The types of industrial roofing vary depending on the materials used for the construction of industrial buildings, being in themselves, a very different type of building to those of residential use. In this sense, it is very important to make a good decision when choosing the right types of roofing for industrial buildings.
Nowadays, there are numerous possibilities of roofs and each one of them has different characteristics. Although the main purpose of roofs is to protect them from external agents that may cause deterioration, their aesthetic appearance is playing an increasingly important role.
Types of industrial roofing: Advantages and disadvantages
Below, we help you to classify the types of types of industrial roofing depending on each construction:
Single or sheet metal roofing
This protection consists of a ribbed or corrugated metal sheet, supported on a structure of metal or concrete purlins. It is easy to assemble and is the lightest, simplest and most economical.
It is more advisable to use metallic materials in building envelopes, as they are great insulators of heat and cold.as they are great insulators of heat and cold.
It is recommended to install this type of roofing in buildings where there is not going to be a high traffic of people inside. In case the factory is required for the transit of many people inside, it would be a better option to install a layer of thermal insulation glued to the underside of the roof, to protect as much as possible.
This prevents heat loss in winter and keeps the interior cool in summer.
In addition, among the different metals The most common materials used to cover these roofs are: zinc, steel, aluminum and copper. The finishes can be pre-lacquered or galvanized, especially if a greater aesthetics is sought.
The advantages that we find in this cover are:
✔️ A metal roof has a long durability.
✔️ Resistant to rot, fungus, moss and fire.
Among the disadvantages are:
❌ If there is rain or hail, the impact and noise on the roof can be annoying.
Sandwich panel roofing
They are composed of a double or sandwich roof. The two plates can be made of metal or fiber cement, and are divided by an insulating material, which can be polystyrene, wool or fiberglass.
This type of roof is the most most commonly used for industrial buildingsbecause its structure allows a quick installation on sloping surfaces.
For the assembly of this roof it is necessary to create a false ceiling of visible purlins and to do so, the lower metal plates have to be placed covering the structural purlins. This type of roof is very useful to rehabilitate roofs, since it can be done without the need to remove the old structure.
There is another model called “in situ”, which consists of two steel sheets with a glass insulation blanket. They differ because they are made on site and do not require the installation of false ceilings.
The advantages we find in this model are:
✔️ It is a good example of energy efficiency. The thermal insulation layer it contains insulates against noise and cold and reduces the appearance of humidity due to condensation.
✔️ The roof compensates the temperature and keeps it constant, reducing noise and increasing the comfort of the building. It has a low maintenance cost, which is why it is the most used for the rehabilitation of roofs in industrial buildings.
✔️ There is a wide variety of finishes for the bottom face.
The disadvantages of this system:
❌ These panels support less weight than others, so it is not advisable to place loads on top of them.
Deck type cover
These roofs are designed for their high waterproofing capacity and are great thermal insulators. It is a more advanced protection system and is formed by different materials in which we find: the interior corrugated sheet, a thermal insulator, a waterproofing part and the protective exterior finish.
This cover can be assembled quickly and adapts to any constructive form, since the materials with which it is designed are moldable. It is recommended to use this type of roofing when the area has a certain slope, since it offers good watertightness results. They are most commonly seen in shopping centers and logistics warehouses.
The advantages are:
✔️ Due to its long life cycle, it is used in large areas.
✔️ This structure avoids thermal bridges and guarantees watertightness throughout the roof and in the joints.
Disadvantages:
❌ As a lightweight deck, it is not designed to be walked on.
❌ Special care must be taken at the meeting points of materials to ensure that the roof is watertight.
❌ To think about the roof, taking into account the facilities to be incorporated.
Self-supporting roofs
This roof does not require any support for its structure, which eliminates the use of purlins and trusses used for fastening. It is composed of galvanized steel enclosures, resistant to humid spaces or climates that may cause oxidation of the materials.
The finishes of these roofs are designed to channel rainwaterto be able to to remove layers of snow and to be able to withstand strong gusts of wind..
Self-supporting roofs can be either flat or curved:
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- Flat self-supporting roofs function as straight lintels and their stiffness is only given by the undulating shape of the section.
- Self-supporting roofs with a curvilinear axis have the shape of an arch with an interior tie-rod, which collects the horizontal forces, thus the roof only transmits self-weight forces to the supports. Curved roofs span more distance than flat roofs.
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The main advantages of self-supporting roofs are the following:
✔️ As it does not require beams or purlins, it is very light.
✔️ These covers are used in installations with very high ceilings, so they can reach up to 30 meters of light.
✔️ Wide variety of finishes and features.
Disadvantages:
❌ The installation of this type of roofing requires skilled labor.
❌ It does not support heavy weights.
Safety on roofs and decks: the CAREX solution
Whichever roof you choose, it is essential to bear in mind that all of them require maintenance and, in the case of including elements in the roofs such as solar panels, even more so.
It is very important for the company that has these factories or buildings with roofs to ensure that there is safe access. For maintenance, overhauls or repairs, people specialized in working at heights will be required, so having appropriate safety measures in place is key.
On the other hand, it is necessary to check if the workers have epis (personal protective equipment) certified by companies that repair decks and roofs. This equipment is essential for working in work areas that are difficult to access or where there is a risk of falling.
In Alusín Solar, we have been creating projects related to solar energy on roofs for more than 10 years and we know the importance of occupational risk prevention in this type of work and we have detected serious safety problems when carrying them out.
Therefore, we have come up with the idea of placing a technical walkway on the roof to secure and protect the operator from a possible fall. In addition, the the construction of the walkway has a number of advantages.. This will allow safe passage from one side of the roof to the other and enable the workers to perform their work safely.
The CAREX Technical Corridor Technical Corridor will help to reduce the number of accidents and will make roofing works safer and more accessible. If you would like to know more about our corridors, you can request a technical advice or download our catalog:
