Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-12
National Materials Code Urged

concepts, building materials
and techniques have greatly
changed, be added.
''Today's codes span a great
range at many levels" Mr..
PrendergaSt continued, and
many national, State, county
and city codes frequently con-
flict. For example, certain
materials that are acceptable
by the Federal Housing Ad-
miniStration's minimum re-
quirements may be unaccept-
able at q local level, and that
hardly makes sense"
While the four major build
ing codes that are national
in scope-the National, the Uni
form, the Southern and Build
ing Officials Conference Of
America - have incorporated
standards for plastics and
chemically based materials, it
Is estimated that fewer than
half Of the 1850 cities, towns
and villages using these codes
have modified their local
codes to cover plastics. This
is simply because these codes
were written before plastics
entered the building field -
and the codes have not since
been updated.
AS an example, Mr.. Prem
dergast cites the fact that less
than 20 per cent Of the Ma
tons cities have broadened
their codes to include plastic
plumbing pipe and fittings,
even though they have been
successfully used In hospitals
and other institutions for sew
eral years.
''Plastics In building now
represent a $3.50 million in
dustry, and there Is every in.
dication that It will grow much
larger because Of the develop
ment Of new materials and
techniques," Mr.. Prendergast
adds.
''Plasics have already con-
tributed greatly to the adj
vancement Of building mate
rails, producing stronger,
lighter, more durable prod
ucts that not only replace
traditional materials, but Of
ten offer features that enable
them to perform BETTER" he
says.
Among the many popular
uses Of plastic building ma
terials that have already
gained wide acceptance in
well-established construction
uses are:
Plastic tiles for floors, walls
and facing for acouStical cell
ing tile; wirecoating and wir-
ing devices; decorative high
pressure Eliminates; lighting
fixtures and componentS; nu-
merous moisture barrier and
insulation materials; cold
water piping; sandwich build
ing panels and foamed plastic
for thermal insulation.
AS more materials and
techniques are developed, it
is expected uses of vinyls,
foamed plastic vinyls and
rigid vinyls will be expanded
in the future. For instance,
rigid vinyl has long enjoyed
wide use in Europe, and al
though it is still relatively new
in the United States, there are
new markets for building pam
els, cutters, shutters, down.
spoutS, roof flashing and lead
erS, wraparound skins for
doors and column supports
and corrugated panels for
roofing, siding, partitions and
ceilings. 49,.
Urethane, a plastic that
can be foamed in place or
fashioned in rigid slabs that
can be laminated with almost
any other material, has
proved to be almost twice as
efficient as similar thickness
es for any other material for
all types Of insulation.
Tough new plaStics are al
ready giving metal and porce-
lain a rim for their money in
areas such as builders hard
ware, bathroom sinks and kit
chen cabinets.
"To me, there appears to
be no limit to developments
we can expect in the future"
adds Mr.. Prendergast, land
l would certainly like to see
a nationally standardized
AsYJs - kL.k Ill -. a.