Knauf Insulation’s Polyfoam® Roofboard is being used to put the
‘protect’ into the protected membrane roof system at seven new
police stations being built for the Greater Manchester Police
Force. Accepted as the optimum method of flat roof construction,
protected membrane roofs rely on a durable layer of
high-performance insulation to protect the waterproof membrane.
Polyfoam® Roofboard is an extruded polystyrene insulation board
specifically designed for insulating roofs and is definitely ‘tough
enough’ for the job.
Part of a PFI (Private Finance Initiative) project for a total of
17 new stations across the Greater Manchester area, the seven
stations have a high-security ‘Custody Suite’ with a
reinforced-concrete roof – a case of keeping things in rather than
just keeping them out! At these sites, Bradford-based roofing
contractor, Paragon Roofing & Asphalte Limited, laid over
7,000m2 of protected membrane roofing consisting of 100mm thick
Polyfoam® Roofboard on two layers of BS 988 roofing asphalt on a
glass-fibre underlay. A separating membrane was used above and
below the insulation material which is surfaced with a combination
of paving slabs and gravel.
Sometimes known as ‘inverted’ or ‘upside down’ roofs, protected
membrane roofs are accepted as being the optimum method of flat
roof construction. The layer of insulation protects the roof’s
waterproof membrane from temperature variations, mechanical damage
and UV degradation – all factors that can threaten its watertight
integrity. Although the build-cost is usually slightly more
expensive, designers and owners argue that this is more than
compensated for by the design benefits and low whole-life cost of
the roof.
Apart from the technical and maintenance benefits, protected
membrane roofs also offer another attractive benefit: flexibility
of use. Providing the insulation material has sufficient
compressive strength, the roof can also be used as a balcony, a
patio, a terrace, a garden or a car park (or even a heli-pad for
that quick get-away!).
Polyfoam® Roofboard is a high-performance, extruded polystyrene
insulation board ideally suited for thermally insulating protected
membrane roofs. Made from Polyfoam® extruded polystyrene, its high
compressive strength and total moisture resistance provide an
outstanding structural insulation solution and one that’s
definitely ‘tough enough’ for the job.
Three grades of board are available – Standard, Extra and Super –
giving designers the opportunity to specify the optimum product to
meet the intended use of the roof. The grades cover everything from
the light loads associated with occasional pedestrian maintenance
traffic, through the demands of increasingly popular green roofs to
the high loads imposed by vehicle movement. The boards come in one
manageable size – 1250mm x 600mm – are available in a range of
thicknesses, have interlocking, rebated edges and are lightweight,
easy to store, handle and install.
Knauf Insulation recently launched a new innovation for protected
membrane roof construction: the Polyfoam® Slimline System. The
system uses Polyfoam® Roofboard and a special separation membrane
to successfully reduce the effect of moisture cooling on the roof –
doing so allows both the insulation layer and the layer of slabs or
ballast to be reduced in thickness. As a result, the building’s
construction can be lighter and, consequently, less expensive,
without compromising the flexibility of use benefits provided by
protected membrane roof construction.
More information about Knauf Insulation’s products can be found on
their website at www.knaufinsulation.co.uk or by calling 08700 668
660. Please quote PR 226 04.
® Registered Trademark of Knauf Insulation
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