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Building materials testing

Our testing services provide product manufacturers and suppliers with insights into the performance and service life of building materials. We achieve this by assessing expected durability during the material’s lifetime and potential issues caused by corrosion, weathering and ageing.

What we do

Our multi-disciplinary team of scientists and engineers are equipped with the knowledge and expertise to assess the performance of building materials and components in our extensive laboratory facilities.

The materials we test include plastics, adhesives, sealants, coatings, metals, cement, tapes, membranes, cladding products and engineered timber products.

We are experts in accelerated ageing of materials and products. Our UV ageing and climate ageing chambers allow us to complete accelerated ageing to predict expected performance in service. This speeds up product development and qualification processes while providing evidence for Building Code compliance.

We offer site inspections to evaluate the condition of building materials and establish their maintenance requirements and test both naturally and mechanically ventilated buildings. By measuring natural ventilation and fresh air delivery rates, we assess the overall effectiveness of the ventilation system and advise on the most effective design solutions.

Why work with us?

BRANZ is accredited by International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ) to the ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory standard for both fire resistance and reaction-to-fire testing. We are also a registered testing authority under the provisions of the Building Code of Australia.

Through the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) mutual recognition agreement, BRANZ test reports are recommended as the equivalent of those issued by laboratories accredited by 68 bodies around the world.

BRANZ has achieved and operates to a management system conforming to AS/NZS ISO 9001.

We are a member of the World Federation of Technical Assessment Organisations (WFTAO), a worldwide network for coordinating and facilitating the technical assessment of innovation in the construction field.

Our testing services

We test material durability and performance, moisture performance, thermal performance, ventilation efficiency and corrosion. We specialise in:

  • insulated glazing unit performance (EN 1279)
  • wet area and roofing membranes (AS 4654.1 & AS/NZS 4858)
  • building underlays (AS/NZS 4200.1, NZS 2295)
  • insulation testing (AS/NZS 4859.1, ASTM C518)
  • weathertightness (AS/NZS 4284, E2/VM1, FV1, V2.2.1)
  • water vapour resistance of materials (ASTM E96)
  • pipe cement testing (AS/NZS 3879)
  • accelerated UV weathering (ASTM G154, ASTM G155)
  • thermal and moisture performance simulation
  • hygroscopic properties of materials.

Our tests help inform future product development decisions, improve quality control systems, support BRANZ Appraisal and CodeMark certification and demonstrate compliance with New Zealand Building Code requirements.

For more information about on how our tests relate to the NZ Building Code, visit the Building CodeHub portal.

More information about materials testing

Get in touch with the team to find out more about the tests we offer at branz@branz.co.nz or give us a call on +64 4 237 1170 to discuss your testing requirements.

  • Building materials performance testing

    We use accelerated weathering, ultraviolet (UV) light and moisture exposure to test the mechanical strength retention and durability of building materials and products, including plastics, metals, cement, timber and wood-based materials.

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  • Building materials durability testing

    BRANZ tests the durability of building materials, components and construction methods to determine if they will remain functional over the 5, 15 or 50-year period required for compliance with New Zealand Building Code clause B2 Durability.

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