ERA Leadership Tours IBHS Research Center
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Louisa Hart 301-646-2850
Louisaghart@gmail.com
ERA Leadership Tours IBHS Research Center
Industry Group Expands Expertise on Resilience Science
WASHINGTON, DC, October 19, 2017 – The leadership and members of the EPDM Roofing Association (ERA) toured the South Carolina-based Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) Research Center during ERA’s semi-annual meeting in October. The tour is the third in a series of ERA visits to facilities that are spearheading the effort to incorporate resilience into the built environment.
“ERA’s mission is to provide technical and research support to the construction community, and to communicate the longstanding attributes, consistency and value of EPDM roofing materials,” said Mike DuCharme, Chairman of ERA and Vice President – Marketing at Carlisle Construction Materials. “This visit provided in-depth knowledge of state-of-the-art hail and wind testing research being done at IBHS. The research conducted by IBHS was of great interest to ERA’s membership as we are focused on increasing awareness and promoting new standards for resilient roofing that can reduce risks associated with extreme weather events.”
Responding to the heightened interest in and concern over the resilience of the built environment, the EPDM Roofing Association (ERA) recently launched its microsite, EpdmTheResilientRoof.org. The site details the need for resilience in roofing systems, and the specific attributes of EPDM that make it uniquely valuable in attaining resilience in a structure. In addition, to add context to the information about EPDM products, the website provides a clearinghouse of sources about resilience, as well as an up-to-date roster of recent articles, blog posts, statements of professional organizations and other pertinent information about resilience.
IBHS is an independent, nonprofit, scientific research and communications organization supported solely by property insurers and reinsurers. The Institute recently designed and launched FORTIFIED Commercial™, “a voluntary construction standard and designation program for new and existing construction that addresses specific natural hazard risks and recommendations for reducing damage.”
“The visit to IBHS follows on ERA’s visits to the Building Envelope Systems Research Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratories and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado,” said Ellen Thorp, Associate Executive Director of ERA. “These site-visits provide our members with up-to-date information about resilience in roofing systems. Our members, in turn, can offer this essential EPDM-focused information to their colleagues and customers.”
The EPDM Roofing Association (ERA) is the first trade association solely representing the manufacturers of EPDM single-ply roofing products and their leading suppliers. ERA provides technical and research support to the public and the construction industry, and communicates the longstanding attributes, consistency and the value proposition of EPDM rubber membrane roofing materials.
To access the ERA website, go to www.epdmroofs.org.