Roof Coatings Professionals Tour ORNL

The Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association (RCMA), a national trade association representing manufacturers of cold applied protective roof coatings and cements and suppliers of products to the industry, held its Fall 2013 Meeting in Oak Ridge, Tenn., Oct. 8-10. The meeting commenced with a tour of Oak Ridge National Laboratory followed by two days of committee updates and discussions on technical subject matters, codes and standards, VOC regulations, industry research studies and RCMA’s lobbying efforts.

RCMA members were given the opportunity to tour the facilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), a multi-program science and technology research laboratory managed for the U.S Department of Energy by UT-Battelle. Attendees learned about flexible research platforms, building envelope roofing research, and buildings supercomputing, and had the chance to tour the recently completed MAXLAB facility and view the X-10 graphite reactor. Tour participants learned about the ongoing initiatives of the Buildings Technology Research & Integration Center (BTRIC) User Facility, which is devoted to the development of technologies that improve the energy efficiency and environmental compatibility of residential and commercial buildings.

“The research being conducted on building envelopes at ORNL will help improve many types of building materials technologies, including roof coatings,” says John Ferraro, RCMA executive director. “The members were thrilled to have the opportunity to hear insight on the future of the industry and how their businesses might be affected going forward.”

The remaining two days of the RCMA Fall Meeting were filled with presentations on the activities of the association and networking opportunities for meeting attendees. More than 30 roof coating manufacturer and supplier companies were represented at the meeting, which featured updates on the activities of the Member Services Committee, Technical Affairs Committee, and Government Affairs Committee.

Topics of interest included discussions on the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s Rule 1168, which regulates volatile organic compound (VOC) content in adhesives and sealants, updates on RCMA research initiatives on solar reflectivity, a strategy session on RCMA government affairs initiatives, and planning discussions for the upcoming 2014 RCMA International Roof Coatings Conference (IRCC).