T2 -2019

Glenn P. Costin
SRT-151 Glen Rodgers
CONSTRUCTION Mayan Rowling

& STRUCTURES 1 York Guo

Week 9
Roof
Structures
Seminars

Waterfront
Glen Rodgers & Mayan Rowling
glen.rodgers@deakin.edu.au m.rowling@deakin.edu.au

Burwood
York Guo
glen.rodgers@deakin.edu.au

Seminar sessions are designed to clarify and further the

development of your knowledge in this field.

Ask questions : Actively seek feedback

Course outline
Week Date Subject Assignment submissions
1 10 July Introduction: Structures & Structural Principles 1
2 17 July Structures & Structural Principles 2: Load Paths
3 24 July Sites and soils Online Quiz 1 – 2.5%
4 31 July Sub-structure and services
5 7 August Footing and slabs Online Quiz 2 – 2.5%
14 August Intra-trimester break
6 21 August Flooring systems
7 28 August Super-structure and building envelopes Online Quiz 3 – 2.5%
8 4 September Roofing systems
9 11 September Building enclosure and penetrations Online Quiz 4 – 2.5%
10 18 September Energy Efficiency & Sustainable Housing Group Case Study Analysis Report
(30%) and Presentation (10%) due
11 25 September Revision & Exam Preparation Individual Technology Portfolio
Assessments

Four levels of assessment:

1. Four (4) online quizzes 10% (2.5 % each)

2. Technology portfolio 10%

3. Group case study analysis report and presentation 40%

4. Examination 40%
Note:
To pass the unit students must achieve at least 40% in the exam
Week 9

Roof Structures
• Roof types: function and form
• Elements of a roof
• Roofing structure
• Roof cladding
• Insulation
• Structure
Roof types
Roof types: function and form

Purpose of roofs
• Shelter from the elements
• Shade
• Protection of the building
structure
• Rain water capture

Achieved with consideration for

• Aesthetics
• Privacy
• Security
• Acoustics
Roof types: function and form
Contemporary architecture
ranges from the traditional
and colonial to ultra modern
designs
• The roof of a house seen
by designers as an
important design feature
as it can significantly
modify the aesthetics of a
building
Roof types: function and form
Traditional roof types: Flat
Amongst the earliest of roof forms given that it is the simplest to create
• Beams laid flat but roof surface generally arranged with a slight slope to shed water

• The flat roof is used in Australia mainly in

conjunction with steel decking or flexible
sheet membranes
• A flat roof is normally taken to mean a
roof with less than 3 degrees fall
Roof types: function and form

Traditional roof types: Skillion

Basically a flat roof at an angle. Again easily made with simple beams sloped
to shed water.
• The skillion roof is being used
extensively in modern
Australian architecture due to
its simplicity and ease of rain
water capture
• Skillion roof design is usually at
pitches greater than 3 to 5
degrees
Roof types: function and form

Traditional roof types: Gable

A traditional style used in many
historic as well as contemporary
homes
• A relatively simple build with
good water proofing
capability
• It is ideally suited to modern
light-weight roof trusses
• May include a flat or
cathedral ceiling
• Requires slightly more roof
covering material, exposed
gables to be clad
Roof types: function and form
Traditional roof types: Hipped
Traditional form common to many
Australian homes
• Economic to construct by skilled
tradesmen
• Suits trussed roof systems
• Single wall height - gable ends
• Continuous guttering for water
catchment
• Common to volume built suburban
homes
 Roof types: function and form

Traditional roof types: Hip and Valley

Borrows from the hip roof, but with the addition
of valleys formed by the intersection of one or
more roofs
• A significantly more complex roof to construct
• Adaptable to trussed roof systems
• Often used in conjunction with gable roofs
Roof types: function and form
Traditional roof types: clerestory roofs
This is a juxtaposition of skillion
roofs to achieve a window along
the roof ridge
• Allows natural light and
ventilation into spaces away
from outside walls
• Simple construction
 Roof types: function and form
Traditional roof types: clerestory roofs
A series of skillion roofs coupled with
clerestory windows.
• Dramatic roof form when used
thoughtfully
• Requires multiple box gutters that are
prone to leaking in heavy rains
 Roof types: function and form
Traditional roof types: other forms
1. Mansard
2. Jerkinhead
3. Gambrel/Gablet/Dutch gable
4. Butterfly
5. Curved

2 1

5 4 3
Roof elements,
structural
principles &
construction
Roof elements

Basic roofing elements

Crown Apex
The terminology of roofing Roof cladding Barge
tends to be country and even (Barge boards)
regionally specific.

