-

t

1

d
TECHNICAL INFORMATION

ON

BUILDING MATERIALS

74- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE - -//' T 1 BM LIST

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

WASH INGTON, D. C. ' xi I -3

IN GENERAL, THESE RELEASES PRESENT, VERY BRIEFLY, ESSENTIAL FACTS DEVELOPED THROUGH RESEARCH

WORK AT THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS AND REFER TO LONGER PUBLICATIONS WHERE METHODS OF INVESTIGATION AND RESULTS OBTAINED ARE GIVEN IN GREATER DETAIL.

These were prepared principally for the guidance of federal agencies engaged in housing in MATTERS PERTAINING TO THE PROPERTIES AND USES OF BUILDING MATERIALS, BUT A LIMITED NUMBER ARE ALSO

AVAILABLE TO THE TECHNICAL STAFFS OF MANUFACTURING CONCERNS, TRADE ASSOCIATIONS, AND BUILDING ORGANIZATIONS, ALSO TO LIBRARIES, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, ARCHITECTS, AND ENGINEERS.

COPIES OF THESE DIGESTS MAY BE OBTAINED, FREE OF CHARGE, FROM THE DIVISION OF CODES AND SPECIFICATIONS, national Bureau of standards, Washington, d. C. requests should make clear the actual

NEED FOR THE INFORMATION.

T I BM 1 T IBM—

2

T I BM—

3

T I BM 4

T I BM—

5

T IBM—

6

T I BM—

7

T I BM—

8

T I BM 9

T IBM- 10 T I BM- I I T IBM- 12

T IBM- I 3

T IBM- 14

T IBM- 1 5

T IBM- 1 6

T 1 BM- I 7

T I BM- 1 8

T IBM- 19

T I BM—20

T I BM—2 I T 1 BM—22

T IBM—23

T I BM—24'

T I BM—25

T I BM—26

T I BM—27

T I BM—28

T I BM—29

T 1 BM-30

T I 8M—3 I T I BM-32

TIBP.1-33

T IBM-34

T IBM-35

T 1 BM-36

T I BM-37

T I 8M-38

T I BM-39

T IBM-40

T I B5.1—4 I T IBM-42

T IBM-43

T IBM-44

T IBM—45

T I BM—46

T I BM—47

T J 8M—43

T I BM—49

T I BM—50

T I BM—5 I TIBM—S2

T IBM-53

T 1 BM—54

T I BM—55

-T LBM—56

T I 8m*»57 ~

T IBM-58

T IBM—59

T IBM—60

T IBM-6 I

CORROSION OF METALS USED IN HOUSE CONSTRUCTION

Life of non-ferrous screen wire cloth

Thermal Insulation: comparative estimated fuel savings in heating dwelling houses equipped

WITH VARIOUS MEANS FOR REDUCING HEAT LOSS

Thermal insulation: insulating values of thermal insulating materials, building materials

AND BASIC WALL UNITS

Exterior waterproofing for masonry

Integral waterproofing for concrete

thermal insulation: Comparative insulating values of 8" solid brick walls having various

types of interior finishes

Calcium chloride as it affects Portland cement and concrete

Concrete floor treatments

Corrosion of metals used in house construction: Atmospheric corrosion of ferrous metals

paint for priming plaster surfaces

insulating values for frame wall construction- wood siding with

wall CONSTRUCTION—STUCCO with various

Thermal Insulation:

various types of interior finishes

Thermal Insulation: insulating values for fram

TYPES OF INTERIOR FINISHES

thermal Insulation: insulating values for frame wall construct

various types of interior finishes

NSULATING VALUES FOR FRAME WALL CONSTRUCTION—WOOD SHINGLES WITH

ION BRICK VENEER W| TH Thermal insulation:

