The community of Winchester, Ind., was in desperate need of a new roof for its aging high school. Teachers and students were coexisting in an interior environment that was wet, humid and had a repulsive smell. The school board met with a number of people, including a conventional roof trade association and an architectural firm that specialized particularly in flat roof work.
In January 2008, they elected to go with another flat roof on the high school.
However, the community was split over whether to use another flat asphalt roof or to use a sloped standing seam metal roof. In March 2008, Metal Roof Consultants attended a school board meeting and presented a sloped metal retrofit roof as an alternative to tearing off the existing roof and replacing it with another flat roof. The retrofit metal roofing system allows the existing roof to stay in place and constructing a new roofing system over the top of it.
The challenge
To provide a long-lasting roof that would permanently fix severe leakage issues associated with the existing flat roof on Winchester High School.
The solution
After the presentation by Metal Roof Consultants, it was decided that a retrofit metal roof system would be the best solution for the existing problem. MBCI, the leading manufacturer of metal roof and wall systems, was approved as the supplier for both the framing system and metal roof system for the 108,000-sf project. Smarrelli Construction was chosen to do the installation. The contract price was approximately $1.6 million, slightly less than the original estimate to remove and replace the existing flat roof.
The MBCI NuRoof Retrofit Roof System was installed over the existing roof’s framing members to create a sloped plane. Six inches of unfaced fiberglass insulation were installed directly over the existing roof. This raised the insulating value of the roof from R-3.5 to R-22.5, which provided significant energy savings. It also allowed the existing roof to release its moisture through the glass insulation into the ventilated air in the new roof cavitty.
Once the framing system was in place, a BattenLok HS standing seam metal roof was installed over it. This option allowed school to stay in session while the new roof was installed. The metal roof was an Energy Star qualified Cool Roof color, which, when properly used considering the environment and the slope of the roof, can reduce energy consumption because of its ability to reflect and emit the sun’s energy, providing significant cost savings.
Additionally, this solution eliminated the need to deposit the existing roof into the local landfill, which recent statics show that 7 to 10% of U.S. landfill space has gone to roofing waste over the last 40 years (ADPSR 1998-2007 Corps of Engineers Study). Metal roofing also allows for little to no maintenance. The contract price was $1.6 million, less than the original estimate to remove and replace the existing flat roof. MBCI also guarantees that the roof will not leak for a minimum of 20 years.
The retrofit system
The NuRoof Retrofit Framing System utilizes light-gauge (16 ga. to 12 ga.) steel framing, which is installed directly over the existing roof’s framing members to create a sloped plane. Regardless of whether your roof substrate is steel, wood or concrete, MBCI’s NuRoof system can be employed to satisfy the building owner’s requirements. MBCI has the experience required to design the retrofit framing system that will comply with the original load requirements of the existing roof.
The existing roof’s physical footprint, framing system and other rooftop conditions will most likely control the new roof’s geometry. A low-slope application (¼:12 to 2:12) is typically driven by economy and designed to discharge rainwater from the roof. High-slope applications (greater than 2:12) are also designed to improve and update the look of an existing building in conjunction with improving the performance of the roof.
Once a NuRoof framing system has been installed, one of MBCI’s standing seam metal roofs is typically installed, creating a ventilated attic space.
Standing seam metal roof systems
MBCI offers two types of standing seam metal roof systems--vertical leg and trapezoidal--which are of the most durable and weathertight roof systems available in the industry. Both systems can be used for new construction or retrofitting an existing building.
The vertical leg standing seam roof panels from MBCI blend the aesthetics of an architectural panel with the strength of a structural panel. These panels have earned several UL uplift ratings, assuring the reliability of performance. They also provide flexibility to meet design challenges. Each of these systems is designed to be installed over open framing. BattenLok HS is a vertical leg system.
Trapezoidal standing seam panels are available as a snap-together system or field-seamed system. They allow for strength, durability and weatherability. The standing seams are three inches above the lowest part of the panel, well above the water level as it flows off the roof. With a recommended minimum slope of ¼:12, the trapezoidal systems can be used on all types of construction, including metal, masonry or wood. +
Related Stories
| Dec 8, 2014
How brick and mortar enables online retail
According to a shopping preferences study conducted by A.T. Kearney, as many as two-thirds of shoppers go to a physical store before or after making an online purchase, writes Gensler's Jill Nickels.
| Dec 8, 2014
The year’s boldest BIM/VDC themes
High-speed rendering software, custom APIs, virtual reality tools, and BIM workflow tips were among the hottest BIM/VDC topics in 2014.
| Dec 8, 2014
AEC firms upbeat about financial results, 2015 looking rosier [exclusive BD+C survey]
The market outlook is brighter for U.S. architecture, engineering, and construction companies, with a majority of AEC firms reporting higher revenues, strong forecasts, and sound financial health, according to BD+C's annual Market Forecast Survey.
| Dec 8, 2014
The global sanitation crisis leads to 2.5 million deaths every year
When we see the incredible technology being produced by global plumbing manufacturers, it’s hard to conceive why no viable technical solution to the global sanitation issue has come forth, writes BD+C's Robert Cassidy.
| Dec 8, 2014
Moshe Safdie wants to reinvent airports with Jewel Changi Airport addition
A new addition to Singapore's Changi Airport, designed by Moshe Safdie, will feature a waterfall and extensive indoor gardens.
| Dec 6, 2014
Future workplace designs shouldn’t need to favor one generation over another, says CBRE report
A new CBRE survey finds that what Millennials expect and need from offices doesn’t vary drastically from tenured employees.
| Dec 5, 2014
Plotting on the go: 3D-printed mechanical compass can print CAD drawings with high precision
Design student Ken Nakagaki has adapted a device to work with CAD software to replicate digital files on paper.
Sponsored | | Dec 5, 2014
New construction outlook report projects growth in 2015
A new 2015 construction outlook report predicts that total U.S. construction starts for 2015 will rise 9% to $612 billion. SPONSORED CONTENT
Sponsored | | Dec 5, 2014
Best practices for force transfer around openings
As wood-frame construction is continuously evolving, designers in many parts of the U.S. are optimizing design solutions that require the understanding of force transfer between elements in the lateral load-resisting system.
