HEADLINES... This month’s top stories:

Meet the New Chairman of the Board

Richard F. Kayser, director of the Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory (MSEL) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), U.S. Department of Commerce, is the 2008 chairman of the ASTM board of directors. Get to know the new chairman in this interview from the January/February Standardization News.

Revamp of Standardization News

ASTM’s magazine, Standardization News, has been redesigned and revamped beginning with the January/February 2008 issue. Now a bimonthly publication, SN has been reorganized to offer broader feature article content and more helpful information about developing standards in ASTM. Look for the magazine in your mailbox soon, or view it online here.

ASTM to Host ANSI/NAM Network on Chemical Regulation

A follow-up meeting of the ANSI/NAM Network on Chemical Regulation will be held January 22 at ASTM headquarters in West Conshohocken, Pa. The purpose of the meeting is to introduce and launch the Network on Chemical Regulation Work Group structure, which was formed to address the issues identified as most significantly impacting all industries with regard to chemical-related regulations and regulatory controls. For more information, contact Brynn Murphy, ASTM International at bmurphy@astm.org.

President's Leadership Award

The new ASTM President's Leadership Award salutes the inspiration and positive contributions of individuals early in their ASTM career. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 1, 2008. For more information, click here.

January Committee Week

Escape the winter cold in sunny Tampa, FL at the ASTM January committee week, to be held January 28-February 2. Committees meeting include Soil and Rock, 3D Imaging Systems, Electronics, Home Playground Equipment and more. For more information and a list of committees who will be meeting, click here.

COMMITTEE NEWS... The latest from ASTM's technical committees:

Corner Post Revision to Standard Will Make Bunk Beds Safer

Responding to a petition filed with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Committee F15 on Consumer Products has revised F 1427, Consumer Safety Specification for Bunk Beds. The standard represents an effort to minimize the potential of a strangulation hazard caused by the design of corner posts. [Full story]

Standard to Protect Decks from Fire

A new standard from Committee E05 on Fire Standards will establish a test protocol for assessing fire performance of decks and other horizontal exterior structures where combustibles beneath the structure can ignite. [Full story]

New Subcommittee to Develop Asset Management Standardsr

Committee F36 on Technology and Underground Utilities invites all interested parties to participate in the standards developing activities of newly formed Subcommittee F36.60 on Infrastructure Asset Management. [Full story]

Enhesa Database Now Available to Declarable Substance Committee Members

Members of Committee F40 now have free access to a powerful regulatory database that houses all regulations related to declarable substances. [Full story]

Portland Cement Standard Undergoes Major Revision

A new revision to ASTM C 150, Specification for Portland Cement, includes three significant changes. The changes are part of a joint effort between ASTM and the American Association of State and Highway and Transportation Officials to harmonize ASTM C 150 with AASHTO’s standard, M 85, Specification for Portland Cement. [Full story]

Traffic Coatings Subcommittee Invites New Participants

Subcommittee on Traffic Coatings welcomes participation from all interested parties for work on new standards. [Full story]

Soil and Rock Committee Responds to Department of Transportation Request

A new standard from Committee D18 is the result of requests from the Indiana Department of Transportation and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for a test method to cover the determination of the maximum dry unit weight and water content range for effective compaction of granular soils. [Full story]

Pavement Marking Standard Will Reflect Innovations

A new standard will provide a practice for inspecting the retroreflective properties of longitudinal non-intersection pavement markings. [Full story]

New Standard to Assist Designers of Neutron Absorbers

A new practice from the Nuclear Fuel Cycle committee will address neutron absorbers used in dual-purpose canisters that are subjected to different operating conditions than materials used in spent fuel pools. [Full story]

Coating Thickness Standard Describes Measurement Procedures

Committee on Paint develops new standard for ensuring the thickness of dry coating powders. [Full story]

Practice to Serve as Guide to Dosimetry Standards

A new standard is being developed for the industrial radiation processing industry and irradiation research facilities where absorbed-dose measurement is critical. [Full story]

Test for Rolled Erosion Control Products

A new test method from the Soil and Rock committee covers procedures for evaluating the effect of RECPs on seed germination and vegetation enhancement. [Full story]

Radiological Hazards Subcommittee Developing Inspection Standard

Healthcare workers will be the primary users of a new standard on the fluoroscopic inspection of radiation protection garments. [Full story]

Moisture-Holding Testing for Mulch

This new standard from Committee D18 will provide a means of evaluating water holding capacity in fiber mulches. [Full story]

Participation Requested for Asperity Height Standard

Committee D35 on Geosynthetics invites all interested parties to participate in the development of a new standard on measuring the asperity height of textured geomembrane. [Full story]

Rubber Products Standard Will Provide Allergen Tests

Testing for potent allergens in rubber is the purpose of a new standard from Committee D11. [Full story]

Adhesion of Coatings to Driveways

A new practice will be used to evaluate the adhesion of coatings applied to concrete when subjected to heated tire sections. [Full story]

DID YOU KNOW?... Subcommittee F08.30 on Fitness Products

Plan to Get in Shape in 2008?

If you are one of the many individuals who made a new year's resolution to get in shape, make sure to do it safely with the help of ASTM Subcommittee F08.30 on Fitness Products. This subcommittee of Committee F08 on Sports Equipment and Facilities is dedicated to the promotion of continued safety within the fitness industry. From stationary bikes and treadmills to strength equipment and general fitness equipment, F08.30 has you covered. Standards are also currently being worked on for newer products such as elliptical machines and steppers. Get fit and stay safe in the new year with ASTM fitness standards!

PUBLICATIONS... New publications from ASTM now available:

Manual 36, Safe Use of Oxygen and Oxygen Systems: Handbook for Design, Operation, and Maintenance, 2nd Edition

Click here to search for other ASTM publications.

Click here to get instant access to the digital editions of nearly every ASTM book and paper published in the past 100+ years in the ASTM Digital Library.

CALENDAR... Committee Weeks, Symposia and Workshops, TPTs: Technical Committee Meetings

Upcoming ASTM Committee Week Meetings

January Committee Week, January 28-February 2, Tampa, FL
For more information on ASTM technical committee meetings and committee weeks, including locations, detailed schedules and future meeting dates, click here.
For a complete listing of all ASTM meetings, click here.

Upcoming Symposia & Workshops

C26 on Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Second Seminar on Accelerated Testing of Materials in Spent Nuclear Fuel and High Level Waste Storage Systems Jan. 31-Feb. 1, Tampa, FL
For more information on current and past symposia and workshops, click here.

Upcoming Technical & Professional Training (TPT) Courses

TPT Phase I & Phase II Environmental Site Assessment Processes
February 26-28, Cleveland, OH
March 25-27, Little Rock, AR
For a full course listing of ASTM’s TPT courses, click here.

ASTM International is one of the world’s largest management systems for the development of voluntary standards for materials, products, systems, and services. Currently, ASTM has more than 30,000 members from around the globe representing industry, government, academia, and consumers. Participation in ASTM International is open to any interested party. The Annual Book of ASTM Standards contains more than 12,000 standards developed by ASTM’s technical standards-writing committees representing over 100 diverse technical fields.