VARIOUS TYPES OF INTERIOR FINISHES

Thermal Insulation: summary and conclusions

CORROSION OF METALS USED IN HOUSE CONSTRUCTION: ATMOSPHERIC CORROSION OF GALVANIZED

FERROUS SHEET METALS

PAINTING PLASTER

INVESTIGATIONS OF PORTLAND CEfJlENT STUCCO CONSTRUCTION

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PORTLAND CEMENT STUCCO CONSTRUCTION

FINISHES AND MAINTENANCE OF PORTLAND CEMENT STUCCO CONSTRUCTION

SUBMERGED CORROSION OF FERROUS METALS

Concrete masonry units

plastic caulking and pointing materials—part l wall plaster bases and furring

Wall plaster mixing and application

The hardened wall plaster

painting of ferrous metals

Corrosion of ferrous metals underground

PAINT PIGMENTS—WHITE

paint pigments—black, red, and lakes

paint PIGMENTS YELLOW, BROWN, BLUE, GREEN, AND BRONZE

federal specification paint pigments and mixing formulas

federal specification ready-mixed paints, semipaste paints and mixing formulas

preparation of paints from paste and dry pigments

preparation of paints from semipaste paints, thinning ready-mixed paints, and

preparation of water paints

Commercial masonry cement investigations

Mortar and brick properties and their relation to bond

types of decks adapted to bituminous built-up roofing

Materials used in bituminous built-up roofing

roofing tin (galvanized) for house construction > "Black" and galvanized sheets for use in house construction

Aluminum paints ' * faint drying oils—linseed

miscellaneous paint drying oils and paint dryers

volatile paint and varnish thinners

varnish and lacquer

Shellac

Wood and shingle stains -

1 Corrosion of non-ferrous metals underground —

Shingles: mineral-surfaced asphalt

resistance of floor covering materials to staining and chemicals

Adhesives for floor coverings

Relative resistance of floor covering materials to abrasion

water-tightness of expansion joint materials in concrete roof construction

plastic caulking and pointing materials—part II WEATHERING PROPERTIES OF 3UILDING BRICK

MASONRY WALL RESISTANCE TO RAIN PENETRATION

Durability of insulating materials (Investigations not yet completed)

CORROSION OF FERROUS METALS (INVESTIGATIONS NOT YET COMPLETED)

STUDY OF UNDERGROUND CORROSION OF NONB 1 TUM I NOUS METAL COATINGS

03 17 v3—LS
National Bureau of Standard

SEP 1 7 1947

6 ms
TECHNICAL I NF.ORMAT I ON . ON BUILDING MATERIALS

PGR USB I IT TEE DESIGN OB LOW-COST HOUSING

af£ >fc 5je

TlBM - 1

THE NATI ORAL BUREAU OB STANDARDS

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OB COMMERCE

WASHINGTON, D. 0.

. March. 3 * Idjo. r

CODRCSIOr OB METAL S USED IN HOUSE CONSTRUCTION

Ail important factor affecting the durability of netals used in tile

construction of a house is the. extent to which these netals corrode.

Such corrosion may often he minimised "by proper choice of materials or the use of preventive measures. To proceed intelligently in selecting

materials or preventive measures, it is necessary to recognize and

differentiate "betreen the more important hinds of corrosion which may

occur at different points in the "building structure. This memorandum

deals with the corrosion of iron or steel and will, he followed hy subsequent memoranda dealing. more specifically with the subject of ferrous

metal corrosion from the standpoint of the home builder or owner. Nonferrous metals will also be discussed in a later memorandum.

A number of types of metal corrosion are now recognized. As far as corrosion of metals in houses is concerned, however, consideration of

fear types is sufficient i (l) atmospheric, (2) underground, ( 3 ) submerged

or semi- submergea , (4) special hinds.

1. Atmospheric Corrosion

In the atmosphere, metals corrode mainly by the combined action of

oxygen from the air and of water which must be present in liquid form.

If the air is dry or if it contains water only as vapor, corrosion is

entirely negligible except possibly at very elevated temperatures. The

air in a building, of course, is never perfectly dry but always contains

water vapor, the amount depending on the climate, season, and other causes.

