High demands on flat roof structures.
The requirements for industrial and commercial flat roofs have increased in recent years. With the construction of green roofs and solar systems as well as the required fall protection, new demands arise for the long service life of a flat roof construction. Professional roof management is an essential component in meeting these criteria. This includes leak detection, leak testing and monitoring systems – all services from NIS – Nordic Industrial Services.
Keep your eyes open when it comes to green roofs and PV systems.
A professionally constructed flat roof construction with secure seals should also function in the long term under a green roof or PV system. It is often assumed that a roof seal is tight when the measure is completed and that the layer structure of the construction is also dry and will remain dry over its service life. But, is this really the truth? It's worth playing it safe here.
The EU Building Efficiency Directive 2010/31/EU requires so-called nearly zero-energy buildings. For this purpose, components with higher insulation values are planned, whereby higher insulation thicknesses and the optimization of the building's tightness can increase the risk of moisture damage. This can increase the temperature differences between the inner and outer component layers. Less heat from inside the building reaches the outer layers of the building components and condensation can form.
The construction of solar systems also increases the risk of moisture-induced structural damage. Other factors, such as the intensive use of the roof areas through green roofs or terraces, as well as a lack of understanding of the sequence of construction times, the unavoidable entry of moisture during the construction period or incorrect building physics calculations increase the problem.
The dry roof – does that even exist?
Even if the planning goal is a “dry roof”, it is the exception. This has been shown by studies at the IFB - Institute for Flat Roof Construction and Building Sealing (Vienna). Possible causes: Moisture that penetrated during the construction phase, convective processes at connections and terminations, diffusion processes, leaks in the sealing layer, wear of the sealing as well as processing errors or component movements.
Green roofs and installations for energy generation are increasingly being used in new buildings and renovations. If a green roof is installed on a leaky roof, this poses risks, especially since it can be unclear at which point possible damage will lead to water ingress. On the other hand, a damp roof structure cannot provide the desired insulation performance. Processing errors, mechanical influences and wear can lead to water ingress and damage the flat roof structure or lead to failure of the supporting structure.
This is particularly an issue when wood or wood-based materials are installed in the unventilated construction of a warm roof. The integrity of a roof seal, i.e. its waterproof function, is crucial, in addition to taking into account the physical building effects in the flat roof structure, and is ensured over the service life. Appropriate measures as part of professional roof protection management enable statements to be made about the functionality of a roof structure, which may extend beyond its actual useful life.
Leak testing and leak detection before setting up a solar system or green roof
Leak detection is carried out in the event of moisture damage without a recognizable point of entry. Leak tests are used for acceptance tests, status quo determinations after renovation or repairs and before the construction of a solar system or a green roof structure. The RAL and ISO certified SLD leak test results in an objective test report and is proof of the condition of a flat roof on the test date. The measuring methods quality-assured according to RAL-GZ 717 “Flat roof systems and services” are described as variants of the pulse current method and the high-voltage method.
R.O.S.I. PROOF – the passive, maintenance-free monitoring system
The patented R.O.S.I. sensors are installed here according to a specified installation plan. The sensors are read manually as part of the NIS leak test at the time of installation and as part of maintenance cycles. This means that the moisture value in the roof layer package can be determined comprehensively and non-destructively at any time.
R.O.S.I. HYBRID – the combination of passive and active monitoring system
R.O.S.I. HYBRID combines two worlds. The comprehensively installed passive R.O.S.I. Sensors are installed at critical points on the roof surface to support the fully automatic R.O.S.I. DIGITAL PRO radio modules installed. This combination offers maximum security at the best price.
R.O.S.I. DIGITAL PRO 2.0 – the active monitoring system for permanent monitoring
The active monitoring system R.O.S.I. DIGITAL PRO is a fully automatic monitoring system for permanent reading and reporting of moisture values and temperature in the roof layer package. The data is transmitted 24/7 in a cloud-based customer portal and compared with the existing values so that alarms are triggered immediately in the event of moisture penetration.
