ANSI AMCA 540-2013 pdf free download.Test Method for Louvers Impacted by Wind Borne Debris
2. Scope
The scope of this standard is for impact testing of louvers used on the outside of buildings as required by the ICC International Building Code [3] and the ICC International Residential Code [4]. The following precautionary statement pertains only to the test method portion, Section 5, of this specifcation: This standard does not purport to address all of the safety con- cerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of the regu- latory limitations prior to use.
3. Defnitions
3.1 Enhanced protection (Essential Facilities) Buildings and other structures designated as essential facil- ities, including, but not limited to, hospitals; other health care facilities having emergency treatment facilities; jails and detention facilities; fre, rescue and police stations, and emergency vehicle garages; designated emergency shel- ters; communication centers and other facilities required for emergency response; power generating stations; other public utility facilities required in an emergency; and build- ings and other structures having critical national defense functions.
3.2 Basic protection
Any building or structure that is not an Essential Facility as described in Section 3.1.
3.3 Horizontal/vertical-bladed louver
Louvers shall be designated horizontal or vertical-bladed based on the orientation of the blades on the front or exteri- or side of the louver.
3.4 Specimen
A louver assembly for testing consisting of one or more lou- ver sections.
3.5 Louver Section
A single louver panel. Panels can (but are not required to)
be connected to each other to make up larger assemblies for testing purposes. For example, a 2-section wide louver assembly is two panels wide.
4. Test Specimens
4.1 Number of specimens 4.1.1 Per ASTM E 1996-04 and ASTM E 1886-05, a minimum of three sections shall be impacted. This requirement may be satisfed by testing one single-section and one multi-section unit or by testing three identical single-section units. 4.1.2 One additional specimen may be submitted for testing should any original submitted specimen described in Section 4.1 fail any portion of the AMCA Standard 540 testing. This is described in Section 9.2. If all specimens pass the AMCA Standard 540, and then some or all of the same specimens are then subjected to Cyclic testing as described in Section 8, and any one specimen fails any portion of the subsequent test(s), then one additional specimen may be submitted to re-test to the subsequent tests as long as the additional specimen frst passes the AMCA Standard 540 tests.
4.2 Size of specimens
The test specimen selected is intended to evaluate the criti- cal failure area of the louver and provide guidance for blade support requirements. The critical failure area for louvers is the connection between the louver blade end and the perim- eter louver frame. Failures in this area result in loose mate- rial that can result in projectiles in high wind events. The most stringent test specimen for this connection is a section where the blade has no additional support between these end connections. Energy from the impact is transferred to the connection with little absorption by blade fexure. This test specimen also provides guidance regarding the maxi- mum unsupported blade length that will not allow the projec- tile to pass through the louver blades. Louvers manufactured with blade spans greater than that of the test specimen shall have blade supports at a spacing that matches the tested specimen blade length. These supports are typically locat- ed behind the blade running perpendicular to the axis of the blade and are attached to the perimeter frame of the louver or to the surrounding building structure. Due to the fact that the test specimen is used to qualify support locations in this way, the manufacturer may wish to test an additional speci- men with a width narrower than desirable support spacing to establish a smaller minimum section width.
