Every value on ConstructionChemicals.net, from an EN 1504-3 class threshold to an ASTM edition, a South Coast VOC limit or a CLP hazard line, is checked against one of 12 named primary sources and published with its edition or date. Which sources are they, which one wins when they disagree, and how current is each number?
The issuing body wins every disagreement; each value passes 6 fact-check steps, carries its edition, basis and date, and is re-checked and corrected on every page that states it. The method applies to every page about construction chemicals, from waterproofing membranes to fireproofing.
Standards, codes and regulations are checked against their issuing bodies, product values against the named data sheet and prices against the dated source named in the sentence; see our methodology and fact-checking.
Which 12 Primary Sources Supply the Values?#
The 12 primary sources are CEN, ASTM, ANSI/TCNA, ICC-ES, UL, EUR-Lex, eCFR, SCAQMD, CARB, ECHA, OSHA and PubChem, each used for the type of value it issues or registers. The table below shows how each is dated.
| # | Source | What it supplies | How it is dated in copy | Covered on this site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CEN (European Committee for Standardization) catalogue | EN product standards, classes, CEN-current editions | full edition; CE-marking edition labeled | EN 1504 |
| 2 | ASTM International store | ASTM standards and editions | full designation including the reapproval year | ASTM C920 |
| 3 | ANSI and TCNA | ANSI A118 and A136 tile standards | edition year and reaffirmation | ANSI A118 |
| 4 | ICC-ES | acceptance criteria and evaluation reports | criteria edition and publication month | anchor approvals |
| 5 | UL | fire-test standards and listed designs | edition and revision date | UL 263 |
| 6 | EUR-Lex | EU regulations and directives | instrument, article, in-force and application dates | EU Construction Products Regulation |
| 7 | eCFR | US federal rules, such as 40 CFR 59 subpart D and 29 CFR 1926.1153 | section and applicability date | n/a |
| 8 | SCAQMD | Rules 1113 and 1168 VOC limits | rule, category, amendment and effective date | VOC limits for construction chemicals |
| 9 | CARB | Suggested Control Measure | SCM year; binding only where a district adopts it | n/a |
| 10 | ECHA | CLP Annex VI and C&L notifications, REACH lists | "harmonised (CLP Annex VI)" or "notified (ECHA C&L)", with the date checked | n/a |
| 11 | OSHA | US exposure limits | standard number and effective date | n/a |
| 12 | PubChem | CAS number, formula, structure | date checked | construction chemistry |
Standards and approvals: CEN, ASTM, ANSI/TCNA, ICC-ES and UL#
Standard editions come from the publishers' catalogues, so an edition reads "ASTM C920-18(2024)" or "EN 12004:2007+A1:2012", never a bare number. EN 12004:2007+A1:2012 is the CE-marking edition; EN 12004-1:2017 is current at CEN but not harmonized. Tile standards carry the TCNA status of 2026-09-10 (ANSI A118.4-2023).
ICC-ES AC308 (24) dates from April 2025; UL 263 (14th edition) was revised on 2025-09-02. Every standard the site covers is indexed under construction chemicals standards.
Regulations and VOC rules: EUR-Lex, eCFR, SCAQMD and CARB#
Regulatory values are read from the official text and written with instrument, section and date, such as 100 g/L (0.83 lb/gal) for waterproofing concrete and masonry sealers under SCAQMD Rule 1113 as amended 2016-02-05. Federal 40 CFR 59 subpart D sets 600 g/L (5.01 lb/gal) for waterproofing sealers made on or after 1999-09-13 and no VOC limit for adhesives or sealants. CARB's Suggested Control Measure binds only where a district adopts it; EU law comes from EUR-Lex.
Hazard, exposure and identity data: ECHA, OSHA and PubChem#
Hazard classifications come from ECHA, exposure limits from the regulator that sets them, and identity from PubChem, which decides CAS numbers while ECHA decides EC numbers and CLP lines. OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1153 sets a silica PEL of 50 µg/m³ (8-hour TWA) and an action level of 25 µg/m³, effective 2016-06-23.
Manufacturer DoPs and data sheets as product examples#
A manufacturer's declaration of performance, technical data sheet or safety data sheet describes one product and is cited only as the source of that product's value. A value recorded from 2 or more makers reads "typical product value".
