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[CCMC 13630-R] CCMC Canadian code compliance evaluation

From: National Research Council Canada

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Compliance opinion

It is the opinion of the Canadian Construction Materials Centre that the evaluated products, when used as a self-adhering modified bituminous membrane intended to be used for waterproofing below-grade insulated concrete form (ICF) foundation walls in accordance with the conditions and limitations stated in this evaluation, comply with the following code:

National Building Code of Canada 2015

ID Code provision Solution type
09-13-03-01-00-0-009.13.3.1.(1) Where hydrostatic pressure occurs, water ...Acceptable
09-13-03-02-00-0-009.13.3.2. Waterproofing MaterialsAlternative
09-13-03-03-00-0-009.13.3.3. Preparation of SurfaceAlternative
09-13-03-04-00-0-009.13.3.4. Application of Waterproofing MembranesAlternative

The above opinion(s) is/are based on the evaluation by the CCMC of technical evidence provided by the evaluation holder, and is bound by the stated conditions and limitations. For the benefit of the user, a summary of the technical information that forms the basis of this evaluation has been included.

Product information

Product names

  • Colphene® ICF
  • ICF Foundation Membrane
  • Weather Shield Self-Adhering Waterproofing Membrane

Product description

The product is a self-adhering modified bituminous membrane intended to be used for waterproofing below-grade ICF foundation walls. The membrane consists of a styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) modified bitumen to which a tri-laminated woven polyethylene film is laminated. A silicone release film is applied on the other side of the membrane to facilitate installation. The membrane has vertical overlap markings to help installers achieve the required overlap at the seams. The membrane is available in two grades, which are made of different modified bituminous blends: the regular grade for the summer (S/E) and the cold-weather grade for the winter (W/H).

The membrane is installed after applying the manufacturer’s recommended primer over the foundation wall (ICF substrate).

The summer and winter grade membranes are manufactured in rolls that measure 22.9 m long × 0.91 m wide. The membrane is 1.0 mm thick for both grades.

Manufacturing plant

This evaluation is valid only for products produced at the following plant:

Product namesManufacturing plant
Drummondville, QC, CA
Colphene® ICFProduct evaluated by the CCMC
ICF Foundation MembraneProduct evaluated by the CCMC
Weather Shield Self-Adhering Waterproofing MembraneProduct evaluated by the CCMC

Product evaluated by the CCMC Indicates that the product from this manufacturing facility has been evaluated by the CCMC

  Conditions and limitations

The CCMC’s compliance opinion is bound by this product being used in accordance with the conditions and limitations set out below.