• The terms given here are

common to most of Australia
• These terms cover the
exterior or seen elements of
a roof Fascia
• Beneath this is the structure

Barge (Barge boards)

Roof elements

Basic roofing components: ‘Pitched’ roof structure

Gable roof components Hip & Valley (including Broken Hip) components
 Roof elements

Basic roofing components: ‘Pitched’ roof structure

Ridge board (covered with ridge tile)
Rafter Hanging beam
Collar tie Tiles Sarking – under tile
battens (sometimes
Purlin combined with
insulation)
Tile battens

Strutting beam or
combination beam
(strutting & Basic roofing components: Cathedral roof
Facia hanging beam)

Ceiling
Soffit Top plate Strut or prop joist
Eaves
Wall stud Load bearing internal wall

Sectional view: Gable or Hip & Valley

 Roof structural principles

Early roofs
No supporting
Supporting ridge
Earliest forms used simple beams beam
ridge beam
spanning mud or stone walls and ‘clad’
with turf, straw, palm leaves or the like.

• These early materials are not

inherently water proof and need an
angle or ‘Pitch’ to shed water

Early pitched roofs, straight or round, Flying

required a ridge beam or central pole to buttress
support the load.
Without central support the walls spread
outwards under vertical loads
• Early ‘fixes’ for this action included
buttresses and ‘flying’ buttresses.
• ‘Ring’ beams can tie round structures
buttresses
Roof structural principles

The coupled roof

Coupled roofs use a horizontal member
to tie the base of the two opposing
rafters together forming a triangle.
This is usually the ceiling joist.
• Removes the need for structural
ridge
• Removes need for buttressing
• Removes need for columns and posts
Contemporary building terminology for
the structural ridge beam approach is a
‘non-coupled’ roof .

• E.g. the cathedral ceiling

Roof structural principles

Pitched roofs use rafters for the main

skeleton or frame
• Rafter selection is based on roof loads,
rafter spans, overhangs and rafter spacing
• Non-coupled roofs: Ridge, intermediate
and wall supports share the load
• Coupled roofs: ridge carries not load, acts
only to tie rafters together
• Intermediate supports break rafters into
two spans, thus making them continuous
rather than single span elements
Roof structural principles

Coupled pitched roof: Intermediate supports

• Load from the under-purlin is transferred down the strut and onto
the internal, now load-bearing, wall.
• Strutting beam transfers loads from struts to load-bearing walls at
each end of beam
Roof construction
The frame of a roof is generally built from timber
Basic construction is a triangle 25° 25°

Ceiling Line

Calculations: 9460

3300
• Pitch 1050 180 5300 100 3700 180 600

• Span
Finished Floor Line

• Eave width South Elevation East Elevation

180 600
• Component sectional sizes

180
Lounge

3600
Materials & Finishes Schedule

Item Material

5230
Footings Min 25 Mpa Concrete, Dimensions/restrictions
as describe in details

180
Kitchen / Dining
Walls 90mm Pinus Radiata framing (LOSP) treated
with pitching plate and two noggin rows

9490
Rafters 125 x 45 KD HWD

1550
Entry
Hips 175 x 35 KD HWD

100
Ridge 175 x 35 KD HWD

100
Cladding Custom orb to suit existing buildingr.
Roof Sisalation

Linings 10mm Plaster board to walls and ceilings

3800
3700
Ceiling Insulation R3.5 batts

Lintels Hyspan or Gal Lintels to AS1684

Bed 1 Bed 2
Bracing As per details

180

600 180
Verandah Posts 100 x 100 Duragal

Gutter Colorbond to suit existing

Fascia & barge Timber to match existing

Flooring to new section 19mm Yellow Tongue sheet floorting over LVL
or Duragal joists.

Flooring upgrade to new wet min 6mm fibre cement sheet to existing flooring
areas in existing building with graded tiling to floor waste

Decking 22mm Treated pine or Merbau Decking.

2495 180 3850 100 3700 180 600
Alternatively ModWood may be used.

Floor coverings Carpet excepting wet areas (ceramic tiles)

8010
Roof Layout
Materials Schedule Plan
Trussed roofs

What is a trussed roof?

