Flat Roof Fire Protection

E108 defines the following conditions.

Flat roof fire protection.

A new roof is more than just shingles. The maximum flame spread is 6 feet for a class a rated roof 8 feet for class b and 13 feet for class c. Steep roof above 4 12 slope 29 cfr 1926 501 b 11. Roof deck protection allows moisture to escape from your attic while providing an exceptionally strong layer of protection against wind driven rain.

This could lead to alligatoring which may eventually cause the layer to leak and fail. Employers must provide the right equipment employers must provide fall protection and the right equipment for the. Astm e108 defines fire test methods for roof coverings. For a flat roof system the resistance of the roof to external fire exposure is usually of most interest.

A fire extinguisher is needed within 50 feet of anywhere where more than 5 gallons of flammable or combustible liquids or 5 pounds of flammable gas are being used on the job site. However depending on the severity of the damage and the type of material installed repairing a flat roof can cost as much as 600 800. Over non combustible roof decks such as steel poured gypsum or concrete only the spread of flame on the top surface of the roof system is evaluated. Tested to the uk national standard bs 476 3 the leading systems achieve a rating of aa ab or ac aa being the best and where the first letter represents the.

These tests may be conducted at ul inc fm global or any other certified testing laboratory. Low slope roof 4 12 slope or less 29 cfr 1926 501 b 10. This is key to protecting the membrane underneath while also providing sun and fire protection. A typical flat roof repair costs at least 350 400 and involves locating sources of leaks and patching the seams or holes.

There must be at least one fire extinguisher for 3 000 square feet of work area. Pvc membranes are easy to maintain and repair. Roof insulation fire performance before the latest amendments to adb the key fire consideration for flat roofing was requirement b4 which covered the resistance to fire from the outside of a roof system where achieving f ac to bs476 3 in the past and now b roof t4 gave unrestricted distance to the boundary of the building. There are different fire ratings for construction products depending on what is being tested.

Tested against the european standard en 13501 5 the leading flat roofing systems achieve a rating of b roof t4 the best available. Fire protection the building regulations approved document b4 sets out certain specified performance levels of surface finishes on flat roof to control the spread of flame. Also roof deck protection lies flatter for a better looking roof. On a built up roof when gravel becomes sparse the asphalt layer underneath can dry and crack under the sun.

A rooftop fire can result in ignition of the underlying combustible roof deck if the mass of surfacing membrane and insulation is inadequate to thermally protect the deck from reaching its ignition temperature.