  • Use of the product has been evaluated for applications falling under the scope of Part 9 of Division B of the NBC 2015. The ICF foundation walls must meet the structural requirements of the NBC 2015.
  • While the waterproofing continuity of the membrane to other parts of the wall (slabs, footing, etc.) is beyond the scope of this Report, the installer must follow engineer-approved solutions to provide the waterproofing continuity (i.e., an overall waterproofing system that will perform under the building site conditions).
  • The maximum hydrostatic pressure that the membrane and seams can sustain is 60 kPa.
  • The membrane rolls must be stored vertically on-site at less than the maximum temperature recommended by the manufacturer and must be protected from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Prior to the application of the membrane, the following conditions and limitations related to the ICF must be followed:
    • The product evaluation is limited to installation over ICFs that comply with the applicable requirements of the NBC 2015 or that are evaluated by the CCMC.
    • The ICF must be made of Type 2 (or greater) moulded expanded polystyrene (EPS) boards having a completely flat surface, or a flat surface including channels not wider than 4.8 mm and not deeper than 1 mm covering a maximum of 10% of the surface area.
    • The ICFs used to build the foundation wall corners must be of one piece (a prefabricated corner) in order to avoid vertical joints along the foundation wall corners. If prefabricated corners cannot be used, the vertical joints must be finished as per the manufacturer’s recommendations with material compatible with the ICF and the membrane.
    • The vertical and horizontal joints between the ICFs must not be larger than 3 mm. The connectors embedded in the ICFs must not be visible on the exterior surface of the EPS.
    • The poured-in-place concrete must reach its 7-day strength prior to application of the membrane.
    • The manufacturer must recommend appropriate material that is compatible with the membrane and the ICF to fill surface irregularities and cracks in the ICFs, gaps between the ICFs, and gaps between the ICFs and the footing.
    • The ICF must have a smooth surface to prevent air pockets from forming between the ICF and the membrane.
    • The ICF surface must be cleaned, dried and primed with ELASTOCOL™ Stick H2O prior to the installation of the membrane as per the manufacturer’s installation instructions. ICF walls must meet the surface preparation requirements of Article 9.13.3.3., Preparation of Surface, of Division B of the NBC 2015.
    • If the surface of the ICF is damaged (e.g., discoloured or chalked) by UV radiation, it must be rasped and cleaned in order to bring it back to its original condition.
    • The ICFs should not be exposed to UV radiation for more than three weeks.
  • During membrane installation, the following conditions and limitations must be followed:
    • The minimum outdoor air temperature during installation of the membrane is 5°C for the winter grade and 10°C for the summer grade. When the membrane is subjected to cold temperatures, the outdoor air temperature is similar to the membrane surface temperature (which is equivalent to the temperature at the interface between the membrane and ICF). For installation of the membrane in temperatures colder than 5°C for the winter grade and 10°C for the summer grade, proper and good techniques such as protection of materials, enclosing work areas, etc., must be followed to ensure the evaluated performances.
    • When the membrane is subjected to hot temperatures, the membrane interface temperature does not necessarily correspond to the outdoor air temperature—especially where the sun hits the membrane. On construction sites during hot summer days, the interface temperature can reach 70°C while the outdoor air temperature is only around 35°C. For proper adhesion of the membrane during summer conditions, measures must be taken on-site to ensure that the surface temperature (which is equivalent to the interface temperature) of both grades of the membrane is maintained below 40°C. The approximate temperature of the membrane surface can be determined using an infrared thermometer held at about 600 mm from the wall. Temperature measurements must be taken on all sides of the building since wind and sun exposure will vary and, thus, influence the temperature. Where the membrane is exposed to the sun, the operator of the thermometer should cast a shadow in front of the membrane and quickly take a measurement in the shaded area at about 600 mm from the wall. The membrane must be protected if the temperature is higher than 40°C.
    • A minimum 5-kg force must be applied with a roller over the entire membrane surface including the seams to ensure full contact and adhesion of the membrane with the ICFs. A minimum of two passes must be performed.
    • The minimum width of the membrane overlap at the joint must be 75 mm.
    • The membrane installation must stop at grade level. The exposed above-grade portion of the membrane after soil settling must be protected from UV radiation and mechanical impact with additional backfill that would be graded away from the foundation.
    • The thickness of the membrane installed on site must be equivalent to the thickness of the evaluated product which is 1.0 mm.
    • The top edges (terminations) of the membrane must be sealed with a bead of mastic or an equivalent performing solution in compliance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • The peel adhesion performance of the membrane was assessed only over two substrates: ICF and concrete. See Tables Peel adhesion performance of the membrane over ICF and Peel adhesion performance of the membrane over concrete of this Report.
  • Following its application, the entire membrane must be protected from exposure to UV radiation within three weeks of its application and in accordance with the manufacturer’s additional recommendations.
  • Prior to backfilling, the following conditions and limitations must be followed:
    • The membrane must first be inspected for any defects (holes, tears, etc.), which must be repaired in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
    • The membrane must be covered with a protection board which may consist of a semi-rigid or rigid board with a smooth surface facing the membrane (e.g., mineral fibre boards, EPS/XPS boards or equivalent). The protection boards must not be installed using fasteners in order to avoid penetrations through the membrane. See the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding the use of adhesive and tape to secure the protection boards. Clean sand backfill can be used as an alternative solution to protection boards.
  • The foundation wall must be backfilled in accordance with the requirements of Subsection 9.12.3., Backfill, of Division B of the NBC 2015.
  • When used in soils containing high levels of organic matter, chemicals and microbiological activity that will affect the products’ performance, the manufacturer must be consulted to determine suitability.
  • The products must be applied by qualified installers who will follow the CCMC conditions and limitations on the products and the manufacturer’s installation instructions.
  • The products must be identified with the phrase “CCMC 13630-R.”

  Technical information

This evaluation is based on demonstrated conformance with the following criteria:

Evaluation requirements
Criteria number Criteria name
CCMC-TG-071326.02-15CCMC Technical Guide for Self-Adhered Sheet-Applied Bituminous Membrane for Waterproofing ICF Foundation Walls

The evaluation holder has submitted technical documentation for the CCMC’s evaluation. Testing was conducted at laboratories recognized by the CCMC. The corresponding technical evidence for this product is summarized below.

