Module 3 - Roofs

Roof;-Requirement of good roof, Types of roof,Elements of a pitched roof, Trussed roof,

King post Truss, Queen Post Truss, Steel Truss, Different roofing materials,
R.C.C.Roof.

Roof may be defined as the uppermost part of the building provided as a structural
covering to protect the building from weather .

Requirement of good roof

1. It should have adequate strength and stability to carry the superimposed dead
and live loads.
2. It should effectively protect the building against rain, sun , wind etc and it should
be durable against the adverse effects of these agencies.
3. It should be waterproof, and should have efficient drainage arrangements.
4. It should provide adequate thermal insulation.
5. It should be fire resistant.
6. It should provide adequate insulation against sound.

Types of roofs

1. Pitched or sloping roof

 Have a sloping top surface.
 Suitable in those areas where rainfall or snowfall is heavy
2. Flat or terraced roof
 Suitable for place with moderate rainfall.
 Applicable to building of any shape and size.
3. Curved roof
Have their top surface curved.
Roofs are provided to give architectural effects.
Include cylindrical and parabolic shell and shell domes, folded slabs and
prismatic shells.
Suitable for public buildings like libraries, theatres, recreation centres etc.

Sreelakshmi Gopalakrishnan , Department of Civil Engineering , CMRIT

 Elements of Pitched roof

1. Span – Clear distance between the supports of a roof truss.

2. Rise – Vertical distance between the top of the ridge and the wall plate.
3. Pitch - Inclination of sides of roof to the hhorizontal plane.
4. Ridge - Apex line of sloping roof or angle formed by termination of inclined surfaces at
the top of a slope.
5. Eaves - The lower edge of inclined roof surfaces is called as eaves.
6. Hip – It is the ridge formed by intersection of two sloping surfaces, where the exterior
angle is greater than 1800.
7. Valley – It is a reverse of a hip, formed by intersection of two roof surfaces making an
external angle less than 1800.
8. Hippened end – It is a sloped triangular surface formed at the end of a roof.
9. Verge – The end of gable running between the eaves and ridge is known as a verge.
10. Common rafters – These are inclined wooden members running from ridge to the
eaves. They support the battens or boarding to support the roof coverings.
11. Purlins – Horizontal wooden members used to support common rafters of a roof when
span is large.

Sreelakshmi Gopalakrishnan , Department of Civil Engineering , CMRIT

12. Hip rafters - These are the sloping rafters which form the hip of a sloped roof . They
diagonally run from the ridge to the corners of the walls to support roof coverings.
13. Valley rafters - These are the sloping rafters which run from the ridge to the eaves for
supporting valley gutters.
14. Eaves board - Board fixed to the feet of the common rafters.
15. Wall plates - Long wooden members which are fixed to the top of stone or brick wall for
the purpose of fixing the feet of the common rafters.
16. Battens – Thin strips of wood that are nailed on the rafters for lying roof materials
above.
17. Cleats – Short sections of wood which are fixed on the principal rafters of trusses to
support the purlins.
18. Truss - It is a framework usually of triangles designed to support the roof covering or
ceiling over rooms.
Trussed Roof

When the span of the roof exceeds 5m and where there are no inside walls to support
the purlins, framed structures known as trusses are provided at suitable interval along
the length of the room. Spacing is generally limited to 3mmteres for wooden trusses. In
this system the roof consists of three elements i) rafters to support the roofing material
ii) purlins to provide intermediate support to rafters iii) trusses to provide support to the
ends of purlins.
The trusses span in the same direction in which the couple of rafters run. The trusses
also support the ridge piece or ridge beam. The various types of trusses in use are
a. King post truss
b. Queen post truss
c. Combination of king post and queen post trusses
d. Mansard truss
e. Truncated truss
f. Steel truss
g. Composite truss
h. Bel fast truss

