FIXINGS & FASTENERS
Fast tracking flat roofs with
innovative fastening systems
With the government’s commitment to ‘build, build, build’, construction is the key focal point for the UK’s
economic recovery. Martyn Holloway, business development manager – flat roof at SFS, discusses how
innovative fastening systems can lead to fast and reliable single ply flat roofing installations
As the COVID-19 pandemic
continues, everything feels
in limbo. The world has very
much been on pause – and the
construction industry in particular has
been hit hard, with 680,000 employees on
furlough at one point.
Of course, this cannot go on forever,
which the government recognises.
‘Build, build, build’ is the narrative to
get the construction industry and the
UK economy going again. It is vital that
we can work out how to respond to this
rousing call, and make it practical for
those on the front line of construction –
our contractors and installers.
The need for speed and
solving an age-old challenge
One element that is more important than
ever is to increase site productivity. This
is needed specifically to assist offset
delays resulting from the introduction
of the site operating procedures brought
in as a consequence of the COVID-19
pandemic. Also there are the more
traditional delays such as extreme
weather conditions as we move into
autumn and the winter months.
The wider context of the challenge
is the shortage of skilled labour, which
has been exacerbated by a heavily
furloughed workforce.
We have an ageing workforce and
there is a real need to train new site
operatives, which will take time to
address, but this must be our goal.
“One element that is more important
than ever is to increase site productivity.
This is needed specifically to assist oset
delays resulting from the introduction of
the site operating proceedures brought
in as a consequence of the COVID-19
pandemic”
Flat roofing
fastening
solutions from
SFS, including
its isoweld
system, have
been pivotal
in delivering
a top quality
building, in
the form of
the University
of Chester’s
Energy Centre
(top left)
Amendments to existing building
regulations, guidance documents
and operating procedures are adding
additional complexity to the industry,
which in turn, is increasing time
pressure on-site.
Tapered insulation challenges
One challenge involves ‘cut to fall’
insulation systems. Growing in
popularity for newbuild projects, these
can be particularly challenging for
installers.
The aim of a tapered roof insulation
system is simply to provide drainage
when the roof deck itself does not
provide adequate falls. This is achieved
by increasing the thickness of the
insulation to provide the slope and run
off for the rainwater.
When using a conventional
mechanical fixing solution to install the
insulation, there is typically a myriad
of different fastener lengths needed to
allow for the change in thickness, which
increases the complexity and time on the
job for roofers.
Concrete deck challenges
If ‘cut to fall’ insulation is being secured
to a concrete deck, this can also slow
down installation. Using conventional
flat roofing fasteners may require pilot
holes up to 100mm deep in order to
rationalise fastener lengths, and this
significantly adds to the drilling time.
Adhesive challenges
The use of adhesive systems to secure
the membrane and insulation layers
can be weather dependent and the
design limited by a specified maximum
wind load. Additional time is required
to prime the deck and to adhere each
separate layer, including the Air and
Vapour Control Layer (AVCL), insulation
and membrane.
Adhesive systems also rely heavily
on the skill of the installer to apply the
correct weight of adhesive bonding agent
per square metre for each of the AVCL,
insulation, membrane and other layers
required. If not secured correctly, then
the membrane will need to be
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48 www.rcimag.co.uk August 2020
/www.rcimag.co.uk
