specifications to accommodate a particular climate location, function, or design of the intended building. Air barrier performance
and specification minimums were selected with the service life of the building wall in mind.
1.2 This specification focuses on ABs for opaque walls. Other areas of the exterior envelope, such as roofs, floors, and interfaces
between these areas are not included in this specification.
1.3 This specification does not address air leakage into the wall cavity, that is, windwashing. No standardized test has been
developed that adequately identifies all of the influencing factors and measures the impact of this effect on the wall’s thermal
performance.
1.4 The specifications in this standard are not intended to be utilized for energy load calculations and are not based on an expected
level of energy consumption.
1.5 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical
conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.
1.6 The following safety hazards caveat pertains only to the test method portion, Annex A1, of this specification. This standard
does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this
standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory
limitations prior to use.
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization
established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued
by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E06 on Performance of Buildings and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E06.41 on Air Leakage
and Ventilation Performance.
Current edition approved July 1, 2019July 1, 2023. Published August 2019August 2023. Originally approved in 1995. Last previous edition approved in 20112019 as
E1677E1677 – 19.–11. DOI: 10.1520/E1677–19.10.1520/E1677–23.
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
E1677 − 23
C755 Practice for Selection of Water Vapor Retarders for Thermal Insulation
E96/E96M Test Methods for Gravimetric Determination of Water Vapor Transmission Rate of Materials
E241 Guide for Limiting Water-Induced Damage to Buildings
E283 Test Method for Determining Rate of Air Leakage Through Exterior Windows, Skylights, Curtain Walls, and Doors Under
Specified Pressure Differences Across the Specimen
E330/E330M Test Method for Structural Performance of Exterior Windows, Doors, Skylights and Curtain Walls by Uniform
Static Air Pressure Difference
E331 Test Method for Water Penetration of Exterior Windows, Skylights, Doors, and Curtain Walls by Uniform Static Air
Pressure Difference
E631 Terminology of Building Constructions
E1424 Test Method for Determining the Rate of Air Leakage Through Exterior Windows, Skylights, Curtain Walls, and Doors
Under Specified Pressure and Temperature Differences Across the Specimen
2.2 ASHRAE Standard:
ASHRAE 62 Acceptable Indoor Air Quality
2.2 ASCE Standard:
ASCE 7-88 1990, Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structure, Fig. 1, Basic Wind Speed (mph)
2.3 ASHRAE Standard:
ASHRAE 62 Acceptable Indoor Air Quality
2.4 CSA Standard:
Air Barrier Systems for Walls of Low-Rise Buildings: Performance and Assessment
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions—For definitions of general terms related to building construction used in this specification, refer to Terminology
E631.
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
3.2.1 air barrier (AB)—a material or system in building construction that is designed and installed to reduce air leakage either into
or through the opaque wall.
3.2.2 air exfiltration—air leakage out of the building driven by negative pressure.
3.2.2.1 negative pressure—air pressure on the outdoor side of a building envelope lower than on the indoor side.
3.2.3 air infiltration—air leakage into the building driven by positive pressure.
3.2.3.1 positive pressure—air pressure on the outdoor side of a building envelope higher than on the indoor side.
3.2.4 air leakage—the movement/flow of air through the building envelope, which is driven by either positive (infiltration) or
negative (exfiltration) pressure differences, or both, across the envelope.
3.2.4.1 Discussion—
These pressure differences are caused by wind, mechanical systems, and temperature differences (stack effect).
3.2.5 air leakage rate—the time rate of air flow across the air barrier.
3.2.5.1 Discussion—
Expressed as cubic feet per minute per square foot of AB surface at a stated pressure differential across the AB expressed in inches
of H O. (Cubic metres per second per square metre of AB surface at a pressure differential in Pascals.)
3.2.6 opaque wall—all exposed areas of a wall that enclose conditioned space, except openings for windows, doors, and building
service systems.
