David,

Good to hear your perspective on ASTM, and standards. The "streamilining,"
hopefully, will help.

It seems to me that, as you mention, ASTM is a difficult place to devlop
standards within, in our case, the conservation profession. But, still, the
idea of developing standards for testing and analysis would be helpful; so
many of those our there are applicable to new construction; sites where
destructive analysis is the norm, etc. But applying even the existing ASTM
standards to preservation projects may be challenging, destructive, and even
not applicable!

I believe some of the speakers at one of the last ASTM symposium developed
by Committee E06.24 on Building Preservation and Rehabilitation Technology,
spearheaded by Steve Kelley and others, may have addressed this issue.

Meanwhile, I have lamentably missed ASTM "meetings" at Carrara. Do you know
of any quarries to visit?

Glad to hear about your efforts with exterior dimension stone. Ever since
the Exterior Stone Symposium in 87 at the McGraw Hill building, I have has a
hard time taking to urban sidewalks.

Philip
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