6C — November 2023 — Owners, Developers & Managers — M id A tlantic Real Estate Journal
www.marej.com
O wners , D evelopers & M anagers
By Michael Sladki, PE, ECS Mid-Atlantic Prevent catastrophe with proper roof design and proactive maintenance becoming the subject of a similar news headline. 1) Conduct proactive roof maintenance clogged due to debris (leaves, animal droppings, roofing material, etc.), this can lead to ponding.
"I ntense storm creates downpour resulting in roof collapse.” This
from the roof. International Building Code Section 1502.2 states, “Where roof drains are required, sec- ondary (emergency overflow) roof drains or scuppers shall be provided where the roof perimeter construction ex- tends above the roof in such a manner that water will be entrapped if the primary drains allow buildup for any reason.” Primary drainage alone is insufficient; a backup system is required to prevent serious issues. 2) Consult a professional prior to modifying the roof
In some cases, the original design of a roof is sufficient. However, when an adjust- ment is made to the roof by adding an extension, adjacent building or additional equip- ment that changes the roof’s performance, unintended con- sequences may not fully be realized until it is too late. You don’t have to wait until the roof is being recovered or replaced to conduct analysis. Qualified professionals can assess the roof any time to determine if the design is suf- ficient for the expected rainfall in your area. ECS case study ECS was called upon to assist with the assessment, analysis and repair of a roof collapse after a storm. Upon arrival, ECS’ structural en - gineers assessed the damage and determined which areas were safe to access and how the structure should be shored to prevent further damage. ECS personnel also accessed the adjacent roof structure to view the damage from above in an attempt to understand why the system failed. ECS’ initial report indicated that the original roof was a low- slope design with a primary system (gutters on both sides) with a secondary system that allowed for overtopping should the gutters become clogged or overloaded. An adjacent ware- house was built with a higher roof than the original that changed its drainage pattern on that side by removing both the primary and secondary roof-drainage systems. To compensate, the owner installed area drains in the original roof. Prior to the storm, the area drains were clogged with animal drop- pings which allowed water to pond and cause a collapse. The roof was not provided with a secondary method of roof drainage to relieve this water pressure prior to collapse. Subsequent to the collapse, the structure was stabilized, a new roof design was provided and repairs are underway to restore the building’s perfor- mance and help ensure that this catastrophe doesn’t recur. ECS looks forward to help - ing address your challenges and exceeding expectations on your next project. Michael Sladki is vice president, principal & en- gineer at ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC. MAREJ
is not an uncommon headline, and with cli- mate change causing more frequent and s t r o ng e r storms, it is one that we
Roof maintenance is the best protection owners have to prevent a structural collapse. On a regular basis—ideally monthly—maintenance staff should walk the roof looking for damage, debris and, most importantly, clogged drains. Area drains on low-slope roofs only function properly when rainwater is allowed to flow, unobstructed, to the drain body to be removed from the roof. When drains become
Verify the roof was prop- erly designed for drainage While small amounts of water can likely be carried by the roof, certain configura - tions can lead to an excessive amount of water retention which can overload the struc- ture. Sometimes drainage is as simple as sloping the roof to a gutter system, which overflows when overloaded. In other cases, internal drains are required to remove water
Michael Sladki
will continue to see and with greater frequency. Since you can’t stop rain from falling, here are three tips for how to prevent your facility from
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