JIGJIGA UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTEMENT
BUILDING CONSTRUCTION (CENG 3103)
CHAPTER-9
ROOF AND ROOF COVERINGS
By: Alhamdu U.
2014
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CONTENTS
Introduction
Types of roofs
Sloping (pitched) roofs
Forms of sloping roofs
Types of sloping roofs
Roof coverings for sloping
roofs
Flat roofs
Types of flat roof coverings
Dome and shell roofs
1. INTRODUCTION
A roof is defined as the upper most part of the building, provided as
a structural covering, to protect the building from weather.
A roof consists of structural elements, which support roof coverings.
The structural elements may be trusses, beams, slabs, shells or
domes.
The roof coverings may be corrugated metal sheets, RC slabs, tiles,
etc.
Requirements of a roof
The requirements of a good roof are summarised as follow:
i. It should have adequate strength and stability to carry the super-
imposed dead and live loads.
ii. It should effectively protect the building against rain, sun, wind,
etc and it should be durable against the adverse effects of these
agencies.
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1. INTRODUCTION
Requirements of a roof
iii. It should be water proof and should have efficient drainage
arrangements.
iv. It should provide adequate thermal insulation.
v. It should be fire resistant.
vi. It should provide adequate insulation against sound.
2. TYPES OF ROOFS
The general types of roofs are:
Pitched or Slopping roofs,
Flat roofs or terraced roofs, and
Curved roofs.
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2. TYPES OF ROOFS
The selection of the type of roof depends upon:
Shape or plan of the building,
Climatic conditions of the area,
Type of construction materials available.
Pitched roofs:
Have slopping top surfaces.
Are suitable in those areas where rainfall/snow fall is very heavy
Use to cover satisfactorily those buildings with limited width and
simple shape
Flat roofs:
Considered suitable for buildings in plains or in hot regions where
rainfall is moderate and snow fall is not there.
Are equally applicable to buildings of any shape and size.
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2. TYPES OF ROOFS
Curved roofs:
Have their top surface curved.
Such roofs are provided to give architectural effects.
Such roofs include cylindrical and parabolic shells and domes
2.1 Slopping (pitched) roofs
Pitched roof is the most common form of roof and is generally
regarded as the cheapest alternative for covering a structure.
Pitched roof is almost always constructed in wood or steel.
In pitched roofs a slope of less than l in 3 is generally not considered
satisfactory from drainage point of view.
in areas of heavy snowfall, steeper slopes( 1:1.5 or1:1) are provided
to reduce the incidence of snow load on the roof.
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2. TYPES OF ROOFS
2.1 Slopping (pitched) roofs
The various shapes of pitched roof depend on
The area covered
Materials available
Type of lighting and ventilation needed inside
Available appliance, etc.
2.1.1 Forms of sloping roofs
Slopping roofs are basically of the following forms:
a) Shed roof: it is the simplest type and slopes only in one direction.
It is used for smaller span and is also known as lean to roof.
At the upper ends, the rafters are nailed to the wooden wall
plate, which may be of stone, brick or steel.
At the lower end the rafters are notched and nailed to the
wooden post plate.
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2.1.1 Forms of sloping roofs
b) Gable roof: it slopes in two directions and is commonly used.
It is formed by a pair of inclined rafters with their upper ends
nailed to a common ridge piece and their low ends, notched
and nailed to the wooden wall plates embedded in masonry on
the top of the wall on either end.
c) Hip roof: It slopes in four directions such that the end formed by
intersection of slopes results in triangular and/ or trapezoidal form.
d) Butterfly roof: It slopes in two directions and intersect at the
centre of the span and will have common drainage system.
e) Pyramid roof: It is similar to hip roofs, slopes in four directions and
the intersections of slopes make a pyramid.
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2.1.1 Forms of sloping roofs
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2.1.1 Forms of sloping roofs
Shed roof Gable roof
Gambrel roof Hip roof 10
2.1.1 Forms of sloping roofs
Flat roof Mansard roof
Gable dormer roof Shed dormer roof 11
2.1.2 Elements of slopping roofs
Some of the important elements of pitched roofs are:
a) Span: It is the clear distance between the supports of an arch, beam
or roof truss.
b) Rise: It is the vertical distance between the top of the ridge and the
wall plate.
c) Pitch: It is the inclination of the sides of a roof to the horizontal
plane. Either it is expressed in terms of angles (degrees) or as ratio of
rise to span.
d) Ridge: It is defined as the apex line of the sloping roof. It is thus the
apex of the angle formed by the termination of the inclined surfaces
at the top of a slope.
e) Eaves: The lower edge of the inclined roof surface. From the lower
edge (eaves), the rainwater from the roof surface drops down.
