b"In viewof theabove,themembersof theRoofingContractorsof Greater St.Louisfeel it istotally unfairandinequitabletocommitthemselves to acontract whichprovidesfortestcuts,andhereafter weshall take exception to aclausein anyspecificationcontainingsame. WETDECKS- ASEQUEL Waybackin 1961 whenwewerekicking upatempestaboutlight weight aggregatedecksandmoisturecontent,atestcut wasmadeonaKansasCity areaschool.Theconstruction wasashredded wheattypeformboard and a wetfill deckoverthetop ofthat.In 1961 themoisturecontentof that fill was20.66% water by weight.Theroofing-astandard20-year specification-has blistered overthepasteightyears.Recently,themanufacturer cuttheroofandfoundacrackin thegypsumand thisgypsumwasfoundto be 55.4%moistureby weight.Theleakagewasconfined to arelatively small area. However,there wasindicationofrust at thecross T 1 sandthebulbT'sgenerally throughoutthebuilding.Threeadditional cuts weretakenin areas where therehad beennoleakageat all.Moisturecontent was23.2%onthefirstcut, 29.3%onthesecondcut,and23-2%onthethird cut. Thisroofhasbeen acontinuousproblem forthepastseveral years.An architectural firm hasbeen retained by theschool boardand hasrecommended thattheentireroofbetornoff andreplaced with aspecification similar to theonethatnowexists withoneexception:Thenewroofis to beventedon approximate10 ft.squareswith moisturerelief vents. Wesubmitthefollowing questionsbelieving,in all candor,thatthe solution suggested maybenosolution atall: 1.If ventsaretheanswer,whynotinstall themin theareas wherenoleakagehasoccurred at afractionof thecostof thenewspecification? 2,Will thesteel substructurethatis apartof the decksystem continueto rust,ultimately bringing aboutadisintegration of thesteel involved? Wearenotyetsatisfied thatventsarethe answer.Whereisthe documentation fromthefield?Howdoestheroofingcontractor test fordryness,how doyouvent,howmuchisnecessary?Doyouneed bottom,edgeandtop venti ng? TheCorpsof EngineersSpecification220.12incorporatesconditionsand proceduresthatare mosthelpful,butbyno meanscertain of success: -3-"