According to Jerry Workman, chair of new ASTM International Subcommittee E13.16 on Chemical Sensors, one place to begin to understand the current and future importance of chemical sensors is the classic television show, Star Trek.
 

Determining the pressure rating for PVC plastic pipe is a relatively straightforward process because pipe is a cylinder with a uniform wall thickness. However, establishing a pressure rating for PVC fittings is a more complex process, chiefly because there are many sizes, patterns and variations among manufacturers involved.
 

ASTM Committee C09 on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates will hold a planning meeting for proposed new standards activity on pervious concrete on Dec. 4 at the C09 meeting in Atlanta, Ga. The committee is especially seeking researchers who have been experimenting with different types of tests for pervious concrete, as well as specifying engineers, concrete technologists and contractors.
 

ASTM International Committee E11 on Quality and Statistics has approved a new practice that describes methods for proficiency testing providers to use in analyzing laboratory results obtained in their programs.

A new ASTM International standard, F 2490, Guide for Aircraft Electrical Load and Power Source Capacity Analysis, has been accepted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a means of compliance with 14 CFR 23.1351(a) (2), Electrical System Capacity for Part 23 (and Predecessor) Aircraft.

A new ASTM standard, C 1610/C 1610M, Test Method for Static Segregation of Self-Consolidating Concrete Using Column Technique, satisfies a need within the industry for a test method to measure the stability of self-consolidating concrete.

ASTM International Committee C24 on Building Seals and Sealants invites interested parties to participate in the development of a proposed new standard that will use photographs to illustrate various types of sealant failures.

ASTM International Committee D01 on Paint and Related Coatings is seeking participation from interested parties in developing a proposed new standard, WK12492, Practice for Rheological Characterization of Architectural Coatings Using Three Common Bench Viscometers.

Because French is the second official language of Canada, an important ASTM International standard that has been included in that country’s Tobacco Act is now available for purchase in French, as well as in English. The standard, E 2187, Test Method for Measuring the Ignition Strength of Cigarettes, predicts a cigarette’s capacity to ignite soft furniture.

Ineffective removal of grease from restaurants poses a variety of serious environmental problems. Large quantities of grease in public sanitary sewer systems can cause stoppages of piping networks and create costly and time-consuming problems at treatment plants. Sewer backups resulting from grease can also create health hazards when raw sewage backs up into homes or businesses.