Material requirements  
Table 1. Material properties of the membrane
Property Unit Requirement Result:
summer grade		 Result: winter grade
Thickness variation mm

Maximum 1.1 mm

Minimum 0.9 mm (±10% of the manufacturer’s declared value)Table footnote (1)

 0.93 0.92
Hardness (Type 00 hardness gauge) n/a Report value 89.8 95.4
Water vapour permeance, Procedure B ng/(Pa·s·m2) Report value 1.45 1.65
Tensile strength at break: machine direction kN/mTable footnote (2) Report value 12.40 12.85
Tensile strength at break: cross-machine direction 13.67 12.69
Performance requirements
Table 2. Watertightness performance of the membrane
PropertyTable footnote (1), Table footnote (2) Requirement Result: summer grade Result: winter grade
Watertightness No leakage Passed
Water immersion/watertightness No leakage Passed
Heat aging/watertightness No leakage Passed
Chemical aging (NaOH)/watertightness No leakage Passed
Chemical aging (acetic acid)/watertightness No leakage Passed
UV aging/watertightness No leakage Passed
Low-temperature flexibility at -20°C/watertightness No leakage Passed

 

Table 3. Crack bridging resistance of the membrane
PropertyTable footnote (1) Requirement ResultTable footnote (2): summer grade ResultTable footnote (2): winter grade
Crack bridging 30 cycles at -20°C No visible cracking, blistering, peeling or other defects visible to the naked eye when lit with a 60-watt incandescent light at a 300-mm distance Passed
30 cycles at 30°C
Water immersion/crack bridging 30 cycles at -20°C No visible cracking, blistering, peeling or other defects visible to the naked eye when lit with a 60-watt incandescent light at a 300-mm distance
 		 Passed
30 cycles at 30°C
Heat aging/crack bridging 30 cycles at -20°C No visible cracking, blistering, peeling or other defects visible to the naked eye when lit with a 60-watt incandescent light at a 300-mm distance Passed
30 cycles at 30°C
Chemical aging (NaOH)/crack bridging 10 cycles at -20°C No visible cracking, blistering, peeling or other defects visible to the naked eye when lit with a 60-watt incandescent light at a 300-mm distance Passed
10 cycles at 30°C
Chemical aging (acetic acid)/crack bridging 10 cycles at -20°C No visible cracking, blistering, peeling or other defects visible to the naked eye when lit with a 60-watt incandescent light at a 300-mm distance Passed
10 cycles at 30°C
UV aging/crack bridging 10 cycles at -20°C No visible cracking, blistering, peeling or other defects visible to the naked eye when lit with a 60-watt incandescent light at a 300-mm distance Passed
10 cycles at 30°C
 

 

Table 4. Peel adhesion performance of the membrane over ICF
PropertyTable footnote (1) UnitTable footnote (2) Requirement ResultTable footnote (3): Summer grade ResultTable footnote (3): winter grade
Peel adhesion at 23°C N/m ≥ 193 1 028 632
Peel adhesion at maximum interface temperatureTable footnote (4), Table footnote (5) : 40°C N/m 332 216
Peel adhesion at lowest interface temperatureTable footnote (4) : 5°C for the winter grade N/m n/a 770
Peel adhesion at lowest interface temperatureTable footnote (4) : 10°C for the summer grade N/m 771 n/a
UV exposure on ICF substrate/rasping and cleaning of the ICF/peel adhesion with interface at 40°CTable footnote (4), Table footnote (6) N/m ≥ 174 (90% of 193) 361 242
Heat aging on specimen/peel adhesion at 23°CTable footnote (7) N/m 617 588
UV exposure on specimen/peel adhesion with interface at 40°CTable footnote (4), Table footnote (7) N/m 467 434
 

 

Table 5. Peel adhesion performance of the membrane over concrete
PropertyTable footnote (1) UnitTable footnote (2) Requirement Result: summer grade Result: winter grade
Peel adhesion at 23°C N/m ≥ 175 673 750
Water immersion/peel adhesion at 23°C N/m ≥ 158 (90% of 175) 1 575 247
Heat aging/peel adhesion at 23°C N/m 367 452
UV aging/peel adhesion at 23°C N/m 1 292 749

 

Table 6. Tensile strength performance of the membrane
PropertyTable footnote (1) UnitTable footnote (2) RequirementTable footnote (3) ResultTable footnote (4): summer grade ResultTable footnote (4): winter grade
Heat aging/tensile strength kN/m

Summer grade ≥ 11.16

Winter grade ≥ 11.42 (90% of original value)

 13.74 13.57
Chemical aging (NaOH)/tensile strength kN/m 12.97 14.02
Chemical aging (acetic acid)/tensile strength kN/m 12.83 13.65
UV aging/tensile strength kN/m 11.57 12.45

 

Table 7. Performance properties of the lap joint
PropertyTable footnote (1), Table footnote (2) UnitTable footnote (3) Requirement Result: summer grade Result: winter grade
Water immersion/watertightness n/a No leakage PassedTable footnote (4) PassedTable footnote (4)
Heat aging/watertightness n/a No leakage PassedTable footnote (4) PassedTable footnote (4)
Water immersion/peel adhesion at 23°C N/m ≥ 174 (90% of 193) 676 401
Heat aging/peel adhesion at 23°C N/m 546 384
UV aging/peel adhesion at 23°C N/m 532 575
UV aging/peel adhesion with lap joint interface at 40°C N/m 333 254
Lap joint shear test at 23°C kN/m

