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ANSI/SPRI/FM 4435/ES-1 edge systems · Lesson 4 of 4

ANSI/SPRI/FM 4435/ES-1 edge systems: defects, verification and case study

How edges fail in testing, a cleat set a quarter inch high, defects the install guides warn against, why substitution voids a record, a shop and field checklist, what a custom profile cannot claim, and a coping case study on a 24 in wall.

You will be able to: Diagnose a plausible edge-system defect, say what corrects it, and document the evidence for review.

11 min · 12 slides · 6 questions

All lessons in this module
Slide 1 of 12

How edges fail in testing

NRCA's Mark Graham wrote in 2009 that flexural failure during testing is far more common than fastener failure.

NRCA later reported cleat deformation and disengagement from the hemmed edge of fascias and copings as a common failure mechanism in ES-1 testing.

The authors stress good engagement of the cleat with the drip edge.

A coping cover hooked over its cleatsSection through a parapet coping: a cover over the wall top whose front and back drip hems hook over the kickouts of a cleat on each wall face, an amber ring around the front engagement zone, uplift and outward arrows. A panel names the Drexel coping systems it stands for: Snap Coping-Max and Max-C with a segmented cleat. Econo Coping and Econo Coping LT are not drawn: they use a front cleat and a screwed roof-side leg.wallupliftoutwardABCDEFace, wall and back sizes varyDrexel systems this stands forSnap Coping-Max and Max-C:segmented cleatDrexel design, not to scale

Section through a parapet coping: a cover over the wall top whose front and back drip hems hook over the kickouts of a cleat fastened to each wall face, an amber ring around the front engagement zone, uplift and outward arrows, and a panel naming the Drexel Snap Coping-Max and Max-C systems with a segmented cleat; Econo Coping systems are not drawn.

A
Engagement zone where the cover drip hooks over the cleat kickout
B
Front face of the cover
C
Top of the cover
D
Back leg of the cover
E
Cleat on the wall face, with its kickout
The engagement that NRCA reports as a common failure point when it is lost, drawn as a schematic of Drexel-style coping systems, not to scale.

Sources

Glossary

Flexural failure
A failure where the edge metal bends or deforms under load, as opposed to a fastener breaking or pulling out; NRCA reports it as far more common in ES-1 testing.
Disengagement
The cover's drip coming off the cleat under load, reported by NRCA as a common failure mechanism in ES-1 testing.
Certificate of compliance
A document from the supplier stating that a specific assembly was made as tested to ES-1; trade articles advise asking for it for the project.
Packet
The set of records for an edge job: certificate, drawings, wind basis, install guide and inspection checklist, kept so a reviewer can verify the build.