3.2.7 structural integrity—for the purpose of this specification, it is the ability of the AB to maintain air leakage performance after
exposure to elevated positive and negative pressure (see 5.1.2 for performance).
Available from American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE), 1791 Tullie Circle, NE, Atlanta, GA 30329,
http://www.ashrae.org.
Available from American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 1801 Alexander Bell Dr., Reston, VA 20191, http://www.asce.org.
Available from Canadian Standards Association (CSA), 178 Rexdale Blvd., Toronto, ON M9W 1R3, Canada, http://www.csagroup.org.
E1677 − 23
3.2.8 ultraviolet—radiation lying in the ultraviolet range; wavelengths shorter than visible light, but longer than X-rays; ultraviolet
light can effect the durability of some building materials.
3.2.9 vapor retarder—a material or system that adequately impedes the transmission of water vapor under specified conditions.
3.2.9.1 Discussion—
For practical purposes it is assumed that the permeance of a vapor retarder will not exceed one perm in inch-pound units (57.4
ng/(s · m · Pa)), although at present this value may only be appropriate for residential construction. For certain other types of
construction, the permeance must be lower.
3.2.10 water leakage—penetration of water onto the exterior plane of framing or cavity insulation under specified conditions of
air pressure difference across the AB during a test period.
3.2.11 water resistance—the capability of a material or system to retard water leakage.
3.2.12 water vapor diffusion—the process by which water vapor spreads or moves through permeable materials caused by a
difference in water vapor pressure.
3.2.13 water vapor permeance—the time rate of water vapor transmission through unit area of flat material or construction induced
by unit vapor pressure difference between two specific surfaces, under specified temperature and humidity conditions.
3.2.13.1 Discussion—
Permeance is a performance evaluation and not a property of a material. An acceptable unit of permeance is the perm: expressed
2 2
in the units grain/h · ft in. Hg (metric perm = expressed in the units ng/(s · m · Pa)).
4. Classification
4.1 This specification covers two types of ABs. The performance requirements are shown in Table 1.
5. Performance Requirements
5.1 This specification does not prohibit a user from increasing a specification performance requirement; however, the specification
shown shall not be reduced. The user shall consult Annex A1 for additional mandatory requirements, for example, test specimen
and procedure. Appendix X1 – Appendix X3 contain additional considerations. The performance requirements are not intended
to be used to predict specific levels of performance in the field, however they are intended to be used in the evaluation of ABs.
5.1.1 Air Leakage—AB shall be tested in accordance with Test Method E283. Air leakage rate shall not exceed 0.06
2 −3 3 2
0.04 cfm cfm/ft⁄ft at 0.3 in. H O. (0.3 × 10 m /(s · m ) at 75 Pa.)
2 2
NOTE 1—Air leakage rate of 0.06 cfm/ft at 0.3 in. H O corresponds approximately to a low rise building (floor area = 125 m ) with an air leakage rate
of 1.0 to 2.0 air changes/h at 0.2 in. H O (50 Pa) in which 25 % of the leakage occurs through the opaque walls.
5.1.2 Structural Integrity—Air barrier shall be tested in accordance with Test Method E330/E330M, Procedure A—no deflection
information is required. The AB shall withstand sustained minimum pressure of 2 in. H O (500 Pa) (equivalent wind speed of
approximately 65 mph or 29 m/s) for 1 h. The specimen shall pass this test by retesting the air leakage performance requirement
and passing the requirement in 5.1.1.
TABLE 1 AB Classifications
Classifications
Performance Properties
Type I Type II
Air leakage in accordance with 5.1.1 in accordance with 5.1.1
Structural integrity in accordance with 5.1.2 in accordance with 5.1.2
Water resistance in accordance with 5.1.3 not required
Water vapor permeance in accordance with 5.1.4 in accordance with 5.1.4
Supplemental in accordance with in accordance with
requirements Section 6 Section 6
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NOTE 1—The user can consult the map in ASCE 7-88 for guidance on wind speeds for the area where the building will be located. This requirement does
not address gust wind loads where the windspeed can be significantly higher but for a very short period of time. If an AB is used in a high gust area,
the user may require testing at a higher pressure for a shorter period to simulate gust conditions. The CSA standard, Air Barrier Systems for Walls of
Low-Rise Buildings, is an example of structural integrity, which is referred to as structural capacity.
