Architects and Specifiers

Introduction We all recognize that, when properly installed, TPO can be part of a well performing roof system. However, a very simple error made during installation can set up the membrane for future issues. This has been known since early installations of TPO roofs but somehow it has been forgotten about by many installers. What are we talking about here? The use of adhesive buckets along a fold that causes premature cracking of the membrane years after installation. Let's dig deeper.

Architects strive to achieve a roof design that strikes a delicate balance between aesthetics and performance. Achieving high-performance means incorporating the code, warranty, and guarantee requirements that building owners must meet — among the most important factors of any construction project — into design vision. This isn't made any easier by the sheer number of roofing systems available. Even experienced architects can find it challenging to get familiar with all available components and positively identify which materials are going to deliver the ultimate protection for the building.

Several changes have been included in the 2022 version of ASCE 7 as they relate to the roof. You may be thinking, 'as soon as I mastered ASCE 7-16, an updated version is set to be released!'. As with any Standard, it can be expected that updates will be made to include current research or trends. While the inclusion of tornado loads and the resulting changes in the load combinations may be the most significant, there are other updates that affect roofing as well. From minor updates to basic wind speed maps, to stepped roofs, and pavers, we have compiled a summary to help you navigate the updates. Not to fret, the changes are likely to not be incorporated until the 2024 version of IBC. However, that does not preclude incorporating these changes on current and upcoming projects.

Growing up in the northeast, tornadoes were these random events that occurred in the movies, and far off places like Kansas. But according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), roughly 1,200 tornadoes occur in the US each year! AND they occur in all 50 states, but primarily in the lower 48 and east of the Rocky Mountains. Given that tornadoes kill more people per year in the U.S. than hurricanes and earthquakes combined, ASCE's Structural Engineering Institute revised the ASCE 7 Standard for Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures in hopes that it will be adopted into the 2024 International Building Code.