How Are Sources Ranked When They Disagree?#
The issuing body wins: legal texts and official registries come first, standards and approval bodies next, guidance third, peer-reviewed studies fourth, and manufacturer documents last, labeled as one product's value. The 5 tiers are listed below.
- Rule texts and registries: EUR-Lex, eCFR, SCAQMD, CARB, ECHA, OSHA, and PubChem for identity.
- Standards and approval bodies: CEN, ASTM, ANSI/TCNA, ICC-ES, UL.
- Guidance: NIOSH, ACI and ICRI documents.
- Peer-reviewed studies, cited by author, journal and year.
- Manufacturer DoPs, data sheets and SDSs.
A data sheet never beats a standard; an unsettled value is left out.
How Is Each Value Fact-Checked? 6 Steps#
Each value is fact-checked in 6 steps, from finding the body that issues it to matching the same value on every page that states it. The 6 steps are listed below.
- Find the issuing source: standard, rule, register or one product's data sheet.
- Match number, unit, basis and test method (EN 12190 prisms differ from ASTM C109 cubes).
- Confirm edition and status: CE-marking edition or CEN-current edition.
- Record source, section or edition, and the date checked.
- Align every product, standard and hub page that states the value.
- Withhold any value that cannot be confirmed, never hedging it.
How Is Every Value Written? Units, Editions, Basis and Dates#
Every value is written metric first with US units in parallel, with the edition or date of its source and with its basis, such as "45 MPa (6,527 psi)" or "0.98 m²/L (40.1 ft²/gal) at 1.02 mm (40 mil) DFT, theoretical". Every film thickness states wet (WFT) or dry (DFT), and DFT equals WFT times volume solids. Application data carry temperature, and moisture limits are the maker's: ASTM F2170-19a and F1869-23 set no pass/fail.
Each value type follows the rule below.
| Value type | Rule | Example as written |
|---|---|---|
| Strength, pressure | metric first, US in parallel | "45 MPa (6,527 psi)" |
| Film thickness | WFT or DFT stated; DFT = WFT × volume solids | "1.02 mm (40 mil) DFT" |
| Coverage | with basis: theoretical or practical, per coat, at which DFT | "0.98 m²/L (40.1 ft²/gal) at 1.02 mm (40 mil) DFT, 100 % volume solids, theoretical" |
| Standard | full edition; CE-marking vs CEN current | "EN 12004:2007+A1:2012 (CE basis)"; "EN 12004-1:2017 (CEN current)"; "ASTM C920-18(2024)" |
| Code value | code, section, edition | "IBC 2024 1805.3.2: waterproofing to at least 305 mm (12 in) above the maximum groundwater elevation" |
| VOC limit | jurisdiction, rule, category, dates; g/L (lb/gal) | "100 g/L (0.83 lb/gal), SCAQMD Rule 1113 (amended 2016-02-05), waterproofing concrete and masonry sealers" |
| Cure and application | always with temperature | "substrate at least 3 °C (5.4 °F) above the dew point (ISO 8502-4:2017)"; ASTM C881/C881M-20a classes by hardened concrete surface temperature |
| Moisture limit | the product maker's; the test sets none | "ASTM F2170-19a sets no pass/fail" |
| Product value | named product in the same cell | "about 52 MPa (7,542 psi) at 28 days, typical value of Sika MonoTop-412 NFG (Sika Australia PDS, 2015-03-04)": concrete repair mortars |
| Hazard line | harmonized or notified, never from one SDS | "No Annex VI entry; ECHA C&L notified classification: H315, H317, H318, H335" (portland cement) |
| Identity | CAS from PubChem, EC and CLP from ECHA; full name before abbreviation | "liquid epoxy resin (CAS 25068-38-6, EC 500-033-5)" |
| Cost | region, currency, unit, date, scope; per m² (per ft²) | "installed USD 43 to 97 per m² (USD 4.00 to 9.00 per ft²), US, 2026-04, modified bitumen roofing (cesroof.com)" |
| Market size | analyst estimates with publisher and year; never one figure | "estimate, publisher, year" |
Coverage follows one identity: 1,604 ft² per US gal at 1 mil DFT and 100 % volume solids, or m²/L = 1,000 × volume solids / DFT in µm. The epoxy and coating coverage calculator uses the same identity.
