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March 12, 2017
Bryan Hauger Consulting Completes Third Year of Operations
I am deeply thankful to all our clients – both new clients who have recently made the decision to trust our firm with their business as well as the clients who have been with us since 2014. Our third year included many highlights. I recently attended the Polyolefins Conference in Houston to give my presentation titled “New Developments in Strain Hardening Modulus for Polyethylene Pressure Piping Applications". Two new associates, Brian Spillar and Rich Geoffroy, joined our team of associates in 2016. I was thrilled that my attendance at ASTM E10 meetings resulted in the publication of ASTM E3063-16, “Test Method for Antimony Content Using Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA)”. I enjoyed attending the McElroy InFusion event in Tulsa in September which continues to impress me as one of the best technical meetings for the plastic pipe community. I traveled to the CSA B137 to attend in person for the first time in several years during December. For the first time, I attended Z662 Clause 13 Plastics Task Force meetings in Calgary and the IFAT conference in Munich. And I made return trips to WEFTEC in New Orleans, ANTEC in Indianapolis, and AWWA ACE in Chicago. For 2017, I am focused an even greater role for our associates, growing my expert witness work, and creating new clients at natural gas utilities. It is deeply gratifying that the daily hard work of meeting client needs for plastics consulting continues to generate strong referrals from our industry partners as well as new organic project interest. Thank you again to all my clients for their trust and allowing our company to make our motto "Our Only Product is a Satisfied Client" a reality.
March 5, 2017
Are Tests Standardized --- or Not? by Rich Geoffroy, Senior Associate Consultant
Real differences can exist when comparing most “data sheet” properties of different polymeric materials. Standardized tests work fine for establishing comparative values for the same plastic, but can be very misleading when comparing different materials --- mainly because the “standardized” tests for different polymers may not be the same. There are a lot of good reasons, and some not-so-good ones, for the compromises that are made in the development of a particular test standard. Most compromises are technically based, but skewed by the particular biases prevalent in the industry, or the specific requirements of a particular intended application.
One standard test method does not necessarily satisfy everyone’s particular needs. It certainly would be nice to have one global standard for each specific property, so that all polymers could be compared on the same basis. However, if that standard doesn’t represent the best assessment of certain materials for some applications, the representatives of those plastics or applications would inevitably develop their own “standard”. Although this makes the standards process very complicated, it’s important that those who are making a determination of the value of a material or product are doing so based on the best measurement of those properties for their needs --- and, that they are all doing it in the same way. If someone wants to make an assessment of different polymeric materials for a specific application, do not just compare the published “data-sheet” values because they may not be comparable. Understand your application and the reasons for the properties you intend to evaluate. Run your own “standardized” test(s) so you are comparing the candidates on the same basis. Examine all the relevant data that is generated in the test --- not just one particular number. Finally, make the decision after assessing all of the pertinent information.
March 4, 2017
Dr. Bryan Hauger appointed to ASTM Committee on Standards
Dr. Bryan Hauger, President of Bryan Hauger Consulting, Inc. has accepted a three year position on the ASTM Committee on Standards (COS) starting January 1, 2017. The first COS meeting of 2017 will be held at ASTM Headquarters in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania on March 14-15. “I look forward to serving on the Committee on Standards,” said Dr. Hauger from his office in Longmont, Colorado. “I will be learning about how the functions of the committee serve the needs of ASTM International”. COS has several responsibilities as defined in their bylaws including the review and approval of all technical committee recommendations for actions on standards. COS also verifies that the procedural requirements of the Society’s regulations and its criteria for due process have been satisfied. The committee acts to resolve jurisdictional disputes with respect to standards. COS develops, maintains, and interprets the “Form and Style for ASTM Standards” manual and reviews all requests from technical committees for exceptions to the manual.
Bryan Hauger Consulting Completes Third Year of Operations
I am deeply thankful to all our clients – both new clients who have recently made the decision to trust our firm with their business as well as the clients who have been with us since 2014. Our third year included many highlights. I recently attended the Polyolefins Conference in Houston to give my presentation titled “New Developments in Strain Hardening Modulus for Polyethylene Pressure Piping Applications". Two new associates, Brian Spillar and Rich Geoffroy, joined our team of associates in 2016. I was thrilled that my attendance at ASTM E10 meetings resulted in the publication of ASTM E3063-16, “Test Method for Antimony Content Using Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA)”. I enjoyed attending the McElroy InFusion event in Tulsa in September which continues to impress me as one of the best technical meetings for the plastic pipe community. I traveled to the CSA B137 to attend in person for the first time in several years during December. For the first time, I attended Z662 Clause 13 Plastics Task Force meetings in Calgary and the IFAT conference in Munich. And I made return trips to WEFTEC in New Orleans, ANTEC in Indianapolis, and AWWA ACE in Chicago. For 2017, I am focused an even greater role for our associates, growing my expert witness work, and creating new clients at natural gas utilities. It is deeply gratifying that the daily hard work of meeting client needs for plastics consulting continues to generate strong referrals from our industry partners as well as new organic project interest. Thank you again to all my clients for their trust and allowing our company to make our motto "Our Only Product is a Satisfied Client" a reality.
March 5, 2017
Are Tests Standardized --- or Not? by Rich Geoffroy, Senior Associate Consultant
Real differences can exist when comparing most “data sheet” properties of different polymeric materials. Standardized tests work fine for establishing comparative values for the same plastic, but can be very misleading when comparing different materials --- mainly because the “standardized” tests for different polymers may not be the same. There are a lot of good reasons, and some not-so-good ones, for the compromises that are made in the development of a particular test standard. Most compromises are technically based, but skewed by the particular biases prevalent in the industry, or the specific requirements of a particular intended application.
One standard test method does not necessarily satisfy everyone’s particular needs. It certainly would be nice to have one global standard for each specific property, so that all polymers could be compared on the same basis. However, if that standard doesn’t represent the best assessment of certain materials for some applications, the representatives of those plastics or applications would inevitably develop their own “standard”. Although this makes the standards process very complicated, it’s important that those who are making a determination of the value of a material or product are doing so based on the best measurement of those properties for their needs --- and, that they are all doing it in the same way. If someone wants to make an assessment of different polymeric materials for a specific application, do not just compare the published “data-sheet” values because they may not be comparable. Understand your application and the reasons for the properties you intend to evaluate. Run your own “standardized” test(s) so you are comparing the candidates on the same basis. Examine all the relevant data that is generated in the test --- not just one particular number. Finally, make the decision after assessing all of the pertinent information.
March 4, 2017
Dr. Bryan Hauger appointed to ASTM Committee on Standards
Dr. Bryan Hauger, President of Bryan Hauger Consulting, Inc. has accepted a three year position on the ASTM Committee on Standards (COS) starting January 1, 2017. The first COS meeting of 2017 will be held at ASTM Headquarters in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania on March 14-15. “I look forward to serving on the Committee on Standards,” said Dr. Hauger from his office in Longmont, Colorado. “I will be learning about how the functions of the committee serve the needs of ASTM International”. COS has several responsibilities as defined in their bylaws including the review and approval of all technical committee recommendations for actions on standards. COS also verifies that the procedural requirements of the Society’s regulations and its criteria for due process have been satisfied. The committee acts to resolve jurisdictional disputes with respect to standards. COS develops, maintains, and interprets the “Form and Style for ASTM Standards” manual and reviews all requests from technical committees for exceptions to the manual.
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