For more than three decades, the SIGDERS consortium, supported by key industry partners including CRCA, QMRA, and RCABC, has been at the forefront of advancing knowledge on wind uplift resistance in commercial roofing systems. Established by the National Research Council of Canada to address critical gaps in code compliance, SIGDERS’ collaborative research led to the CSA A123.21 test method and practical tools for calculating wind loads on buildings. 

Following the adoption of CSA A123.21 in the 2015 National Building Code of Canada, roofing contractors and designers experienced a significant shift in practice. This session reviews the evolution of SIGDERS, examines lessons learned since code implementation, and highlights ongoing challenges and considerations impacting roofing contractors today. 

Presented by Jean‑François Côté, PhD, Technical Representative at Soprema. Dr. Côté holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Université de Sherbrooke and a Ph.D. in Materials Science from INRS‑Université du Québec. A registered chemist in Québec, he represents Soprema on multiple North American technical committees and chairs the ASTM D08 Committee on Roofing and Waterproofing.