TRAINING.

Overview

After participating in this course, you will be able to:

• Accurately identify various roof system types and their essential components.
• Understand the principles of roof system design and their integral role within the building's overall structure.
• Evaluate the roof as a valuable asset, considering its depreciation and impact on the building's lifecycle.
• Effectively assess and address the maintenance needs of roofing systems to enhance their longevity.
• Implement proactive measures to prevent premature roofing failures through strategic maintenance planning.

Description
Roof systems play a crucial role in the overall functionality and longevity of buildings. Poor design and lack of proper maintenance can lead to significant financial losses and structural issues. As buildings evolve and roofing systems are increasingly utilized for additional purposes, understanding their design and upkeep has never been more critical. These impacts, combined with the increased use of roof surfaces for other building functions and the continued evolution of roofing products and environmental requirements, mean that roofs can no longer be considered "out of sight, out of mind."

Understanding how to maintain and manage roofing systems effectively can prevent costly repairs and ensure the long-term stability of your building. This course will give you insight into current best practices for roofing design, maintenance, and rehabilitation. You will also explore the latest industry standards and learn to make informed decisions that can save time and resources.

By taking this course, you will acquire the tools and knowledge necessary to navigate the complexities of roofing systems and ensure that you can manage and maintain them efficiently.

Who Should Attend
This course is ideal for building systems design, management, and maintenance professionals. Building owners and managers, civil engineers, and architects will benefit from an in-depth understanding of roofing systems and their importance in the overall building structure. Plant managers, engineers, and maintenance managers will find the course valuable for enhancing their ability to maintain and extend the roofing system life effectively.

Additionally, those involved in construction, such as contractors, suppliers, and construction supervisors, will gain practical insights into modern roofing materials and practices. Industrial engineers, plant operations managers, and supervisors will learn strategies for minimizing roofing failures and optimizing maintenance processes. Facilities managers, superintendents, consulting engineers, and architects will also benefit from this course by enhancing their ability to make informed decisions regarding roofing systems. This course is also valuable for specification writers, roofing consultants, and technicians who are directly involved in selecting, installing, and maintaining roofing systems.

Please note: You can check other time zones here.

Syllabus

Welcome, Introduction, Course Preview, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Method

Basic Roof Design Requirements
What does a roof do? How is it expected to perform? The basic requirements of roof systems are discussed.

• Building Envelope Requirements: water penetration, water vapour movement, air leakage, thermal resistance, continuity
• Structural Requirements: wind loads, snow loads, seismic issues, live loads, fire resistance
• Durability Requirements: UV exposure, moisture resistance, mould resistance, corrosion, chemical and fatigue resistance
• Evolving roof design requirements: Vegetative roofs and reflective roofs, rainwater retention, space utility for building occupants, rooftop safety: railings, roof anchors, ice guards, photovoltaic systems, design changes for a changing climate

Roof Design for Control
How has roof design evolved? How are roofs designed to control environmental loads? Roof design concepts and methods are discussed.

• Control of precipitation – roof slopes, hydrokinetic vs. hydrostatic, flashings, drainage design
• Thermal control – insulation design, energy codes
• Control of air leakage and water vapour
• Resistance to fire
• Structural attachment

Case Study: Roof Thermal Resistance Calculations
Building Codes now specifically require analyzing energy use, and hence thermal resistance, of building envelope components as part of the building design process. An example is presented of thermal resistance calculations for a roof system and the impact of the roof's thermal performance on overall building energy use.

Case Study: WIND-RCI - Wind - Roof Calculator on Internet

Roofing Systems, Materials and Components
All the major roofing systems will be reviewed generically along with their respective pros and cons, design options and application methods:

• Design configuration: inverted vs. conventional vs. vented hydrokinetic vs. hydrostatic
• Membranes: single-ply (TPO, PVC, EPDM), modified bitumen, built-up roofs (standard, hybrid)
• Insulations, cover boards, and thermal barriers
• Air/vapour barriers, fasteners and roof decks
• Application methods (hot. cold, torch, heat welding, self-adhesive)
• Sloped roof systems – shingles, metal and tiles, architectural vs. structural
• The critical importance of roof detailing around equipment and penetrations
• Roofing accessories

The Life Cycle of Roofs and Roof Assessments

• Roof life cycle within the building life cycle
• Roof Assessments: visual reviews, test openings
• Moisture in roofs and moisture surveys: thermographic / capacitance / nuclear
• Electronic leak detection (ELD), wind uplift testing
• Lab tests of materials
• Estimating remaining service life

Roof Maintenance and Repair

• Who does it? -- Tasks and workflow
• Common sense maintenance procedures
• Technology use - reporting, databases, tablets and drones
• When maintenance becomes a repair
• When roofs are beyond repair -- capital versus operating expenses

Roof Retrofit and Replacement

• A re-roofing project or a roof retrofit project are different from each other, and very different from roofing a new building, even though the same materials and some of the same procedures are used. The single biggest difference is that the building is being used and occupied. Understanding these differences and managing the design, tendering, and construction efforts to reflect them, are essential to a successful capital roofing project. These differences and typical re-roofing project procedures are discussed.
• Replacement vs. recovery vs. retrofit – definitions
• Measuring the costs and relative benefits of roof replacement versus retrofit
• Project scope-setting - what factors influence how far to go?
• Factors influencing design - lots of them!
• Building code and building permit requirements
• The design package - specifications, drawings, details, warranties, reliance on manufacturers
• Procurement and Contracting vehicles - general contractor vs. trade contractor vs. construction manager
• The tendering process - roofer qualifications
• Effects of the construction process on building operations and anticipating them
• Effects on building occupants
• Quality assurance during construction - 'inspection and testing'
• Post construction - releasing holdback, warranties, cleanup, commissioning

Summary - Dealing Effectively with the Inevitable
The life cycle of a building is longer than that of its roof, so roof maintenance and capital repair or replacement are a necessary part of any building asset management plan. The knowledge gained in this Course will allow designers, assessors and managers to acquire and provide more timely and accurate information for this process, and improve its effectiveness. Most importantly, continuous and ongoing attention to the roof, even though it may be out of sight, will prevent the major and costly surprises that are most detrimental to building owners and occupants alike.

Instructor

Edward A. (Ted) Sheridan, P.Eng., RRC, REWC, RWC, RBEC

Ted Sheridan is a professional engineer practising in Ottawa, Ontario. He is president of Fishburn Sheridan & Associates Ltd., specializing in roofing, building envelope and structural work. He is a 1983 graduate of the Civil Engineering program at the University of Waterloo and was recognized by RCI (now IIBEC) as a Registered Roof Consultant in 1992. He is also an IIBEC-accredited Registered Exterior Wall Consultant, Registered Waterproofing Consultant, and Registered Building Envelope Consultant.

Ted has been involved with investigations, assessments, design and field reviews in over 2,500 roof and building envelope-related projects across Canada and the U.S. He has lectured on a broad array of subjects in roofing technology and building envelope engineering has published several roof-related articles, and regularly provides technical support to building forensic and legal teams.