Tile Council of North America (TCNA) is pleased to announce the recent approval of major revisions to ASTM C1026, Standard Test Method for Measuring the Resistance of Ceramic and Glass Tile to Freeze-Thaw Cycling.

For decades ASTM C1026 specified a manual and fairly simple 15-cycle procedure. However, as products, their applications, and expectations for freeze-thaw performance evolved, a need emerged for the industry to adopt a test method more rigorous and more representative of real-world conditions.

The newly revised method incorporates automation and greater rigor through the following new provisions:

• Specimen saturation prior to freeze-thaw cycling
• Increase from 15 to 300 required freeze-thaw cycles
• Partial submersion during freezing
• New automated test apparatus for greater testing efficiency

With freeze-thaw testing automation, several cycles can be run per day, 7 days a week. In as little as 9 weeks, products can be subjected to the number of cycles usually expected over a 5-year period in most of the US subjected to freezing temperatures. Furthermore, the automation is non-proprietary, inexpensive, and easy to implement.

“The revised testing procedure has been validated by several industry laboratories, including TCNA’s Product Performance Testing Laboratory,” remarked TCNA Executive Director, Eric Astrachan. “The hard work of TCNA and its members who participated in the research and revision of this standard has resulted in a more rigorous, yet less labor intensive method, available to the industry to implement.”

TCNA’s Product Performance Testing Laboratory is fully capable to test in accordance with the newly revised ASTM C1026 standard. For more information please visit www.TCNAtile.com, or call (864) 646-8453.