Disaster Safety Review 2013 Vol. 2 | Page 8

is the highest rating possible, is rated for
150 mph. Shingles that pass ASTM D 3161
with 110 mph winds almost always also
receive an “H” rating using ASTM D 7158.

OBSERVATIONS AND
TAKEAWAYS
TEST PROTOCOL
• The ASTM D 3161 test, which subjects
shingles to 110 mph winds for a
period of two hours, represents a
severe test, both because of the
constraints on the conditioning of the
specimens and because it subjects
the shingles and the sealants to a
two-hour continuous loading.
• Current standards are used to test
products pulled from production or
inventory at the manufacturing plant.
In a way, the conditioning protocol
has been designed to reflect “worst
case” scenarios for products pulled
at the factory. Failure of the product
is also simply defined as complete
lifting of a shingle tab within the
specimen.
• IBHS tests of products included
the effects of handling and storage
as the shingles moved from the
factory to the laboratory. The fact
that only one product out of the
11 tested, sealed well enough to
pass the ASTM D 3161 test at 110
mph after it was conditioned with
temperatures between 135 degrees
F and 140 degrees F, as required in
the test standards, illustrates the
potential sensitivity of the products
when conditioning is limited to
requirements intended for products
pulled at the factory.
• At present, the one-set-ofconditioning-fits-all approach,
represented in both the ASTM D 3161
and ASTM D 7158 test standards,
does not allow for varying needs
that may exist in different climates
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Disaster Safety Review | 2013

Large granules embedded in the adhesive strip prevented this end of the shingle tab from
properly sealing at the conditioning temperatures and duration used to prepare the sample – it
is possible that it would have never sealed properly and would need hand tabbing to achieve an
adequate seal.

© Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety

Note how little of the sealant strip was activated at this end of the shingle tab when it was conditioned at the conditioning temperature and duration specified in the ASTM standard. It lifted
almost immediately as low wind was applied.

with different wind risks. This may
lead to unintended consequences.
For example, the requirement
that specimens be conditioned at
temperatures between 135 degrees
F and 140 degrees F for a period of
16 hours as a worst case may lead
manufacturers to select sealants
that have a lower melting point than
might be desirable for hot climates
where the risks of hurricanes are
greatest.

• The newer ASTM D 7158 method for
achieving an “H” rated (150 mph rated)
shingle is not considered to be as
severe a test as subjecting a test panel
to an ASTM D 3161 test with winds
blowing at 110 mph for two hours.
SHINGLE SEALING
• The sealant strips that are key to
keeping the shingle tabs adhered
to the shingle below are affected
by what happens to the bundles as
they pass through the supply chain.