EDITOR ’ S CHOICE
SUPPORTING FIRE SAFETY OF MULTIFUNCTIONAL ROOFS
NEW WHITEPAPER EXPLORES HOW TO IDENTIFY AND MITIGATE FIRE RISKS FOR FLAT ROOFS FUNCTIONING AS ADDITIONAL SOCIAL OR PRACTICAL SPACES OF A BUILDING , INCLUDING FOR SOLAR INSTALLATIONS
The role of the roof in modern building design has expanded significantly in recent years . Now ROCKWOOL ® has published a whitepaper aimed at helping specifiers and roof contractors to consider and plan for possible fire risks arising from flat roofs being used as multifunctional spaces for a variety of social and practical applications , highlighting , for example , the increasing number of solar energy installations .
The Flat roofs : The functional fifth façade paper explores the fire safety implications of modern multifunctional roofs and discusses best practices for identifying and mitigating the risks . It also explains the role of the guidance provided in approved documents , including Approved Document B ( ADB ) for fire safety , and examines potential limitations of such advice for non-standard flat roof circumstances and scenarios . The whitepaper can be downloaded at https :// rockwool . link / ffpr-archetech
Now , flat roofs don ’ t just house plant and building services but energy efficiency infrastructure and social spaces too .
“ While the use of flat roofs as functional spaces is not a new concept , the practice has become more and more popular in recent years , especially in increasingly crowded urban areas ,” explains Lisa Stephens , Product Manager – Building Envelope , ROCKWOOL UK . “ Now , flat roofs don ’ t just house plant and building services but energy efficiency infrastructure and social spaces too .”
With the increasing complexity of the flat roof space in mind , this whitepaper addresses the risks associated with social and commercial uses of flat roofs , considering implications such as greater footfall and the impact of penetrations from building services and cabling on compartmentation and fire resistance .
With the market for solar energy growing rapidly in the UK and Europe , Flat roofs : The functional fifth façade ’ also places a specific focus on the lack of dedicated guidance for solar panels despite evidence that their presence may increase fire risk .
“ The information in the whitepaper will help those involved in the design and installation of flat roofs to make responsible choices when selecting materials to enable a modern flat roof to be multifunctional , safe and long-lasting ,” says Lisa Stephens . “ It offers practical advice to simplify specification whilst going above and beyond legislative requirements .”
For more information and to download the whitepaper go to : www . rockwool . link / ffpr-archetech
ARCHETECH - PAGE 14