5.1.3 Water Resistance—Type I ABs shall be tested in accordance with Test Method E331. No water penetration shall occur onto
the exterior plane of framing or cavity insulation at 0.11 in. H O (27 Pa) pressure difference (equivalent wind speed of
approximately 15 mph) during a 15-min.15 min test period (see Table 1).
5.1.4 Water Vapor Permeance, or water vapor transmission rate of an AB material or materials of a system shall be determined
and reported in accordance with Test Methods E96/E96M by both the Water Method and the Desiccant Method. The test shall
utilize standard test conditions of 73.4 °F (23 °C) and a relative humidity of 5050 % 6 2 %.
NOTE 2—This test specification is specific to the AB material or materials that make up the system. The user can consult X2.3 for information on
permeance.
6. Supplemental Requirements
6.1 Air barrier manufacturers shall provide field application instructions on how to install the AB to achieve continuity.
6.2 Air barrier manufacturers shall make available upon request the test configuration used to achieve the performance
requirements of Section 5.
6.3 If an AB is susceptible to ultraviolet (UV) degradation, the AB manufacturers shall provide application/installation instructions
that indicate the amount of UV exposure the product can withstand. The AB manufacturer shall also provide upon request test
configuration and procedure for UV testing.
6.4 The classification of ABs shall be clearly identifiable either in the accompanying literature, on their packaging, or on their
product. (See Table 1 for classification of ABs.)
7. Keywords
7.1 air barrier; air exfiltration; air infiltration; air leakage; air leakage rate; opaque wall; structural integrity; vapor retarder; water
leakage; water resistance; water vapor permeance
ANNEX
(Mandatory Information)
A1. TESTING AIR LEAKAGE, STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY, AND WATER RESISTANCE
A1.1 Test Apparatus
A1.1.1 Test apparatus shall conform to Test Methods E283, E330/E330M, and E331 except as modified by this specification.
A1.2 Test Specimen
A1.2.1 Wall shall be constructed 88 ft by 8 ft or larger, 22 in. by 4 in. framing, and stud spacing of 16 in. on center (any additional
material attached to this frame shall be considered part of the AB).
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A1.2.2 The AB tested shall not include installation procedures that are different from those in field application instructions. Seams
representative of those in the field application shall be included within the test area.
A1.2.2.1 If a component of an exterior AB is installed as 4 by 8 ft 4 ft by 8 ft sheathing (with long dimension vertically installed)
or less, at least two vertical seams shall be within the test area.
A1.2.2.2 If an AB is less than 8 ft in the vertical direction, at least one horizontal seam shall be within the test area. More seams
are required with narrow (less than 4 ft wide) products.
A1.2.2.3 Both vertical edges of the wall shall be sealed with caulk, gasket, or tape. The AB manufacturer shall specify how the
top and bottom of the wall shall be treated. If the wall has caulking, gasketing, or tape utilized at the top or bottom, or both, it
shall be considered part of the AB, and shall be prescribed by the manufacturer for field application.
A1.2.3 If interior wallboard, or similar type material, is used as part of the AB, the following practices shall be incorporated.
A1.2.3.1 The wallboard shall be installed by sealing seams at the top and both vertical edges of the wall. The bottom shall remain
unsealed to simulate normal construction practice. If sealing of the bottom edge is called for by the AB manufacturer, it is then
considered part of their system. Vertical or horizontal seams within the field of the test area shall be sealed to simulate taping.
A1.2.3.2 A minimum of one electrical receptacle shall be installed th
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