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2.1.2 Elements of slopping roofs
Some of the important elements of pitched roofs are:
f) Hip: It is the ridge formed by the intersection of two sloping
surfaces, where the exterior angle is greater than 1800.
g) Valley: It is a reverse of a hip. It is formed by the intersection of two
roof surfaces, making an external angle less than 1800.
h) Hipped end: It is the sloped triangular surface formed at the end of a
roof.
i) Verge: The edge of a gable, running between the eaves and ridge, is
known as a verge.
j) Rafters: These are horizontal wooden or steel members, used to
support common rafters of a roof when span is large. Purlins are
supported on trusses or walls.
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2.1.2 Elements of slopping roofs
Some of the important elements of pitched roofs are:
f) Purlins: They are inclined wooden members on which roof coverings
rest.
g) Eaves board: Also known as Fascia board. It is a wooden plank or
board fixed to the feet of the common rafters at the eaves. It is
usually 25mm thick and 20cm wide. The ends of lower most roof
covering material rest upon it. The eaves gutter, if any, can also be
secured against it.
h) Battens: These are thin strips of wood, called scantlings, which are
nailed to the rafters for laying roof material above.
i) Truss: A roof truss is a framework, usually of triangles, designed to
support the roof covering or ceiling over rooms.
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2.1.2 Elements of slopping roofs
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2.1.2 Elements of slopping roofs
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2.1.3 Types of slopping roofs
Pitched roofs are basically categorised under three categories.
Single roof,
Double or purlin roofs, and
Tripled-member or framed or trussed roofs.
a) single roof: This roof consists of common rafters that are secured at
the ridge and wall plates. The various forms of this types are as
follows:
i. Lean to roof: Is a roof, which covers the verandas of a building
and projects from the main wall of the building.
It is suitable for spaces up to 2.5m and is generally used for
sheds, out-houses attached to the main buildings, verandas,
etc.
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2.1.3 Types of slopping roofs
ii. Couple roof: each couple or pair of common rafters is made
to slope upwards from the opposite walls and they are
supported at the upper ends at the ridge piece or ridge board
in the middle.
The lower ends of the common rafters are fixed to the wall
plates embedded in the masonry on the top of the walls.
iii. Couple-close roof: It is similar to a couple roof except that
the legs of the common rafters are closed by a horizontal tie
known as tie beam.
This tie beam is connected at the feet of the common rafters
to check their tendency of spreading out wards and hence
save the walls from the danger of overturning.
Under normal loading conditions, this type of roof can be
used for maximum span of 4.5m.
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2.1.3 Types of slopping roofs
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2.1.3 Types of slopping roofs
iv. Collar-beam roof: This is similar to the couple-close roof,
except that the horizontal tie is now raised up form the feet of
the rafters to almost the middle of the rafters.
It is considered to be suitable for spans varying 4-5.5m.
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2.1.3 Types of slopping roofs
b) Double or purlin roof: Additional members called Purlins are
introduced to support the common rafter at intermediate point.
The purlins are used to tie the rafters together and act as
intermediate support.
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2.1.3 Types of slopping roofs
c) Trussed roof: Trussed roofs are usually used when the span exceeds
5m and where there are no inside walls to support purlins.
The spacing of trusses depends upon the various factors, such as
loads on roof, position of cross walls, span, material of truss,
etc. and are spaced not more than 3m centre to centre.
There are three elements in a trussed roof system:
Rafters which support the roofing materials,
Purlins to provide intermediate support to rafters, and
Trusses to provide support to the ends of purlins.
The various types of trusses include:
♠ King-post ♠ Queen-post ♠ Combination of king and queen
♠ Mansard ♠ Truncated ♠ Bel-fast
♠ Steel ♠ Composite
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2.1.3 Types of slopping roofs
i. King-post truss: Consists of i) lower tie beam ii) two inclined
principal rafters iii) two struts, and iv) a king post
The spacing of king post is limited to 3m.
The truss is suitable for spans varying b/n 5-8m.
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2.1.3 Types of slopping roofs
ii. Queen-post truss: differs from a king-post truss in having two
vertical posts , rather than one. The vertical posts are known as
queen posts.
The tops of queen post are connected by a horizontal piece known
as straining beam.
These trusses are suitable for spans b/n 8-12 meters.
