RoofingCode: Section 1506.3

Material Specifications

11506.3 Material specifications and physical characteristics. Roof-covering materials shall conform to the applicable standards listed in this chapter. In the absence of applicable standards or where materials are of questionable suitability, testing by an approved agency shall be required by the building official to determine the character, quality and limitations of application of the materials.

Code Interpretation

This code implies that all roof covering assemblies must meet all standards set forth in the code. The material/system must be an approved published system that has been tested by an approved independent testing agency. The roofing section of the IBC defines performance standards, material testing and acceptable system components for both low-slope and steep-slope assemblies. If the materials and/or systems proposed for a specific project do not comply with the established standards then the material/system must be tested in accordance with the established code. Roof performance testing includes wind uplift testing, fire testing and ASTM physical property testing.