SPRI, the association representing sheet membrane and component suppliers to the commercial roofing industry, announced that it has completed the process of reviewing the ANSI/SPRI/FM 4435/ES-1 “Test Standard for Edge Systems Used with Low Slope Roofing Systems.” The updated standard was re-approved as an American National Standard in November 2022. The Test Standard prescribes methodology for testing roof edge assemblies, excluding gutters, to evaluate their resistance to wind loads. It was last revised and re-approved as an ANSI standard in 2017. 

“Recent investigations after high wind events continue to show that edge metal systems, which have been tested per ES-1 to resist the design loads, perform significantly better than unproven metal flashing.  The first ES-1 standard was ANSI approved in 1998, and the per the ANSI process SPRI must reaffirm it every five years.  Testing per ES-1 has been an IBC code requirement since 2003 and enforcement of that requirement, and therefore use of the ES-1 standard, has greatly increased over the years. SPRI took this opportunity to review and revise the standard to assure it best serves its users today and for the next five years.” said Mike Ennis, SPRI Technical Director.