It is only when this water vapor condenses on a cold metal surface that

corrosion is possible. The atmosphere outside the building may also cause corrosion in this way, but in this co.se most of the water would come fro::,

rain or snow.

Exposure tests of long duration .made by the American Society for

Testing Materials have established the fact that the atmosphere varies in

severity of corrosion in different locations. The most severely corrosive

type is an "industrial" atmosphere such as is found in Pittsburgh. The

main factors increasing the severity of corrosion are smolre particles,

dust, and sulphur oxides in. the air resulting from the combustion of fuel.

A marine or seacoast atmosphere also corrodes metals on account of its

salt content. The least corrosive atmospheres are found in rural or suburban locations where sulphur gases from smol;e> and salt are negligible.

1
2he test locations of the American Society for Testing Materials

included these different kinds of atmosphere. A memorandum giving t e essential details of their "Atmospheric Tests", mill be issuea. Three

practical conclusions demonstrated by these tests are:

(a) Since the rural atmospheres are only slightly corrosive, metals

of somewhat thinner section may be tolerated than in Industrie oca ions.

(b) protective metallic coatings (e.£. , zinc) of a specified, thickness can be relied upon to have a much longer useful life m rural atmospheres than in industrial.

(o) Certain types of steel are tetter than others for resistance to

atrno spher ic c on o s i on

.

2. Tinder n o und C or r o s ion

Underground corrosion of metals differs in the following respects

from atmospheric corrosion;

(a) Although cater and oxygen (iron the soil atmosphere or dissolved in the soil water t are the piincipal active agents, oxygen does not

have as ready access to all parts of the metal as it has in the air.

(t) Salts in solution in the soil water may influence the nature

and extent of the corrosion.

Drainage of the soil is important in retarding underground corrosion.

The national Bureau of Standards during the past 14 years has

tigated metal corrosion in more than 47 different types of soil in various

parts of the United States. Several Bureau publications ale available on

diffei ent phases of this worm and a later memorandum will he issued covering the important details of these investigations.

Soil^ differ preatlv in corrosive character accordinD to ^oil t./pe,

annual rainfall, and other factors. Where large underground installations

of metal are contemplated the selection oi such metals s J- ou

g

by the type of soil in which they are to be imbedded, ^he corrosiveness

of the soil may be determined by laboratory tests.

The corrosive characteristics in steels and irons themselves are,

in general, secondary to the corrosive effects upon them resulting from

their contact with soils.

3 , Submerged or Semi -Submerged Corrosion

When the metal is wholly or partly covered with water, the active

corroding agents, as in the preceding cases, are water and oxygen, ire

latter may come from air dissolved in the water, or from the a

at the air-water boundary. In: general, the oxygen content of such con

fined or dissolved air is different from that of unconfined atmosphere.

- 2 -
Special features of submerged, or seni -submerged corrosion are:

(a) Greater severity at the air-water boundary.

(b ) Effect of "soft" or "hal'd" water on the rates of corrosion.

Shis type of corrosion is typified in buildings by storage tanks,

hot water or steam, boilers, range boilers, etc, A memorandum dealing with

measures for lessening such c orros ion will be issued as one of this series.

Special Einus of Corrosion

Special kinds of corrosion will be aiscussed in a subsequent memorandum on the subject. This will deal with parts of a building where corrosion

is especially severe, and measures for its prevention or mitigation will be

recommended.

Some examples of this type of corrosion are gutters and spouts, range

boilers, ana met al smoke s t acks..

G eneral Conclusions

Hr on the foregoing comments on the three types of corrosion it will

be realised that because a metal is superior in one type of service it

does net follow that it will prove to be superior in other types of service.

It is a mistake to assume that a laboratory or accelerated test can,

in a few days or weeks, show whether a metal is superior for service

under any or all of the corrosion conditions which have been described.

Attempts by skilled investigators to do this have often failed. However,

such accelerated tests are deemed most useful in coirosion research.

3
'