Modular and Prefabricated System for Waterproofing and Insulation of Flat Roofs

Abstract

Recently, there has been an attempt to implement increasingly significant prefabrication in building construction, since this method is considered to represent an opportunity to reduce impacts in the construction sector. For pitched roofs, there have been relevant developments, such as sandwich panels, asphalt shingles, lightweight roof panels, among others. However, in relation to flat roofs, the advances have been of little relevance and are mainly limited to the improvement of technical characteristics and prefabrication of the construction materials used. The main goal of this article is to demonstrate the possibility of developing new solutions for more sustainable flat roofs in the carbon footprint, and for this purpose a system was developed called ADAPTIVE—Advanced Production System for Sustainable and Productive Roofing Retrofit, which consists of developing a composite solution for the rehabilitation of flat roofs, completely prefabricated and with zero waste, with the aim of increasing energy behaviour, collecting and storing rainwater, and using the roof as a garden leisure space. To obtain the validation results, computerised theoretical modelling was conducted with theoretical assessment of the components and the set of components developed, which allowed us to conclude that the system meets the high hygrothermal, acoustic, and structural requirements.

Keywords

• prefabrication
• off-site construction
• sustainable development
• building industry
• retrofit