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Title
Improving Roof Reliability: Interim Report from CIB/RILEM Committee
Improving Roof Reliability: Interim Report from CIB/RILEM Committee
Date
9/2011
9/2011
Author(s)
Keith Roberts
Keith Roberts
Page(s)
Keyword(s)
roof reliability; leak; reliability tenets; element redundancy; product substitution;
roof reliability; leak; reliability tenets; element redundancy; product substitution;
Abstract
The roof systems we design and build are tested every time it rains or the wind blows. For some building users there is a need for a high degree of confidence that their roof will pass these tests, every time. Such buildings include computer centers, civic buildings and courthouses, where there should be funding available to construct roofs that are reliable. The paper offers an interim report from the CIB W83 / RILEM Roofing Materials and Systems Task Group that was established in 2007 to improve our understanding of the reliability of roofing. The Task Group is identifying actions and priorities that can improve the reliability of roofing systems, and specifically to collate a set of common principles or tenets of best practice. Three of the tenets are described in the paper. Lessons learned from a reliability engineering approach used for improving vehicle manufacture could also benefit the roofing industry, such as introducing element redundancy where appropriate. One design option is the double layer roof, with a primary weathering outer face and a secondary layer underneath that drains freely out of the building. This is not a new concept as illustrated by the details adopted in the construction of a Japanese school roof more than three centuries ago. The late substitution of products with apparent commercial advantages can lead to unforeseen performance problems later. The approaches being adopted in different countries are explored. In reviewing the findings of roof inspections there are often common issues that recur. When the problem is repeated for the same roof system on different projects, there is an opportunity to learn from the experience and to change practice. This can be a motivator for innovation, a key management task. By developing appropriate means to share feedback in a constructive way we can improve the reliability of the roof systems we design and build.
The roof systems we design and build are tested every time it rains or the wind blows. For some building users there is a need for a high degree of confidence that their roof will pass these tests, every time. Such buildings include computer centers, civic buildings and courthouses, where there should be funding available to construct roofs that are reliable. The paper offers an interim report from the CIB W83 / RILEM Roofing Materials and Systems Task Group that was established in 2007 to improve our understanding of the reliability of roofing. The Task Group is identifying actions and priorities that can improve the reliability of roofing systems, and specifically to collate a set of common principles or tenets of best practice. Three of the tenets are described in the paper. Lessons learned from a reliability engineering approach used for improving vehicle manufacture could also benefit the roofing industry, such as introducing element redundancy where appropriate. One design option is the double layer roof, with a primary weathering outer face and a secondary layer underneath that drains freely out of the building. This is not a new concept as illustrated by the details adopted in the construction of a Japanese school roof more than three centuries ago. The late substitution of products with apparent commercial advantages can lead to unforeseen performance problems later. The approaches being adopted in different countries are explored. In reviewing the findings of roof inspections there are often common issues that recur. When the problem is repeated for the same roof system on different projects, there is an opportunity to learn from the experience and to change practice. This can be a motivator for innovation, a key management task. By developing appropriate means to share feedback in a constructive way we can improve the reliability of the roof systems we design and build.