Now that I’ve gotten my hands on the precious test standard(s) I need for my experiment, what next? I follow it. Or try to. This is a whole other adventure in itself.
As a beginner, doing my first standardized test felt about a hundred times worse than following the most onerous French baking recipe. (Okay, maybe I had a particularly tough one as my very first.) Prior to doing the test procedure, I need to read the ASTM/ANSI/ISO papers about a dozen times before the tiny print become a bit untangled from one another and some of the sentences begin to make any sense. At about the 20th read, a clearer picture of what I am supposed to do may finally start to emerge, clearing away some false assumptions I’d collected in my mind. At this point I will have my experimental setup planned out and will be preparing the logistics. Equipment, facility, calculations, logistics and instrumentation will all need to be considered carefully, down to the smallest detail: where to place microphones and how to mark these positions, how to move and transport things during different phases of the test, how to set up wiring and power supplies, and how to hoist or affix hefty samples. Obviously, by no means am I free from the potential threat of misunderstandings or ill-preparedness about some cryptic detail. But, the main ideas are clear, I’ve thought of everything I could (before experiencing the real test) and the only next step is to forge ahead at this point and be ready for both the good and bad.
During the preparation/planning phase I will read over the standard another 10 or more times, which makes the number of times I’ve read the document now at 30-40. You’d think I should know exactly what I need to do by now, but no. As I run the test the first couple to the first dozen (or MORE!) times, I may still be frequently and frantically checking back at the standard like a child refusing to wean. The standard now would have so many notes, scribbles, highlights and other marks on it that it just may be illegible to another person.
This process will continue well into AFTER a test data collection phase well into the data reduction phase. As I sieve through data, I will still be referencing back to the standard for help and compliance with protocol. Then, if anything goes wrong, I have to go back, adjust my test details, and redo the tests.
One of the reasons why it requires skill and practice to execute a standardized test is that field conditions and available resources vary. When performing these tests in the field, there is usually a LOT of unexpected conditions outside of the standard’s text description. The resources required in any test and extra compliance efforts may account for an extra 60% of work in addition to what is mentioned in the printed text of the standard. This requires the operator to think critically and be a MacGyver (again), sometimes on the fly, and to make appropriate improvisations and adjustments meanwhile staying true to the principle requirements of the test standard and “good science”.
So, knowledge is expensive. But wisdom and skills developed from experience is even more valuable. Standardized test procedures may make our lives harder in the short run, but they make everything easier in the long run. They provide performance, safety, and durability ratings for building products and technologies. In many fields, especially in building science, the government and industry leaders are very dedicated to testing. Getting very good at and well-experienced with executing important standardized test methods in your field will certainly put you on the radar for the top employers.