Standards relating to flat roof and green roof construction distinguish between different types of green roof. These are not the same distinctions we discussed in our introductory post on green roofs, relating to the type of planting. Instead, they relate to the roof in terms of foot traffic and the load that will be applied […]
A green roof is a flat roof with a planted roof covering, and which can also provide biodiversity in some instances. Like a ‘normal’ flat roof construction, green roofs can be designed to require only maintenance access, or to act as amenity space with a significant level of foot traffic. Inverted flat roofs are particularly […]
ETAG 031 is part of a family of European Technical Approval Guidelines (ETAGs). It was prepared in 2010 under the Construction Products Directive (CPD) – now the Construction Products Regulations (CPR) – to provide a basis for the consistent assessment of inverted roof systems throughout Europe. Its guidance covers a thermal insulation material, used in […]
The design of an inverted warm flat roof – where the thermal insulation is above the waterproofing layer – allows for the possibility of rainwater passing through the insulation layer. Moisture can have an effect on both the insulation itself, and on the thermal performance of the roof as a whole. Both must be taken […]
After discussing the different types of insulation material commonly specified in ground floor constructions in this previous blog, we explained why it’s important not to assume that all insulation performs the same way – with regard to thermal performance and loadbearing capacity. Here, we offer guidance on how the compressive strength of ground floor insulation […]
A fire usually starts inside a building, so internal fire spread is as critical a part of fire safety regulations as external fire spread. It’s not enough to think only about the performance of a roof’s external covering, it’s also important to consider its resistance from the underside. Internal fire spread is split into two […]
As one of the two main areas of building design and construction where extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation is commonly specified, it’s useful to understand how ground floor constructions are viewed by national building regulations when it comes to fire safety. A separate blog post deals with the difference between reaction to fire and fire resistance […]
At the end of June 2019, the UK Government issued an advice note regarding balconies on residential buildings and fire safety. The advice note followed the amendments made to the Building Regulations at the end of 2018, which we wrote about in this blog post. A fire at a block of flats in Barking at […]
As one of the two main areas of building design and construction where extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation is commonly specified, it’s useful to understand how flat roof constructions are viewed by national building regulations when it comes to fire safety. A separate blog post deals with the difference between reaction to fire and fire resistance […]
When considering the fire performance of building elements, generally it is necessary to distinguish between the fire performance of individual components (such as an insulation board) and the performance of a construction element (such as a roof) that combines multiple components. It can be misleading, for example, to quote a poor individual test result for […]
