We're pulling back the curtain to feature some of the innovative happenings at the Simon Lab. We know what you're thinking - what's a roofing contractor need a laboratory for?
At Simon Roofing, our in-house lab is the hub for testing roof membrane samples through the SR PreVision process, researching new roofing products, and ensuring every solution we deliver performs in the real world.
A: We've got a busy day in the lab, with 21 samples delivered this morning from roofs across the country - today we're testing samples from Sarasota, Philadelphia, and Nashville (just to name a few). Every sample gives us data about roof performance, longevity, and material strength.
A: Sure! The first thing our team does is take all of the necessary measurements and data points from the sample. Then, we prep the sample for testing by cutting it into the templated 'dog bone' shape.
A: Haha you're right about that! We cut every roof sample into a dog bone shape so each sample is uniform and consistent. We follow this model based on ASTM International, a leading technical standards organization. We want each sample to be identical in size and shape so that we have more accurate testing and analysis.
A: Of course! Tensile strength measures the force required to break the roof divided by the area of the narrow part of the “dog bone”, and elongation measures how far the roof can stretch before it breaks. How’s this for science class - with tensile strength, think of breaking a rubber band. It’s easy to break a rubber band that you’d find in an office, but if that rubber band was the size of a thick bungee cord, you’d need some help from a bodybuilder to break it! For elongation, we want to know how far the rubber band stretches before it breaks and how fast it was pulled apart. Pulling slowly allows the rubber band to stretch like bubble gum, but pulling quickly can make it tear like paper. That’s why we prepare and break all our samples the same way every time, so all our results are consistent and comparable.
A: The next step is chemical testing to tell us the chemical composition and condition of the roof membrane. After that, we also utilize state-of the-art equipment to perform some testing on the sample's roof surface and any coatings on the roof. Some of this is proprietary though so if you want more, you'll have to schedule an official tour.
Q: Got it, Secret Agent Miller. Besides testing these samples, what else is happening in the lab?A: We've got a few more "top secret" research projects going on right now that our team of chemists and engineers are hard at work on. But I can tell you about some exciting updates to our modeling for rooftop remaining useful life.
A: Remaining Useful Life or RUL is defined as the remaining time (in years) until the roof is no longer economically viable. When the RUL is less than 3 years, to ensure the asset of the roof will continue performing properly, the cost of repairs will no longer be the best alternative to lowering the life cycle costing of the asset and other alternatives such as restoration and replacement are better life cycle costing options.
A: All of the data collected from the roof by our technicians is combined with all of the data obtained from our roof sample testing. This is fed into our Simetrix system for analysis, which consists of historical data from other roofs, environmental data, and even weather modeling like temperature, precipitation, freeze/thaw cycles, and sunlight.
A: Definitely. We're constantly looking for ways to improve roof performance and maximize longevity of every roof system. Our work here is important because it can help protect our customers but also help protect the planet. We have several initiatives aimed at reducing environmental impact for both our company and our customers' facilities. We work directly with our R&D team to test products and provide insight on performance. And we're always looking for innovations like custom color and color-match programs for our products to deliver what the customer wants.
A: Will do!
We’ve shared a lot of secrets today… maybe too many.
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Just kidding — but the science happening inside the Simon Lab is top secret… almost.
If you’re curious to see where innovation meets real-world roofing performance, contact us to schedule a tour. You’ll get a firsthand look at how our testing, research, and SR PreVision analysis help extend roof life and improve results for our customers nationwide.
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