A trussed roof uses a series of two-dimensional,
triangulated, structural frames to support the
roof load and transfer it to load-bearing walls
• The truss is a static mechanical system
consisting of one or more triangular frames
that make a structural spanning system
capable of very good span-to-weight ratio
• Roof trusses are arranged in parallel then tied
and braced to form a stable three-
dimensional structure
• Trusses can form roofs of many shapes
• Trusses are generally prefabricated in
factories off-site
Trussed roofs

The truss
A “truss” is formed when structural members
are joined together in triangular
configurations

• The function of a truss is to transfer load

from point of application to the supports
as directly as possible

• Consists of a group of ties and struts

designed and connected to form a
structure that acts as a large span beam

• Multiple types of trusses including ‘parallel

cord’.
Trussed roofs

Why use a truss system

Trusses provide a structurally efficient alternative to
timber beams
• They place greater emphasis on axial loading of
members and less on bending
• Associated advantages of trusses include:
• Strong but light to erect
• Can be made to suit most roof shapes
• Less onsite fabrication,
• Better quality control
• Trusses make maximum structural use of the timber
• Trusses are capable of long spans
• Larger room sizes and open plan designs possible
• Internal walls are usually non-loadbearing therefore
lighter weight internal walls are possible
Trussed roofs

Truss terminology
Trussed roofs

Basic truss array

Trussed roofs

Trusses and internal walls

Trusses must be fixed to but not rest on internal walls unless the
truss has been specifically designed to do so

Bracing walls must be fixed in a specific manner so as to transfer

lateral loads appropriately
Eave construction

Various styles of eave construct

• Boxed
• Raking
• Exposed rafters (open)
• Flush
See: https://slideplayer.com/slide/8114280/ for more types
Flush

Boxed Exposed rafter (open) Raking

Fixing & tie down

Based upon Up Load Width (ULW)

 Fixing & tie down
Nominal fixings for Roofing: AS1684.2
 Fixing & tie down

Influence of materials to tie

down capacity
Fixing & tie down
Influence of materials to tie down capacity
 Fixing & tie down
Specific fixing requirements
Roof insulation
 Insulation
Sarking – or Sisalation
Combines functions of preventing leakage under roof
cladding and thin Reflective Foil Insulation (RFL)
Aluminium foil laminated onto paper or plastic
known as reflective foil laminates or RFL
• Resists radiant heat flow due to its high
reflectivity and low emissivity
• Requires air layer of at least 25mm next to
the shiny surface
• R-values can differ depending on the
direction of heat flow through the product:
• Up R-values describe resistance to heat flow
upwards
• Down R-values describe resistance to heat
flow downwards
• Sometimes coupled with bulk insulation
Insulation

Bulk insulation

Resists the transfer of conducted and convected heat,

relying on pockets of trapped air within its structure.
• Thermal resistance essentially the same
regardless of direction of heat flow
• Has only one material R-value for a given
thickness
• Various forms: glass wool, rockwool, cellulose
fibre, polyester and polystyrene.
• All bulk insulation products come with one
material R-value for a given thickness.
Insulation

Combination forms

Various combinations of bulk and reflective insulation

available for specific contexts
• Foil backed insulation blanket – “anti-con”. Bulk
insulation can become compressed if installed
incorrectly.

• Air cell: bubble wrap with reflective foil – “3 in 1”

– Sarking, reflective, condensation barrier

• Foilfaced polystyrene boards

Solar access and
roofing
Skylights

A now common way to get additional natural light

into rooms where solar access via the walls is
limited.
Three basic forms:

• Tube skylights
• Fixed skylights
• Roof windows

Roof light: Velux Window

Dormer windows and attics
Dormer windows:
Built into the roof frame where attic rooms are
part of the design – maybe gable, hip, flat or
even curve roofed

Attics:
Rooms that
are built into
the roof
space
Not usually
applicable to
trussed roofs
but can be
achieved.
Roof cladding &
Green roofs
Roof cladding

Cladding provides the water proofing of the structure

Multiple forms available for the contemporary home. The

more common are:
• Tiles (terracotta, concrete, photo voltaic cells)
• Slate
• Steel sheet
• Other metal sheeting (e.g. copper)
• Bitumen sheeting
• Thatch
• Timber shingles
• Timber shakes

Note: where rainwater is to be collected from a roof, the

roof cladding must be compatible with the gutter system
in use to avoid contamination
Green roof systems
Basic principle of a green roof
Green roof systems
Other benefits

• Longer roof lifespan

• Improved sound
insulation
• Reduced heating and
cooling requirements
• Reduced and slowed
stormwater runoff
• Capture of gaseous and
particulate pollutants
• Increased biodiversity
Green roof systems
Green roof systems
Green roof systems
Green roof systems
Green roof systems
Green roof systems
Thank You