Summer grade ≥ 6.2

Winter grade ≥ 6.3 (50% of original tensile strength of the membrane)Table footnote (5)

 10.67 9.88
Heat aging/lap joint shear test at 23°C kN/m 8.27 8.19

Administrative information

Use of Canadian Construction Materials Centre (CCMC) assessments

This assessment must be read in the context of the entire CCMC Registry of Product Assessments, any applicable building code or by-law requirements, and/or any other regulatory requirements (for example, the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, etc.).

It is the responsibility of the user to confirm that the assessment they are using is current and has not been withdrawn or superseded by a later version on the CCMC Registry of Product Assessments.

Disclaimer

The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has evaluated only the characteristics of the specific product described herein. The information and opinions in this evaluation are directed to those who have the appropriate degree of experience to use and apply its contents (such as authorities having jurisdiction, design professionals and specifiers). This evaluation is valid when the product is used as part of permitted construction, respecting all conditions and limitations stated in the evaluation, and in accordance with applicable building codes and by-laws.

This evaluation is provided without representation, warranty or guarantee of any kind, expressed or implied, and the NRC provides no endorsement for any evaluated product. The NRC accepts no responsibility whatsoever arising in any way from any and all use of or reliance on the information contained herein or the use of any evaluated product. The NRC is not undertaking to render professional or other services on behalf of any person or entity nor to perform any duty owed by any person or entity to another person or entity.

Language

Une version française de ce document est disponible.
In the case of any discrepancy between the English and French version of this document, the English version shall prevail.

Copyright

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the National Research Council of Canada, 2023

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the CCMC.

CCMC recognition

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Code compliance as an acceptable solution

Code Compliance via Acceptable Solutions

If a building design (e.g. material, component, assembly or system) can be shown to meet all provisions of the applicable acceptable solutions in Division B (e.g. it complies with the applicable provisions of a referenced standard), it is deemed to have satisfied the objectives and functional statements linked to those provisions and thus to have complied with that part of the Code.

National Building Code of Canada, Sentence A-1.2.1.1.(1)(a)

The CCMC has determined that compliance with this provision of the Code has been demonstrated as an Acceptable Solution. The evaluation report provides a summary of the basis of CCMC's compliance opinion.

CCMC's code compliance opinions

All CCMC evaluation reports are opinions of code compliance established in accordance with the National Building Code of Canada, Subsection 1.2.1. "Compliance with this Code," which requires compliance to be achieved by:

  • complying with the applicable acceptable solutions in Division B, or
  • using an alternative solution that will achieve at least the minimum level of performance required by Division B in the areas defined by the objective and functional statements attributed to the applicable acceptable solutions.

The CCMC assesses compliance with Canadian building, energy and safety codes, and is trusted by over 6,000 regulators across Canada.

Code compliance as an alternative solution

Code Compliance via Alternative Solutions

Where a design differs from the acceptable solutions in Division B, then it should be treated as an "alternative solution." A proponent of an alternative solution must demonstrate that the alternative solution addresses the same issues as the applicable acceptable solutions in Division B and their attributed objectives and functional statements. However, because the objectives and functional statements are entirely qualitative, demonstrating compliance with them in isolation is not possible. Therefore, Clause 1.2.1.1.(1)(b) identifies the principle that Division B establishes the quantitative performance targets that alternative solutions must meet. In many cases, these targets are not defined very precisely by the acceptable solutions [...] Nevertheless, Clause 1.2.1.1.(1)(b) makes it clear that an effort must be made to demonstrate that an alternative solution will perform as well as a design that would satisfy the applicable acceptable solutions in Division B—not “well enough” but “as well as.”

National Building Code of Canada, Sentence A-1.2.1.1.(1)(b)

The CCMC has determined that compliance with this provision of the Code has been demonstrated as an Alternative Solution. The evaluation report provides a summary of the basis of CCMC's compliance opinion.

CCMC's code compliance opinions

All CCMC evaluation reports are opinions of code compliance established in accordance with the National Building Code of Canada, Subsection 1.2.1. "Compliance with this Code," which requires compliance to be achieved by:

  • complying with the applicable acceptable solutions in Division B, or
  • using an alternative solution that will achieve at least the minimum level of performance required by Division B in the areas defined by the objective and functional statements attributed to the applicable acceptable solutions.

The CCMC assesses compliance with Canadian building, energy and safety codes, and is trusted by over 6,000 regulators across Canada.

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