During 2017, IBHS staff met again with the Single Ply Roofing Industry (SPRI) organization regarding various uplift test options and a set of action plans to better understand wind loads and performance of flexible roof membranes. SPRI has created a task force to examine how single-ply roof systems are evaluated and has asked IBHS to participate. It is possible that a proposal for testing at the IBHS Research Center will come out of the task force, advancing IBHS’s understanding of single-ply membranes.

Additionally, a best practices roofing guide for single-ply membranes, plus a majority of all low- and steep-slope roof cover systems, is nearing completion through a joint effort led by IBHS and the Roofing Industry Committee on Weather Issues (RICOWI). Several roofing industry associations are participating in order to give those who evaluate, design, repair, maintain or replace roofs common guidance; the completed content is available on the in the RICOWI Best Practices Guide.