Overview
EN ISO 15148:2002/A1:2016 is Amendment 1 to the international test method ISO 15148:2002, endorsed by CEN. The standard specifies a standardized partial-immersion test for determining the water absorption coefficient of building materials and products - a key hygrothermal property that quantifies moisture uptake by capillary action. Amendment A1 updates required test environmental conditions and bibliographic references to ensure consistent, reproducible moisture uptake measurements across laboratories.
Key topics and requirements
- Scope: Determination of the water absorption coefficient by partial immersion for building materials and products (hygrothermal performance / moisture uptake).
- Test conditions (amendment):
- Mean allowed range: temperature 23 ± 5 °C and relative humidity 50 ± 5 %.
- Allowed variation during a test: ±2 °C for temperature and ±5 % for relative humidity.
- These limits are intended to reduce inter-laboratory variability and support reliable comparison of results.
- Standard status: Adopted by CEN members; national standards bodies must implement the amendment as published (no alterations).
- Referenced normative material: Amendment A1 updates Annex ZA to reference ISO 9346:2007 (thermal insulation - mass transfer physical quantities and definitions), linking moisture transport terminology and physical quantities to established definitions.
- Governance: Prepared by ISO/TC 163 (Subcommittee SC 1) in collaboration with CEN/TC 89.
Applications
- Product characterization and quality control for bricks, mortars, natural stone, concrete, porous claddings and other construction products where capillary water uptake affects durability.
- Providing input data for hygrothermal and moisture transport modelling (building physics simulations).
- Assessment of moisture-related durability, freeze-thaw risk, salt transport, biological growth risk and water ingress behavior.
- Comparative testing for material selection, certification, compliance and laboratory inter-comparisons.
Who uses this standard
- Test laboratories and material testing engineers performing standardized water uptake tests.
- Manufacturers and R&D teams validating product performance and demonstrating compliance.
- Building physicists, façade and envelope designers, specifiers and consultants requiring reliable hygrothermal input data.
- Certification bodies and regulators referencing harmonized testing for product evaluation.
Related standards and keywords
- Related: ISO 15148:2002, ISO 9346:2007 (referenced in Annex ZA), EN standards endorsed by CEN.
- SEO keywords: EN ISO 15148, ISO 15148:2002/Amd 1:2016, water absorption coefficient, partial immersion test, hygrothermal performance, building materials moisture uptake, standardized test method, CEN.
This amendment enhances reproducibility of water absorption coefficient measurements by clarifying environmental test limits and aligning referenced definitions, supporting consistent assessment of moisture behavior in construction materials.