Standard requirement versus one product's data sheet value#
A class threshold binds every product of the class; a data-sheet value describes one named product. EN 1504-3:2005 class R4 requires compressive strength of at least 45 MPa (6,527 psi) and bond of at least 2.0 MPa (290 psi). The Sika Australia data sheet (2015-03-04) for Sika MonoTop-412 NFG prints about 52 MPa (7,542 psi) at 28 days, a typical value of that product only. That value never stands for the class, and hubs carry none.
Harmonized versus notified hazard classifications#
Every hazard line states whether it is harmonized under CLP Annex VI or notified to ECHA. Liquid epoxy resin reads "Harmonised CLP Annex VI (index 603-074-00-8): H315, H317, H319, H411". Portland cement reads "No Annex VI entry; ECHA C&L notified classification: H315, H317, H318, H335". A class hazard set is never derived from one SDS; the product SDS governs the product.
Rules in force versus pending or superseded values#
A rule is written with the date it applies, and a proposal is never written as law. Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 entered into force on 2025-01-07 and applies from 2026-01-08 SCAQMD Rule 1168 sets 250 g/L (2.09 lb/gal) for clear, paintable, immediately water-resistant sealant since 2026-01-01, replacing 380 g/L (3.17 lb/gal). Code values name their edition, such as "NHBC Standards 2024 (unchanged in 2025)".
How Often Are Values Re-Checked?#
Values are re-checked on a trigger per source: ASTM editions every year and before a standard page publishes, the EU Construction Products Regulation every quarter, the ECHA Candidate List twice a year, and VOC rules on each amendment. A changed source value is changed on every page that carries it, per the table below.
| Source | Re-checked | Why it changes |
|---|---|---|
| ASTM, ANSI, ICC-ES, UL | yearly and before a standard page publishes | revisions, reapprovals, new criteria |
| CEN, EU CPR (EUR-Lex, Commission page) | quarterly | implementing acts, Official Journal citations, revisions |
| ECHA Candidate List, CLP ATPs | twice a year and on each ATP | new entries, new classifications |
| SCAQMD, EPA AIM, CARB, EU 2004/42/EC | on each amendment | new limits and dates |
| OSHA HazCom dates | on each compliance date | phased dates |
| Cost ranges | yearly | each range carries its date |
| Market and company data | at each annual report | new estimates and filings |
How Are Errors Reported and Corrected?#
Readers report an error to editorial@constructionchemicals.net or through the contact form, the value is checked again against its primary source, and a confirmed error is corrected on every page that states it.
How a correction is shown is set out in the editorial policy.
Is the Methodology Independent of Manufacturers and Suppliers?#
Yes: no company pays for a value, a ranking or a mention, no product or brand is ranked, and no company has a contract to receive requests. A brand question is answered by standard compliance, such as what an EN 1504-3 R4 claim requires.
Requests go to independent applicators and suppliers; a maker is named only as the source of one product's value.
Lead handling and the marking of any sponsored listing are set out in the editorial policy on independence.
What Does the Methodology Not Cover?#
The methodology covers specialty chemical products that specifiers, contractors and applicators select and apply to protect, repair, join, bed, level, finish or fire-protect a structure, and no consumer DIY, retail or interior-paint use. Concrete admixtures, cement additives, asphalt sealers and water chemistry are covered by concreteadditives.net, cementadditives.org, asphaltadditives.net and watertreatmentchemicals.net.
Are the values engineering or legal advice?#
No: the values are a dated reference; a project confirms the current official text, the specification and the product's declaration before acting.
Does ConstructionChemicals.net test or certify products?#
No: a product's class on this site comes from its declaration of performance, ICC-ES evaluation report or UL listing, which the site cites and does not issue. Who runs the site is set out under About ConstructionChemicals.net.
How do I report an error in a value?#
Send the page address, the value and the primary source you checked to editorial@constructionchemicals.net; the value is checked again against that source.
Why can a value differ from a manufacturer's data sheet?#
A data sheet can use another test method, edition or basis: the 62.2 MPa (9,025 psi) 28-day result for SpecChem RepCon 928 comes from ASTM C109 cubes and is not read against an EN 1504-3 class.
How is privacy handled for forms and the newsletter?#
Details are in the privacy policy.