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2.1.3 Types of slopping roofs
iii. Combination of King-post and queen-post trusses:
For greater spans, the queen-post truss can be strengthened by one
or more upright member, called princess-post to each side.
They are suitable for spans up to 18m.
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2.1.3 Types of slopping roofs
iv. Mansard roof truss:
It is a combination of king-post and queen post trusses.
It is a two-storey truss, with upper portion consisting of King-post
truss and the lower portion of queen post-truss.
The entire truss has two pitches. The upper pitch varies from 30-
40° while the lower pitches varies from 60 to 70°.
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2.1.3 Types of slopping roofs
v. Truncated roof truss:
It is similar to mansard truss except that its top is formed flat, with a
gentle slope to one side.
It is used when it is required to provide a room in the roof, b/n the
two queen posts.
vi. Bel-fast roof truss (Bow string truss):
This truss, in the form of a bow, consists of thin sections of timber,
with its top curved.
If the roof covering is light, this roof truss can be used up to 30m
span.
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2.1.3 Types of slopping roofs
vii. Composite roof truss:
Roof truss made of two materials are known as composite roof trusses.
In a composite truss, the tension members are made of steel, while
compression members are made of timber.
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2.1.3 Types of slopping roofs
Steel roof trusses:
When the span exceeds 10m, timber trusses become heavy and
uneconomical. Steel trusses are commonly used for the following
reasons:
More economical
Easy to construct or fabricate
Fire proof
More rigid and permanent.
Steel trusses are fabricated from rolled steel structural members
such as channel, angles, RHS, T-sections and plates.
Steel trusses may be grouped in the following categories:
♦ Open trusses ♦ North light trusses
♦ Bow string trusses ♦ Arched rib trusses
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2.1.3 Types of slopping roofs
Steel roof trusses:
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2.1.3 Types of slopping roofs
Steel roof trusses:
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2.1.3 Types of slopping roofs
Steel roof trusses:
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2.1.3 Types of slopping roofs
Steel roof trusses:
Steel trusses have the following advantages over timber trusses:
i. The sections comprising of a steel truss are readily available in the
required dimension, resulting in minimum wastage.
ii. Steel trusses are light in weight, and can be fabricated in any shape
depending upon structural and architectural requirement.
iii. Steel trusses are stronger and more rigid in comparison to timber
trusses. The members are equally strong in tension and
compression.
iv. Steel truss can be used over any span, while timber trusses are
suitable only up to 15m span.
v. Steel trusses are fire proof and termite proof.
vi. Steel trusses are most resistant to other environmental agencies.
vii. The fabrication of steel truss is easier and quicker.
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2.1.3 Roof coverings for sloping roof
Roof covering is a material, which gives a protective surface to the
roofing structure.
The function of the covering is only to prevent ingress or egress of
heat and moisture into the building.
It does not withstand structural loads, which are directly taken by
the roofing elements.
There are various types of coverings and the selection depends on:
the character of the building,
the type of roofing structure,
Initial cost,
Maintenance requirement,
Fabrication facilities,
Fabrication and special features of the locality,
Durability, availability of the material and climate of the locality.
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2.1.3 Roof coverings for sloping roof
Some of the different types of coverings which are used for slopping
roofs are:
Thatch roof covering
Galvanized corrugated iron/steel sheet
Corrugated Asbestos cement Sheets
Fiber Cement Profiled sheets
Aluminum sheeting
Harvey roof tile coverings
Decra roof tiles
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2.1.3 Roof coverings for sloping roof
The various types of roof coverings materials commonly used are:
thatch, wood, tiles, asbestos cement sheet, galvanised corrugated
iron sheets, aluminium sheeting, etc.
i. Thatch roof coverings
It is one of the most ancient types of roof covering and is mainly
used in village areas.
Thatch roof cover is suitable for rural buildings mainly because the
cost is very low and thatch is abundantly available in those regions.
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2.1.3 Roof coverings for sloping roof
ii. Galvanised corrugated iron/steel sheet
Galvanization means that the iron/steel sheet is covered with a thin
layer of zinc to protect it from rusting.
The corrugation means that the sheet is made more resistant to
bending stresses lengthwise.
The gauge indicates the thickness G-24=0.549mm, G-26=0.457mm,
G-28=0.376mm, G-30=0.315mm, G-32=0.274mm and G-35=0.2mm .
It is required that a sheet should be strong enough to carry, without
buckling, the load of full grown man.
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THANK YOU!
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