Designation: D 173 – 03

Standard Specification for

Bitumen-Saturated Cotton Fabrics Used in Roofing and
Waterproofing1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 173; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
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This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense. This standard replaces Federal Specification
SS-C-450.

1. Scope D 3775 Test Methods for Fabric Count of Woven Fabric

1.1 This specification covers woven cotton fabrics saturated 3. Terminology
with either asphalt or coal-tar pitch intended to be used with
asphalts conforming to Specifications D 312 or D 449, coal-tar 3.1 Definitions—For definitions of terms used in this speci-
pitches conforming to Specification D 450, or appropriate fication, refer to Terminology D 1079.
solvent bearing bituminous materials in the construction of 4. Materials and Manufacture
roofing and waterproofing systems.
1.1.1 Asphalt-saturated cotton fabric shall be used with 4.1 In the process of manufacture, the dry cotton fabric shall
asphalt base plying cement; typical ones are mopping asphalts be thoroughly and uniformly saturated with bitumen. This shall
conforming to Specifications D 312 or D 449 or appropriate be accomplished by passing the fabric through the saturant or
solvent bearing asphaltic compounds. by spraying with saturant, calendering in the presence of heat,
1.1.2 Coal-tar-saturated cotton fabric shall be used with and then cooling before winding on a core.
coal-tar based plying cements; a typical one is coal-tar pitch 4.2 If fabric with a selvage is used, the selvage shall not be
conforming to Specification D 450 or appropriate solvent more than 16 mm (5⁄8 in.) wide.
bearing coal-tar compounds. 4.3 The fabric shall be woven entirely from cotton fibers,
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the but customary sizing materials not exceeding 8 % by weight of
standard. The values given in parentheses are for information the moisture-free cotton shall be permitted to be used.
only. 5. Physical Properties
2. Referenced Documents 5.1 The material shall conform to the physical requirements
2.1 ASTM Standards: 2 prescribed in Table 1 and the dimensions and masses pre-
D 146 Test Methods for Sampling and Testing Bitumen- scribed in Table 2.
Saturated Felts and Woven Fabrics for Roofing and Wa- 5.2 The finished product shall not crack nor be so sticky as
terproofing to cause tearing or other damage upon being unrolled at
D 312 Specification for Asphalt Used in Roofing temperatures between 10 and 60°C (50 and 140°F).
D 449 Specification for Asphalt Used in Dampproofing and 6. Workmanship, Finish, and Appearance
Waterproofing
D 450 Specification for Coal-Tar Pitch Used in Roofing, 6.1 The meshes of the fabric shall not be completely closed
Dampproofing, and Waterproofing or sealed by the process of saturation. There shall be sufficient
D 1079 Terminology Relating to Roofing, Waterproofing, porosity maintained to allow successive moppings of the
and Bituminous Materials plying cement to seep through.
6.2 The surface of the fabric shall not be coated or covered
with talc or other substances that would tend to interfere with
1
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D08 on adhesion between the fabric and the plying cement. The use of
Roofing and Waterproofing and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D08.04 silica or wood flour is permissible.
on Felts and Fabrics.
Current edition approved Dec. 1, 2003. Published December 2003. Originally
6.3 The surface shall be uniformly smooth and free of
approved in 1923. Last previous edition approved in 1997 as D 173 – 97b. irregularities, folds, or knots.
2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or 6.4 The finished material shall be free of visible external
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM defects such as ragged or untrue edges, breaks, rents, or cracks.
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
the ASTM website.

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 D 173 – 03
TABLE 1 Physical Properties of Saturated Cotton Fabrics 8. Inspection
Property Requirement
Breaking loadA at 21.1°C (70°F), both warp and fill 8.76 (50)
8.1 Inspection—Inspection shall be in accordance with the
directions, min, kN/m (lbf/in.) requirements of this specification.
Pliability at 0°C (32°F) no cracking
8.2 Inspection Alternatives—Alternative inspection require-
A
Committee D08 recognizes the advisability of including a requirement relative ments shall be determined by and agreed upon between the
to the percentage elongation before rupture, but in the absence of any reliable test
method, such requirement cannot be stated at the present time. purchaser and the supplier.

TABLE 2 Dimensions and Masses of Saturated Cotton Fabrics 9. Rejection and Resubmittal
min max 9.1 Failure to Conform—Failure to conform to any of the
Width of roll, mm (in.) 762 (30) 965 (38) requirements as stated in this specification constitutes grounds
Gross mass per roll, kg (lb) 15.9 (35) 36.3 (80) for rejection.
Mass of mandrel and wrapping ... 1.13 (2.5)
material, kg (lb) 9.2 Rejection Redress—The supplier shall have the right to
Mass of detached comminuted ... 49 (1.0) inspect the rejected materials. The supplier and the purchaser
surfacing, g/m2 (lb/100 ft2) shall agree to the quantity of rolls deemed unacceptable. The
Net mass of saturated fabric, avg, 340 (10) ...
g/m2 (oz/yd2) supplier shall then have the right to submit the same number of
Thread count per 25.4 mm (1 in.) new rolls as replacement.
Warp 10.2 (26) 12.6 (32)
Filling 9.4 (24) 12.6 (32)
Moisture, at point of manufacture, ... 6.0 10. Packaging and Package Marking
max, % A
Mass of desaturated, moisture-free 119 (31⁄2) ... 10.1 Unless otherwise agreed upon between the supplier
fabric, avg, g/m2 (oz/yd2) and purchaser, each product package shall be plainly marked
Ash (based on mass of ... 2.0 with the supplier’s name, the product brand, the ASTM
desaturated fabric), %
Mass of saturant 1.6 3 (mass of ... designation, and type of bitumen if not evident in the label
desaturated, name of the product.
moisture-free
fabric in the same 10.2 The rolls shall be securely wrapped or banded in a
area) manner that completely encircles the roll and will prevent
Selvage, mm (in.) 16 (5⁄8) slipping or unrolling.
A
At time of manufacture, products with higher moisture content at time of 10.3 No roll shall contain more than two pieces, and no
installation may cause hot materials to foam, creating interply voids that may result
in blisters. more than 3 % of the rolls in any lot shall contain two pieces.
If a roll contains a manufacturing splice, the splice shall be
7. Sampling and Test Methods clearly marked.
10.4 The rolls shall be wound on mandrels or rigid hollow
7.1 Sample the material and determine compliance with
fiber cylinders not less than 50 mm (2 in.) in diameter,
these specifications in accordance with Test Methods D 146.
extending not more than 100 mm (4 in.) beyond the end of the
7.2 Determine the pliability of the saturated fabric at 0°C
rolls.
(32°F) by bending over a 1.6-mm (1⁄16-in.) diameter mandrel
through an arc of 180° in one direction and then through 360°
in the opposite direction. 11. Keywords
7.3 Determine the thread count in accordance with Test 11.1 bitumen-saturated; roofing and waterproofing; woven
Method D 3775. cotton fabric

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