Roofs

A roof is a part of external envelope of a building. A main function of

a roof enclosing space and to protect from the external factors to
space it covers. A roof may be flat or pitched has a supporting
component as roof structure and consists of roof finishing and ceiling.
The complexity of a roof structure is related to the span required for
the building. The larger the span more complex the structure will be.
Roof structures often determine the form and covering (finishing) of
roofs. According to the form of structures, the type of the roofs are
filet or pithed.
– Pitched roofs:
Their slope (or pitch) range between 18 – 173 % (60°)
Types are single pitched, double pithed and with hipped end
– Flat roofs
Their slope range between 01 – 10 %
Types are conventional-(warm) flat roofs, inverted roofs, cold roofs
– Curved roofs types are, barrel vaults, domes, hiperbolic paraboloids
 Performance Requirements for Roofs (1)
Strength and stability
They are provided by the roof structure. The main considerations in the
design of roof structure is that of span. The wide variety of roof types in
different materials have been developped considering span of roofs as
the main criterion. The materials used are reinforced concrete, steel,
timber and reraly aluminum. The structural types generally imposed the
forms. The alternative roof structures are:
• Framed structures
– Reinforced concrete or steel framed structures with flat, ribbed or
grid roof deck
– Timber, steel and aluminum trusses and lattice girders
– Steel and timber space frames, and geodesic domes
• Form resistant structures as,
– Reinforced concrete folded plates and
– Reinforced concrete and steel shells as barrel vaults, domes and
hyperbolic paraboloids
• Suspension structures as tent, net and cable structures
In all types of structures, it is necessary to keep the dead weight to
a minimum, so that the imposed load can be carried with a greatest
economy of materials. Where spans are large, this weight factor is of
greatest importance.
 Performance Requirements for Roofs (2)
Weather Resistance – Water Proofing
Roofings are required to prevent the entry of air togethet with water and
dust. To succed a satisfactory weather resistance – (water proofing)
certain materials are used. Suitable materials for waterproofing is selected
in accordance with slop (fall) of the roof. The following slops are used in
conjuction with the suitable materials:
– Suitable materials for flat roofs where the fall changes as 1.0 – 10.0 %
• Bituminous membranes with 1.5 – 4.0 mm thichness
• Plastics and rubber membranes with 1.0 – 2.0 mm thichness
• Mastic asphalt
– Suitable materials for the pitched roofs
• Lead, copper, zinc and Aluminum sheets - falls are 18 to 25 %
• Traditional clay tiles and concrete tiles – fall is 33 %
• Corrugated metal sheets as steel, Al., Zinc – falls are 18 - 40 %
• Corrugated plastics or cementeous materials – falls are 18 – 40 %
– Suitable materials for the curved roofs
• Bituminous and plastics membranes
• Leads coppers and Aluminum
 Performance Requirements for Roofs (3)
Thermal Insulation
A roof transmittes heat through its body by conduction and also it
radiates heat from its surface to the clear sky where the temperature
is very low. Thus, an effective thermal insulation required to obtain
low enery loss as thermal transmittance (U-value) - 0.4 W/m2K.
Thermal insulation may be provided in a roof one of the four ways:
– A layer of insulation material is applied between roof structure and
impervious water proofing layer, as in the conventional warm roof.
– Layer of insulation material is applied between the rafters as in the high
pitched roof system, where attic rooms designed.
– Slabs of heavy insulation material placed externally to the whole roof
construction, which is reraly applied.
– Insulation may be obtained by mean of the resistance of the
construction of the roof substructure.
– An insulation is applied beneath the deck (as in the cold roof)
Most common method of thermal insulation is the first one for flat
roofs, and the second one for the high pitched roofs, if attic rooms is
designed as living space.
 Pitched Roofs
A roof is a part of external envelope of a building. A main function of a roof
enclosing space and to protect from the external factors to space it covers. A
roof may be flat or pitched has a supporting component as roof structure and
consists of roof finishing and ceiling. The complexity of a roof structure is
related to the span required for the building. The larger the span more complex
the structure will be.
Roof structures often determine the form and covering (finishing) of roofs.
According to the form of structures, the type of the roofs are filet or pithed.
Pitched roofs:
Their slope (or pitch) range between 18 – 100 %
Types are single pitched, double pithed and double pitched with hipped end
fall
fall fall

Single pitched roof Double pitched roof Double pitched roof

with hipped end
 Performance Requirements for Pitched Roofs
The complexity of a roof structure is related to the span required for the
building. A roof should meet the following performance requirements:

Performance Measures to meet performance requirements

requirements for Pitched Roofs
Strength and stability To have a high level of slop (pitch), either a truss or a
inclined concrete roof slab is required so the roof pithes
can be constructed from reinfoeced concrete slabs
Weather exclusion, Roof tiles are applied to drain about 95 % of rain water.
Avoid air penetration To remove the surplus water and avoiding air penetration
into the roof, water proofing membrane is applied over
timber boarding.
Thermal Insulation • Thermal insulation mats or boards are applied under
Avoid convective heat timber boarding, between the roof rafters, or
loos & air leakage • the thermal insulation is layed on the roof deck.

Avoiding the solar Seramic tiles, metals, bitumen membranes or aggregate

radiation effect, and applied as a roofing should be finished and colored to
Durability avoid color change, physical deterioration and keeping
quality during intended life span of roofing.
 Weather Exclusion from Pitched Roofs
The rain penetration depends both on rain amount and wind
speed and is directly effected by rain intensity rather than total
duration of rain. This is of particular importance where the roof
coveing is tiles. This tipe of covering depends upon the
adequacy of the overlap of the units and the pitch of the roof.
When the angle is more than 30°, pressure occure in winward
side of the pitched roof and suction occures in leaward and
furthermore, if the pitche is less than 20° suction occures in
two side of the pitch.
Due to these facts, about 5 % of the rain water penetrates in
between the overlapped roof tiles. To avoid leakage of water
into the roof water proofing membranes should be applied on
the timber bording beneth the tiles.