One of the most significant requirements of the final assembly of a roof is its resistance to wind “uplift” that comes from negative pressure that develops as the fast moving air (wind) blows across the roof surface. At the onset of single ply roofing, the “uplift chamber” was introduced by the roof contracting community in the late 1960’s to illustrate how wind-resistant their built-up roofs were. This concept was attractive to Factory Mutual Insurance Company and in 1970 they introduced their Property Loss Prevention Data Sheet FM 1-52 for “field verification of roof wind uplift resistance”. This is still part of their loss prevention program. In 1983 ASTM introduced their Standard Test Method E 907 for field testing uplift resistance of the roof. As early as 2011 the Florida Building Code adopted a similar test procedure for field uplift resistance known as TAS 124 for their high wind environment.
The Canon Model 500 Uplift Chamber© complies with the requirements of Factory Mutual, ASTM, and the Florida Building Code. It is most often used in the field but can also be used in the laboratory.
The Canon Fabrications Model 500 Uplift Chamber© is fabricated from aircraft aluminum. The chamber body components are laser-cut to very close tolerances (±0.003″) for superior pressure retention.
More About The Canon Model 500
Uplift Chamber ©
Negative Pressure / Uplift Testing Chambers
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Chamber material 5052-H32 aircraft grade aluminum, 0.125″ thick
Size 5′ x 5′ footprint
Chamber weight about 115 pounds
Shipping Weight about 260 pounds
Pressure ranges down to -500 psf with full seal at sea level
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Vacuum pump: tangential, 110 volts, 14 amp capable of lifting 145” of water
Manometer: digital with ½” display, battery operated
Deflection bar, aluminum tube with three-point-feet for stability
Deflection bar readout: digital with ½” display, battery operated
Infrared thermometer: digital with laser pointer
Anemometer/ thermometer: Kestrel Model 3000
Timer: digital count-up or count-down
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Assembly Instructions
Copy of current FM Data Sheet 1-52
Copy of previous ASTM E-907 pending replacement by a new version
Copy of current TAS 124
“General Guidelines for Conducting Negative Pressure Test”
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Shipping Container, ATA Compliant with Custom Foam Padding
Dolly Wheels for Mobility Permits easy movement across roof by one person.
This unit meets or exceeds the requirements of FM Global Data Sheet 1-52, ASTM E907, and TAS 124.