Sreelakshmi Gopalakrishnan , Department of Civil Engineering , CMRIT

 King post truss
It consist of i) Lower tie beam ii) Two inclined principal rafters iii) Two struts and a iv)
king post. The principal rafters support the purlins and purlin support common rafters,
which in turn roof covering. The spacing of king post truss is limited to 3m centre to
centre. The truss is suitable for sans varying from 5 to 8 meters. The lower horizontal
tie beam receives the needs of the principal rafters and prevents the wall from
spreading out due to thrust. The king post prevents the tie beam from sagging at its
centre of span. The struts connected to the tie beams and the principal rafters in
inclined direction , prevent the sagging of principal rafters. Ridge beam is provided at
the apex of the roof to provide end support to the common rafters. The trusses are
supported on the bed blocks of stone or concrete embedded in the supporting walls so
that load is distributed to a greater area.

The joint is strengthened by a wrought iron heel strap around the joint.

Queen post truss

If the span length is in between, 8 to 12 meter then queen post trusses are used. Two
vertical posts are provided in two sides at a distance that are termed as queen posts.
The vertical posts are connected by a horizontal piece called straining beam. The
queen posts are tension members. The tops of the posts are connected by a horizontal
piece called straining beam. Two struts are provided to join the feet of each queen post
to the principal rafters. The straining beams receive the thrust from the principal rafters

Sreelakshmi Gopalakrishnan , Department of Civil Engineering , CMRIT

 and keep the junction in stable position. A straining sill is introduced between the tie
beam between the queen posts to counteract the thrust from the inclined struts that are
in compression. In the absence of the straining sill, the thrust from the strut would tend
to force the foot of the queen post inwards. Purlins with cleats are provided as in king
post truss.

The head of the queen post is wider and the head of the principal rafter and the end of
straining beam are tenoned into it. The joint is further strengthened by fixing a 3way
strap of wrought iron or steel on each face.
Steel Roof truss
When the span exceeds 10m, timber trusses become heavy and uneconomical. Steel
trusses are more economical for larger spans. They are
a. More economical
b. Easy to construct
c. Fire proof
d. More rigid
e. Permanent
f. Resist tension and compression
g. Jointing is easy
h. Practically less costly than timber trusses
i. Readily available in required dimensions
j. Light in weight
k. Leads to minimum wastage of material

Sreelakshmi Gopalakrishnan , Department of Civil Engineering , CMRIT

 Steel roof trusses are commonly fabricated from angle sections, plates, channel
sections, and T sections. The roof truss is so designed that the members carry
only direct stresses. The principal rafter as well as the main tie is generally made
of two angle sections. The members are jointed together using a gusset plate,
either through rivets or by welding. When the rivets are used, the minimum pitch
is limited to 15 cm for compression members and 20cm for tension members. At
the foot of the truss, short angles are fitted on both sides of the gusset plate ,
which are connected to the bearing plate. The bearing plate is jointed to concrete
bed through bolts.

Roof covering
Roof covering is an essential component of pitched roof to be placed over the
framework
Function:

Sreelakshmi Gopalakrishnan , Department of Civil Engineering , CMRIT

 • Protect the framework from atmospheric agencies.
Factors affecting the selection of roofing material
• Type of building
• Type of framework
• Initial cost
• Maintenance requirements
• Fabrication facilities
• Appearance and special features of locality
• Availability of material
• Climate of locality
Thatch covering
• Cheapest , light ,highly combustible
• Bundles of reed or bamboo laid with their butt end pointing towards the eave.
• Framework - round bamboo rafters spaced 20 to 30 cm apart
• Thatch (15cm) - secured to the framework - ropes or twine dipped in tar
• Slope – 45 degree

Disadvantages
• Highly combustible
• Unstable against high winds
• Absorbs moisture
• Liable to decay
• Harbors burrowing animals

Sreelakshmi Gopalakrishnan , Department of Civil Engineering , CMRIT

 • Gives bad smell in rainy season
WOOD SHINGLE ROOFING

Sreelakshmi Gopalakrishnan , Department of Civil Engineering , CMRIT